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New Tax Laws: Nine states top domestication drive
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Nine state governments have domesticated the new tax laws aimed at ending the era of multiple taxation and uncoordinated levies.
They are Bayelsa, Anambra, Ekiti, Gombe, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara and Zamfara.
The remaining 27 are likely to follow suit soon.
Sources said the domestication of the new tax laws by the state governments will complement the efforts of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee and the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) in creating a more efficient revenue system for the country.
The committee had developed a model Tax Harmonisation Law for adoption by states and local governments to address the challenges posed by uncoordinated collections, including those by non-state actors.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, said it was imperative for the states to enact their own tax harmonisation law to address multiple taxations at state and local government levels.
The Joint Revenue Board described the steps taken by the nine states as a key component of reforms designed to eliminate illegal tax collection and provide a clearer fiscal environment for businesses and citizens alike.
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo signed the state’s domesticated tax bills into law on January 1.
They are the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (Establishment) Law, 2025 and Kogi State Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Law, 2025.
According to him, the move is expected to boost the state’s revenue, enhance transparency and promote economic growth.
He said the laws exempt low-income earners – individuals earning below N800,000 annually – from tax payment and will also encourage increased investment, simplify tax processes and reduce compliance costs to attract businesses.
Other benefits are “technology-driven efficiency: Digitalised tax administration will reduce human interference and promote accountability.”
“The New Tax Laws aim to support structural reset, drive harmonisation and protect dignity rather than raise tax obligations,” Governor Ododo explained.
The Bayelsa State Joint Revenue Board said on its X handle that the domestication of the tax laws represents “a significant milestone in the modernisation of revenue administration in the state”.
It said the landmark law, which is the first to be signed by a state in the South-South Geopolitical Zone, has the objectives of eliminating multiple taxation by streamlining the pre-existing collectibles of nearly sixty to just nine collectible heads.
It said the law also outlaws roadblocks for the collection of taxes, levies and charges, de-emphasises cash collection and utilises technology to ensure transparency in tax administration, while plugging revenue leakages.
The harmonised framework is also expected to improve taxpayer compliance, boost investor confidence, and support the state’s economic development.
Read Also: Students rally support for Tax Laws, shelve protest plan
It acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the state government, the legislature, and the state Internal Revenue Service in driving the reform forward, which aligns with the national tax reform initiative of the Tinubu administration, underscoring the state’s commitment to transparency and good governance.
Chairman of the Anambra Internally Generated Revenue Services (AIRS), Dr Greg Ezeilo, told The Nation that the domestication of the tax laws in the state has ended the era of paying cash into government treasury.
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On the new tax laws
Ezeilo said the AIRS under his leadership will be intentional, firm and transparent in its enforcement approach, emphasising that there will be “no mercy for tax evaders” in the state.
Ezeilo also said the agency would, in the coming weeks, organise town hall meetings to deepen engagement with tax stakeholders across the state.
The Executive Chairman of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service (DSIRS), Mr. Solomon Igharakpata, said the state government was in the process of domesticating the new tax laws.
According to Igharakpata, the new tax legislation will be transmitted to the State House of Assembly before the end of this month.
“We are already in the process. I am confident that before the end of this month, it will reach the House of Assembly,” he declared.
The other states are working on passing and gazetting their own versions of the law. Officials believe this momentum signals a shift toward a more transparent and investor-friendly framework across Nigeria.
At a recent tax reform summit held in Lagos, Mr. Oyedele said sub-national tax transformation is central to Nigeria’s economic survival.
He said the goal of the new tax law was not to introduce new or higher tax rates but to focus on “harmonisation, efficiency and taxpayer value leveraging data and collaborating within the state and nationally.”
He said harmonisation does not mean centralisation.
“It means clarity and efficiency. The people pay less and the government collects more,” he said.
Tax committee, Ombud to protect taxpayers’ rights
The PFPTRC and the Office of the Tax Ombud have resolved to work together to enhance taxpayers’ trust and compliance through transparent mediation and accountability, following a meeting in Abuja between the Tax Ombud/CEO, Dr. John Nwabueze, and PFPTRC chairman Taiwo Oyedele.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Tax Ombud/CEO, Chukwudi Achife, said in a statement that the Office of the Tax Ombud will serve as a mediation safety net for small and medium enterprises as well as multinational companies to resolve issues related to taxes, levies, charges, customs duties and allied matters.
Achife quoted Dr. Nwabueze as saying “Nigerian taxpayers can now save the cost of arbitration while still obtaining justice by resolving their tax complaints through the office.”
Oyedele said of the meeting that it was part of ongoing efforts to support the effective implementation of tax reforms.
“The Office of the Tax Ombud is an independent and impartial body established under the new tax laws to protect taxpayer rights, resolve complaints quickly and fairly, and build trust in the tax system through mediation and advocacy,” he said.
He added: “Our engagement focused on collaboration with the Tax Ombud, given his critical role in ensuring that the reforms deliver not just better tax systems but a fairer and more responsive tax administration for taxpayers.”
Dr. Nwabueze was appointed last year under the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act 2025 to provide a fair, independent channel for taxpayers to resolve disputes with revenue authorities, offering mediation for issues like unfair treatment, delays and abuse, aiming to boost transparency and trust in Nigeria’s tax system.
The four (4) Tax Reform laws comprehensively overhaul the Nigerian tax landscape to drive economic growth, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment and enhance effective tax administration across the different levels of government.
Nation
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ANGER: Three Brothers Face Murder Charge for Beating man to death for dating Their Mom
Three brothers have appeared before the Mbabane Magistrates Court in Swaziland on a murder charge following the brutal de@th of their mother’s boyfriend.
The accused, Mlondi Mbuli, 25, Sakhelwe Mbuli, 18, and Lindani Mdziniso, 23, all from the Hholoshini area in Eswatini’s Hhohho Region, are alleged to have fatally assaulted Njabulo Ngwenya on June 28, 2026.
According to police, the brothers att@cked Ngwenya with bricks, stones, sticks, open hands, and kicks to different parts of his body. Investigators allege the assa¥lt was motivated by the brothers’ belief that Ngwenya was having a relationship with their biological mother.
Court records state that the incident was reported after Sibongile Motsa, also from Hholoshini, informed police that she discovered her son, Njabulo Ngwenya, lying deed inside her sister’s house at about 1 a.m. on June 28, 2026.
The matter came before Principal Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati during the trio’s initial court appearance.
The three defendants have been remanded in custody until July 10, 2026, pending committal of the case to the High Court for further proceedings.
News
BREAKING : Court orders final forfeiture of ₦150m kinked to Delta HoR member
A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of ₦150 million linked to serving House of Representatives member, Nicholas Mutu, to the Federal Government.
The ruling was delivered by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik after the court upheld an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court held that the funds should be permanently forfeited after no convincing explanation was provided to show why the money should not be seized by the government.
The forfeiture followed earlier proceedings in which the court granted an interim order against the funds.
The court also directed that the order be published in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to challenge the application.
However, after the publication and the expiration of the required period, no sufficient cause was shown before the court to stop the permanent forfeiture.
The EFCC told the court that its investigation linked the money to alleged corrupt dealings involving Mutu during his time as chairman of the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission.
According to the anti-graft agency, the lawmaker allegedly received kickbacks running into over ₦400 million from a consultant working with the NDDC.
The commission argued that part of the funds traced during investigations included the ₦150 million now ordered forfeited.
After reviewing submissions from both parties, Justice Abdulmalik ruled in favour of the EFCC and granted the final forfeiture order.
Mutu, a long-serving federal lawmaker from Delta State, remains a serving member of the House of Representatives.
News
Photos: “I Directed Wike To Build Roads Before Asking Nigerians to Move into Renewed Hope Estate, He Has Done It” – Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, disclosed that he directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to provide roads and other engineering infrastructure to the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana before residents could occupy the estate, and the minister wasted no time in carrying out the directive.
The President, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, made the disclosure while commissioning the 10.5-kilometre Access Roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West District, Abuja.
He said the completion of the road network fulfilled the directive he gave during the groundbreaking of the housing project, stressing that no housing estate could function without access roads and supporting infrastructure.
“When I performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City here in Karsana, I gave one clear directive: provide the roads, provide the engineering infrastructure, and unlock this district for development. Housing without access is a blueprint without a building.
“For too long, Abuja’s story was ‘awarded and abandoned contracts’. Today, we are ending that story with roads that open, not ones that stall,” he said.
Tinubu said he specifically instructed Wike to immediately open up the district because “civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach.”
“I gave that assignment to a Minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, that civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach. ‘Open Karsana, and open it now.’ He took that brief, set the pace and delivered.
“When urgency meets quality, results follow. That is what you are standing on today.”
The President said the newly completed Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40 and Special Important Local Street 03 have linked Karsana West to the Outer Northern Expressway, making thousands of affordable housing units accessible, livable and secure.
He praised Wike for what he described as the visible transformation of the Federal Capital Territory, saying the minister had turned stalled projects into completed infrastructure.
“You took stalled corridors and made them active corridors. You brought the same urgency to Karsana that you brought to other districts and the area councils. You measure contractors by output, not promises. Minister, you have earned my trust and you have my commendation,” Tinubu added.
He also commended Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, engineers and officials of the FCT Administration for ensuring the project was completed on schedule and according to specification.
The President further praised Lubrik Construction Company for delivering the project after it was awarded the contract in February 2025, assuring contractors that his administration would continue to honour prompt payment for jobs delivered on time and to specification.
Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr. Nyesom Wike recalled that Karsana was inaccessible when Tinubu performed the groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Estate in 2024.
“For those of us who were here that day, I was imagining how anybody would come and live in this area because there was no road,” he said.
The minister disclosed that developers had expressed fears that their investments would become worthless without access roads, but he assured them the government would intervene.
“I told them, ‘It is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the road in this Karsana district.’ Today, it is a different story.”
Wike said the project became possible because the Federal Government ensured prompt payment while the contractor fulfilled its obligation by delivering within schedule.
He also announced that the FCT Administration would next Wednesday, July 8, flag off the construction of Kaba- Kagini – Zaudna road following recent request by residents over its deplorable condition.
In her remarks, FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the roads would boost economic activities, improve connectivity and expand access to affordable housing across the territory.
While celebrating the successful completion of the access roads, Mahmoud called on residents and stakeholders to take collective ownership of public infrastructure by protecting and preserving it for the benefit of present and future generations.
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