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Urges spokespersons to embrace knowledge, calm, and national interest at NIPR Summit
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed how the debates that trailed the four sweeping tax reform bills introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration in October 2024, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
While the reforms were designed to modernize the country’s tax system, streamline revenue collection, and eliminate double taxation, they have drawn both strong support and vocal opposition from lawmakers, business owners, state governments and public analysts.
Oyedele, speaking at day two of the Nigeria Spokespersons Summit (NSS), organised by Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), described the controversy as a “blessing in disguise,” saying it forced stakeholders and the public to engage deeply with the reforms.
Addressing the initial controversy surrounding the reforms, Oyedele remarked, “We believe that that controversy that was generated comes out to the positive for the reform, because more Nigerians started paying attention to reforms.” He explained that increased public awareness is crucial for successful implementation.
Oyedele underscored the importance of equity in the tax system, advocating for contributions based on citizens’ ability to pay. “Equity means you treat equal people equally and unequal people unequally. If we ask everybody in Nigeria to pay tax of 5%, Dangote will pay 5% and not know that he has paid. The gateman will pay 5% and borrow money or trek home. So equity means you have to pay attention to the condition of your citizens and ask them to contribute based on their ability and not allowing anybody to live above the law, whether you’re a billionaire, or president, Governor, former this or former that the moment you start allowing somebody to live above the law, society will break down,” he emphasised.
Oyedele detailed plans to harmonize tax laws and streamline tax collection processes. “So we have the tax laws that we needed to harmonize, so that the number of taxes are not too many, and so also are a number of agencies collecting taxes need to be harmonized, and we must ensure that we use technology better.”
He outlined the proposal to eliminate cash payments for taxes, transitioning to digital transactions accessible via mobile phones.
He also highlighted the expected impacts of the reforms on businesses, households, and the government. “These reforms are generally people centered. They are growth focused and efficiency driven… For businesses, for example, reducing their tax volume. For small businesses up to 100 million naira turnover a year, you will not pay tax. Your CIS will be zero percent. We don’t even charge VAT, no withholding tax. Your employees, if they earn up to about 1.1 million naira a year, no personal tax, no PAYE (pays you earn) because those are the vulnerabe people.”
He also addressed VAT reforms, noting the intention to eliminate VAT on essential items. “For VAT, we said, why should people have to pay VAT when they are buying food, when they are paying for education? So we call those zero rate. What is zero rated? When you say something is zero rated for VAT it means that you won’t pay VAT on that item and the person that produced the item when they pay VAT to be able to produce it, they will collect the VAT back from the government. So this is the most transparent form of eliminating VAT on basic consumption. So food, education attracts zero VAT, then Transportation Housing exempted from VAT.”
To protect vulnerable taxpayers, Oyedele announced the introduction of a tax ombudsman. “So what we have done in this reform is to introduce the office of the tax ombudsman. So all you need to do is just call the ombudsman, you can send a message, call the centre. You don’t need to even speak English, you speak your language, and the ombudsman will take the fight on your behalf.”
Oyedele also emphasised the potential for remote job creation to boost the economy. “One of the reforms also is to provide opportunity for remote job particularly for our young people, because it’s everybody that wants to relocate abroad and is not everybody that needs to relocate abroad. Some people love their country. They want to be here in Nigeria and work virtually for multinationals and earns dollars… We estimate that we should be able to get between one to 2 million jobs for young Nigerians. Imagine one million people today working remotely and earning $1,000 to $2,000 a month. That’s over $1 billion.”
Oyedele emphasising the critical role of informed communication, calmness, and national focus in communicating government policies and programmes, underscored the importance of gaining a basic understanding of diverse sectors such as finance, economy, and politics. He stressed that spokespersons do not need to be experts but must be well-informed enough to communicate accurately. “Your job is to cover everything — finance, economy, humanitarian, politics — and be able to say something about almost everything,” he said.
He pointed out that ignorance is a significant vulnerability, citing recent losses from Ponzi schemes, which he attributed largely to lack of knowledge. “Ignorance and half-baked knowledge will deny us opportunities,” he warned, urging them to seek knowledge proactively. He highlighted that many Nigerians are unaware of vital programmes like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which could alleviate students’ financial struggles, emphasising the need for widespread awareness.
Oyedele shared insights from his personal experience about the importance of staying calm amid criticism and opposition. He identified three scenarios when faced with disagreement: misunderstanding, being wrong, or having ulterior motives. “If people don’t understand what you’re saying, it’s an opportunity to explain,” he said. “If you’re wrong, accept it and move on. If they have ulterior motives, that’s not your problem.” He emphasized that losing composure diminishes credibility and effectiveness, especially when communicating complex issues. “Always keep your cool, especially in difficult situations,” he advised, warning that anger can undermine the message and damage public trust.
Oyedele also emphasised the power of narratives in shaping economic realities. He cautioned against negative stories that can become self-fulfilling, such as pessimism about the naira or Nigeria’s investment climate. Instead, he urged spokespersons to craft balanced, positive messages. For example, falling global food prices could reduce fuel costs and improve living standards, which should be highlighted as opportunities rather than challenges. “If we look for the positive in every situation, we can change the narrative and influence the country’s outlook,” he said.
In conclusion, Oyedele invoked Abraham Lincoln’s words that “the best way to predict the future is to create it,” urging Nigerian spokespersons to actively contribute to nation-building. He praised NIPR for providing a credible platform and called for collective efforts to foster national development. “Your role is vital,” he said. “Through informed communication, calm demeanor, and focus on national interest, you can help shape a prosperous Nigeria.”
In his response, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, emphasised the need for effective communication strategies to address the challenges of tax collection and perception in Nigeria.
“We know how we twist stories, but you see, when you are preaching to the converted, it is very familiar. That’s why you have to work with NIPR. That’s the message,” Dr. Neliaku stated, highlighting the importance of collaborating with the NIPR to change public perceptions of tax reforms.
He noted that the negative perception of tax collectors is deeply ingrained, especially among older individuals. “Everybody that is above 40 years hates tax collectors, whether they come in suits or bicycles with tax; they are enemies, whether they are calm or hot-tempered,” Neliaku observed.
However, he stressed that changing this narrative is crucial. “Changing narratives come in many ways… When you change narrative, narrative is about mindset. You are communicating to people’s inner man, and you are changing them, changing their perceptions, changing their principles, changing what they knew before, and you have been planting a renewed value and a renewed energy,” he explained.
Neliaku shared plans to work with NIPR’s Vice President and the Education Advisory Board to establish a model for tax communication, drawing parallels with successful NIPR initiatives in science and climate change communication.
“We have done this in the area of science; scientists are very good in innovations. But they never knew how to communicate their inventions until we came in, and we are now helping them to communicate their inventions in a way that it makes sense to invest or to take advantage of what they have done. We are doing the same thing in the area of climate change,” he said.
The NIPR President also reiterated the plan of the institute to establish University of Public Relations and Leadership, advising Oyedele’s presidential committee to endow a center or institute dedicated to tax communication as a lasting legacy. “You may consider endowing a centre or an institute on tax communication. It’s a legacy that you have to live behind so that when young people are now studying, showing interest in this, it will make a lot of sense,” Dr. Neliaku proposed.
Neliaku also highlighted the power of third-party endorsements, noting that NIPR’s collaboration with other professional bodies amplifies the message. “The reason why people can get to listen to you is not because we call a conference on tax to support the Presidential Committee on tax reform. If you do that, I will not come. These people will not come. But you see, because it’s a third party of professionals creating a programme, and they trust NIPR, they are here,” he explained.
He join others to emphasised the need for a central communication center to ensure consistent messaging and re-engineer existing mindsets about tax. “You need to establish a central communication center. I agree with you that it wasn’t good to allow everybody to be speaking, but it will get to a point where that becomes the issue, because you can’t be everywhere,” he advised.
Addressing the issue of unqualified practitioners, Neliaku cautioned against engaging individuals who are not certified NIPR members, citing legal consequences. “It is a criminal offense to allow people who are not NIPR members to do the work of qualified NIPR members certified to do the work of public relations,” he warned.
In closing, Dr. Neliaku expressed his optimism about Nigeria’s future and urged Oyedele to take advantage of a free platform for tax communication engagement at the upcoming Nigerian Public Relations Week in Uyo.
“Nigeria is a great country. There is no country like Nigeria, and in my lifetime, I will see Nigeria transformed.”