The controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reform bills has faced strong opposition from key stakeholders, including politicians, lawmakers, and elites who argue that the tax reform does not help the country’s economic viability. A survey of Nigerians on the subject matter revealed that most are still passive on its impact, with some expressing support for the reform, while others are concerned about the negative effects on daily activities.

Some individuals, such as Ben Jack, an engineer, and Albert Olufemi, a teacher, believe that the tax reform bill will bring drastic development and change to different states and regions based on what they will generate from the regions and their states. Others, like Abdulrasaq Hassan, a Bureau de Change Operator, and Omolebun Akinbejiwa, a trader, worry about transparency and the government’s ability to improve infrastructure and public services.

Despite debates in the National Assembly and other forums, most Nigerians remain unconcerned about the impact on their daily activities and instead, call for good governance to put an end to the country’s long-running economic crisis. The government needs to focus on improving infrastructure and public services to gain trust and improve the lives of the average Nigerian.

Key stakeholders, including politicians, parliamentarians, and elites, have strongly opposed President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reform proposals, claiming that they will not improve the nation’s economic sustainability. According to a survey on the topic, the majority of Nigerians remain indifferent to its effects; some say they support the reform, while others worry about how it would affect their day-to-day activities.

Ben Jack, an engineer says: “Since the Northerners are the ones kicking against this, the East and West are in support of it, and President Bola Tinubu is the one proposing the law, and the Northerners who put him there are saying no, so it is either they dance to his tone or he dances to their tone.

If the three regions had accepted it, it would have been better, but since they are rejecting the proposal, it means that the tax reform might not be a collective voice of everybody. I know the president is proposing to go into the regional system, but the president seems a little bit late. But in general, I think the government meant well for us, but the politics are stronger than we thought.

Albert Olufemi, a teacher: “I have not gone through the tax reform bill, but from the analysis I have heard from people, read on paper, and the conversation on TV, I see that it will be more beneficial to the people to bring developments to different states and regions based on what they will be making from the regions and their states. It will bring drastic development and change compared to what we are having now. If the tax reform bill is passed, each state will be generating its funds. The tax reform bill is a positive development because any state that will develop is through tax. With my little knowledge of economics, any state that will develop is from the state they are collecting from the people”.

Abdulrazak Hassan, A Bureau de Change Operator: “I don’t have much knowledge about the tax reform, so I cannot say much about it. I hear a lot of talk about it, but I do not pay much attention”.

Omolebun Akinbejiwa Trader: “For me, I am not saying the tax reform bills are good or not, but my position is that we are yet to see the positive impacts of the existing policies. For instance, they have removed the fuel subsidy since 2023, and when they wanted to remove it, they told us they would use the money to benefit the average Nigerian. But you can see the state of things now: everything is too expensive. The cost of food is just high, and Nigerians are struggling to feed themselves. Is it the person who has not eaten or fed their children that will be talking about the tax reform bill? A hungry dog cannot play with the fed one; you cannot be hungry and think about what is going on in the national assembly about the tax reform.”

Omowunmi Balogun, a trader, says, “If done correctly, this reform might be a good idea. On the other hand, transparency worries me. No matter how many taxation policies you have in this country, once there is not much improvement in infrastructure or public services, there is nothing to reckon with. The government needs to win our trust by performing its duty and not making life hard for us.”

Erupre Gift, Student: I do not think an average Nigerian thinks about tax reform at the moment; we just want to survive. The pressure to survive is much more than how they tax us. I know that everything is interconnected, but how does that pay my school fees? We experience a fee hike in the university, and no one is talking about that; the government must consider this instead of their politics in Abuja.

The Nigerian Democratic Report (NDR) sampled opinion poll reveals Nigerians’ reactions to tax reform bills are that of less concern, they are not losing sleep about the impact on their daily activities. Instead, the majority of them are calling for good governance to put an end to the country’s long-running economic crisis.

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