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FG can retain VAT as it is – Oyedele
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said it is possible for the current Value Added Tax structure to be kept as it is given the controversies it had stirred.
Oyedele said this on Sunday when he appeared on a live television programme on Arise TV to discuss the tax reforms proposed by President Bola Tinubu.
In October 2024, Tinubu introduced four Tax Reform Bills to the National Assembly to overhaul Nigeria’s tax system. The Bills – the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill – were to consolidate existing tax laws, streamline tax administration, and enhance revenue generation.
The proposed legislation has faced stiff resistance from various players in the country, as people argue that it would favour one section of Nigeria at the expense of others. Proposed reforms to the Value Added Tax were one of the main grief points.
Speaking on Sunday, Oyedele said what his committee proposed regarding Value Added Tax would benefit every part of the country.
He, however, noted that if the preference was for the current state, then his team was willing to oblige.
“There were two comments that Mr President made. His first point is that we have to do tax reforms. We cannot continue with the laws of the colonial era and hope that Nigeria will become a developed country. This tax system is holding us back. Then after a few other questions, someone asked a question again about whether he was willing to move and make a compromise, and he said, ‘Yes’. So his point is that we have to carry out tax reform.
“That is what is non-negotiable, otherwise, we will be missing out on a significant opportunity to move Nigeria forward. But in terms of the details of those bills, everything is up for grabs. I can tell you, as we speak today, if they want us to keep the current VAT formula, we’ll keep it 100 per cent. So, the fact that people keep using the problem we are trying to solve against us, is what I need to understand.
“We are saying today that Lagos State is getting the benefit for calls made in Kano, Kwara, in Ekiti. We say, let’s change that. And then you come out and say they want to take what we are doing in Kano to Lagos,” he said.
The tax reforms committee boss tracing the history of the VAT in Nigeria said, “It seems to me that the more we explain it, the more people try not to understand because a lot of people don’t even understand the current position of the law.
“Let me quickly explain what the problem is, the value-added tax was introduced in 1993 by the military. Implementation started in 1994 and that was to replace the sales tax that was being done by states.”
Oyedele stated that in 1999 when Nigeria got into the Fourth Republic, the country needed a constitution.
“The people that put the Constitution together pretty much replicated 1979’s. In 1979 there wasn’t VAT. So in 1999 when they introduced the constitution, VAT was missing, but the government continued to collect VAT. Some states like Rivers State and Lagos State are in court saying that VAT should be collected by the state because they feel that they are not getting enough for the contribution they are making into the VAT pot, and therefore if they collect it as a state tax, they will be better off.
“That is the equivalent of 100 per cent derivation. For us, as we’re working on these tax reforms. We said if we get states to start collecting VAT in Nigeria, it will be chaotic for business because we know for a fact that states in Nigeria will not respect input-output.
“So we said, how can we make everybody at least comfortable and address inequity? What did we identify? As of today, when companies remit their VAT, they tend to remit from their head office because that’s where they have the finance department. So MTN, BUA, Dangote, Airtel, all the banks, most of them are headquartered in Lagos. Some of the oil companies are headquartered in Rivers State,” he stated.
Oyedele affirmed that the tax reforms became important seeing that there was no VAT in the Nigerian constitution.
He went on to warn that if the tax reform bills were withdrawn from the National Assembly, it would be hard to represent them as he feared that consultations would be frustrated.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has given land allottees 21 days to pay all statutory Right of Occupancy (R of O) bills and charges or lose the offer.
Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.
Olayinka explained that the measure was part of the broad and comprehensive reforms on land administration in the FCT, approved by the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.
He said that the reforms, which would become operational from April 21, covers specific areas like conditions of grant of statutory R of O, and contents of the statutory R of O bill.
Others, he said, would include contents of Letter of Acceptance/Refusal of offer of grant of R o O, titling of mass housing and sectional interests, as well as regularisation of area council land documents.
He explained that the crux of the sweeping reforms in the FCT land administration would ensure the regularisation of land allocations in area councils and title of mass housing properties in favour of buyers.
He added that the land allottees were also expected to develop allocated lands within two years.
Olayinka noted that before now, deadline for payment of bills, rents, fees and charges were not specified in the statutory R of O bill, with no penalty for failure to make payment promptly.
According to him, the non-collection of R of O and non-payment of bills has caused delay in revenue generation due to the FCTA.
“It has also caused slower pace of infrastructural development and promote sustained land speculation and racketeering.
“Also, huge expenses have been incurred by the FCT Administration through repeated advertisements and publications notifying the public on the need for collection of R of O and timely payment of bills and charges.
“Consequently, as against the unspecified period within which to collect the R of O and make full payment of the bills and charges, land allottees now have 21 days from the date of offer to make full payment of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed on offers, and submit a duly completed letter of acceptance alongside evidence of payments or lose the offer.”
The spokesman added that FCTA had equally given land allottees two years from the date of the commencement of the R of O to erect and complete development on any land granted in the FCT.
This, according to him, is against the lengthy or unspecified period within which to develop allocated lands.
“Therefore, any R of O bills and other payments made outside the stipulated 21 days shall be considered invalid while any land granted should be developed within two years,” he said.
Also, the Director of Land Administration, FCTA, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said this was the first time the Administration had reviewed its land administration to improve efficiency.
Nwankwoeze said that with this development, allottees would no longer hold their R of O in their house and assumed they owned a land in FCT.
He said that beginning from April 21, any offer of R of O must be paid for within 21 days of offer to validate acceptance.
“So, acceptance of the offer of statutory R of O in the FCT is now tied to payments of the accompanied bills,” he said.
The director of land also said that for lands allocated in the area councils, the allottees would be expected to make all payments within 60 days.
The Executive Director of Olotu and Ekuogbe Rowland Akpodiete Foundation (OERAF), Dr. Olotu Otemu Akpodiete, held a memorial lecture on the benefits of debate competitions for students in Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The event took place, April 10, 2025, in honor of the remembrance of the passing of his grandfather, the late Chief Ekuogbe Rowland Akpodiete, Ph.D.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Olotu Akpodiete encouraged the students to take their academic activities very seriously, assuring them that his foundation would continue to provide support for quality education in Nigeria.
Olorogun Dr. Chris Oharisi, Chairman of the Board of Governing Council at Delta State College of Health Science and Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli, who chaired the occasion, advised the students to be optimistic.
He emphasized the importance of debate to students, stressing that it helps them excel in public speaking.
On his part, Mr. Samson Obor, Principal of Government College Ughelli, thanked the organizers (OERAF) for their good work and encouraged the students to take their studies seriously.
He added that the importance of debate can never be overemphasized.
Presenting the lecture, Olorogun (Mrs.) Grace Akpodiete highlighted several benefits of debate for students.
She mentioned four major benefits: academic benefits, personal benefits, career benefits, and life skills benefits.
She concluded that by participating in debate competitions, students can develop a wide range of skills that benefit them academically, personally, and professionally.
During her speech about the life of the late Chief Ekuogbe Rowland Akpodiete, Barrister (Mrs.) Agboka Akpodiete-Omale highlighted his integrity and commitment to philanthropy.
She praised him as a great disciplinarian, dedicated community leader, lawyer, and known for his generosity.
Chief Dr. Linda Ikpuri, in her closing remarks, expressed satisfaction with the great job that Olotu and Ekuogbe Rowland Akpodiete Foundation is doing, assuring that she would collaborate with OERAF to build a better society.
Other highlights of the event included the presentation of cash prizes to various schools in attendance.
The schools included Lulu Schools, Government College Ughelli, Otovwodo Grammar School, Oharisi Secondary School, Transcorp Secondary School, Ekakpamre, Girls Model Secondary School, Evwreni, Divine Fire School, and Ekiugbo Grammar School.
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