PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has assented to the four tax reform bills recently passed by the National Assembly.
The short ceremony which took place at the Presidential Villa on Thursday was attended by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The four bills: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill were passed by the National Assembly after extensive consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
According to the presidency, the new tax laws will significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments.
In his address to reporters, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, said the new tax regime would begin on January 1, 2026.
He said, “It takes time for all the stakeholders, participants, operators, and the regulator to change the system.
“So, with the magnanimity of the National Assembly, Mr President assented to the bills. So, the effective date will be January 1, 2026. We have six full months for both sensitisation and planning. This is also considering the fiscal year of the government because when you have this kind of change, it’s not what you do in the media.”
The new tax bills introduced by the Tinubu administration had been enveloped in widespread controversy and sparked scathing criticisms and stiff opposition from many including some governors who believed that some states won’t be able to pay staff salaries if some sections of the bills make it into law.
However, the Presidency and the National Assembly said stakeholders had been engaged across the country and the fears of the governors had been allayed.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday signed into law the four new tax bills recently passed by the National Assembly, describing the new laws as pivotal to the success of the administration’s reforms and the country’s prosperity.
The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to consolidate Nigeria’s fragmented tax laws into a harmonised statute; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, which will establish a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments.
Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which repeals the current Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and creates a more autonomous and performance-driven national revenue agency— the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS); and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, which provides for a formal governance structure to facilitate cooperation between revenue authorities at all levels of government.
At the signing ceremony at the State House, President Tinubu said that the occasion presented a new lease of life to every Nigerian and future generation.
“What we did a few minutes ago is the way forward for our country’s prosperity. Leadership must help people take off, lead the way, and navigate every turn and twist. We must help them reach their destination. That is what we are doing.
“We are in transit; we have changed the roads, we have changed some of the misgivings, we have opened the doors to a new economy, business opportunities. We have shown the world that Nigeria is ready and open for business,” the President stated.
President Tinubu commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for passing the bills despite initial misunderstandings.
“It was initially difficult, but not all roads will be easy in nation-building. What you have provided is leadership and courage in the face of mounting disputes. Nowhere in the world would tax reforms be easy,” the President said.
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, extolled the President’s leadership in enabling the passage of the four bills.
He thanked the President for all the support, without necessarily teleguiding the committee, and only asked necessary questions.
“History will remember you for good for transforming our country because you went for a fundamental reform.”
The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, described the day as the happiest day of his life and the passage as a dream come true.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, eulogised President Tinubu for his sterling leadership qualities.
“We have always known that you are a thinker, that you are intellectually sound, and that you care for your country. You campaigned based on change for the country. This law would last for generations to come.”
Akpabio congratulated members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders who made the passage of the tax bills possible.