The Minister of State for Finance Designate, Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that at least 12 states have enacted the Tax Harmonisation Law as part of ongoing fiscal reforms across the country.
Oyedele made the announcement during the graduation ceremony of 5,900 young entrepreneurs trained by the MTN Foundation in various areas of entrepreneurship, business development and innovation.
The Tax Harmonisation Law forms a key component of the Federal Government’s broader tax reform agenda.
What they are saying
According to Oyedele, 13 additional states have already presented the bill before their respective State Houses of Assembly, while others are at different stages of implementation.
He explained that the tax reforms introduced under President Bola Tinubu are designed to modernise Nigeria’s fiscal framework, stimulate business growth, protect vulnerable groups and drive economic transformation.
- “The States Tax Harmonisation Law is aimed at eliminating nuisance taxes, preventing harassment of citizens under any guise, simplifying taxes, protecting taxpayers’ rights and ending unfair tax treatment,” Oyedele said.
He emphasised that transparency, fiscal discipline, responsibility and accountability are essential pillars of any effective tax system.
Addressing the graduating entrepreneurs, Oyedele urged them to think big and leverage Nigeria’s vast opportunities.
He highlighted the importance of financial discipline, proper record keeping, brand trust and value creation as critical to long-term success.
Backstory
Momentum for tax harmonisation has been building across the country. In December, Anambra State became the third state to adopt the Harmonised Taxes and Levies Law, shortly after Zamfara State enacted a similar reform.
Earlier, Ekiti State passed its Revenue Administration Law, while Jigawa State joined Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara states in initiating steps to domesticate the new tax framework.
The coordinated efforts signal growing alignment between sub-national governments and the Federal Government’s tax reform programme.
What you should know
Last month, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) projected that the new reforms would position it to generate N40.7 trillion in taxes and royalties in 2026.
- The Executive Chairman of the NRS, Zach Adedeji, said the projection marks a significant rise from the N28.23 trillion collected in 2025, reflecting anticipated gains from the restructured tax system.
- Adedeji explained that the higher target reflects recent reforms transferring petroleum revenues and mineral royalties to the NRS.
- He recalled that in 2025, the agency surpassed its N25.2 trillion target by generating N28.23 trillion in revenue.
In 2024, tax reform bills were introduced at the National Assembly to halt revenue collection by certain federal agencies, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
