President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to treat tax payment as a civic duty essential for national development. He made the appeal on Friday during his speech at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali. Tinubu stated that many citizens demand improved infrastructure such as roads and hospitals while resisting tax obligations and other development-focused policies. He questioned how development could be funded if people refused to contribute financially. "Nobody wants to pay taxes. Yet everyone expects development. You want good roads and well-equipped hospitals, but you don't want to contribute through taxes. The question is: how do we fund development and secure the future of our children?," he said.
Tinubu emphasized that both individuals and corporate entities must comply with tax requirements to support national growth. "A citizen who pays tax is a citizen. If you are not paying taxes and not exempted, then you are not fulfilling your obligation," he said. The president defended his administration's economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market, describing them as difficult but necessary steps to stabilise the economy. He argued that Nigeria could no longer afford subsidy payments that encouraged corruption and smuggling. "It was necessary to reset and reform the economy. We were spending future generations' resources before they were born," Tinubu said.
He pointed out that prior to the reforms, several states struggled to pay workers' salaries despite the country's oil wealth. "You are producing oil, spending heavily on fuel subsidy, yet your refineries are not working. That trend was unsustainable," he noted. Tinubu acknowledged that the reforms caused initial hardship and drew criticism but said early indicators showed positive results. He cited increased stability and predictability of the naira, which he said improved planning for businesses and government agencies. Savings from the reforms, he added, had enabled the government to expand support programmes for students and vulnerable households. Tinubu expressed confidence in Nigeria's long-term economic recovery and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to sustainable growth.
Tinubu demands tax compliance from citizens while his administration benefits from economic reforms that increased living costs. Millions of Nigerians now face higher transport and food prices after subsidy removal, making tax payments harder. His statement that non-taxpayers are less than citizens contradicts the reality of low incomes and job losses under his policies. The burden of funding development falls heavily on struggling households, not the wealthy or state machinery.
💡 NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
