IBRAHIM QUADRI
Ahead of the implementation of the tax reforms law from January 1st, 2026, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday has assured that the State would play a leading role in its implementation.
Governor Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance while speaking at a Tax Reform Summit jointly organized by the State Office of Taxation and Revenue and State Treasury Office, in Ikeja, Lagos.
The discourse, which was tagged, ‘Tax Reforms Summit: The Lagos Implementation Roadmap,’ was to position the State for effective execution of the policy.
Sanwo-Olu affirmed the State government’s commitment to align with the Federal Government, emphasising on the need to widen the tax net rather than increase in taxes
The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, had warned that delaying the implementation of the new tax laws beyond January 1, 2026, could have severe consequences for workers and businesses across Nigeria.
His warning came amid controversy over alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted.
The concern, raised last week by a House of Representatives member, Abdulsamad Dasuki, who claimed that the gazetted laws did not reflect what was debated and approved on the floor of the House.
However, Sanwo-Olu described the Summit as timely and strategic, noting that it provided a critical platform for repositioning Nigeria’s tax system to achieve efficiency, equity and growth.
The Governor said Lagos operates within the framework of national fiscal programmes and is fully aligned with the tax reforms being driven by President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the reforms are designed to simplify governance, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, strengthen transparency, and leverage technology to improve tax administration and service delivery.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and one of Africa’s fastest-growing megacities, faces unique developmental pressures that require sustainable, internally generated revenue solutions.
He noted that infrastructure demands, rapid population growth, and urban congestion make effective revenue mobilisation critical to the state’s development agenda.
He acknowledged concerns by critics who fear that tax reforms may burden low-income earners, but maintained that the reforms are structured to support small businesses, expand the tax base and promote fairness.
Sanwo-Olu added that a predictable and transparent tax system is essential to building trust between the government and citizens, describing taxation as a social contract that must be anchored on accountability and visible service delivery.
Speaking as a keynote speaker at the event, Oyedele said tax reform in Nigeria is not about increasing tax rates but fixing broken systems.
He stressed that the sub-national tax reform is critical to Nigeria’s fiscal sustainability, as states and local governments bear primary responsibility for infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, and environmental management.
He said Lagos is expected to demonstrate leadership, particularly in data quality, property registers and taxpayer databases, to serve as a model for other states.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Taxation and Revenue, Abdulkabir Ogungbo, said the summit marked an important milestone in Lagos State’s continuous engagement on fiscal reforms.
Ogungbo disclosed that a state committee was constituted to work with the presidential committee, leading to extensive consultations with public and private sector stakeholders, including ministries, agencies, financial institutions and local governments.
Ogungbo said the reforms aim to simplify processes, clarify revenue collection responsibilities and establish a solid revenue framework anchored on accurate identification, transparency and data-driven governance.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, said the state has consistently been a trailblazer in innovative revenue administration.
The commissioner noted that the focus of the summit was to move beyond policy discussions to practical implementation, stressing that the success of the reforms would directly impact the state’s ability to fund infrastructure, deliver public services, and improve the quality of life of Lagosians.
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