NEWS
Dare Adekanmbi: Understanding Tinubu’s tax bills of reliefs for Nigerians, Business
The transmission of four bills that aim to overhaul Nigeria’s tax system to the National Assembly two weeks ago by President Bola Tinubu has sparked debates in the polity about the purpose of the bills. Some have expressed fears that the bills may encapsulate proposals calling for a raise in tax rates in a way that will further burden the citizens. Some Nigerians have received the news with mixed feelings, while others have chosen to wait for details before commenting on the development.There is no basis to entertain any fear about these bills. If anything, Nigerians are going to commend President Tinubu for focusing on laying a solid foundation that will ensure fiscal stability of the country. When Nigerians get to know the details of the in the documents, they will know that the president is actually working to bring reliefs to them and their businesses.The four executive bills seek to tidy up the fiscal policy and legislation environment in the country. They are: Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill. These bills seek to translate the recommendations by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, chaired by Taiwo Oyedele, into implementable legislative framework for the benefits of Nigerians.It is common knowledge that one factor which has continued to impede efficiency in Nigeria’s tax system and has negatively impacted revenue is multiplicity of taxes. President Tinubu, in his inauguration speech, had pledged to address the issue of multiple taxation and remove all hurdles against investment in the country. Multiplicity of taxes is one of the issues that the Nigeria Tax Bill seeks to end. This will certainly bring reliefs to corporate Nigeria. Imposition of tax by more than one agency or level of government, without a shadow of doubt, constitutes a chokehold on businesses, especially micro and small businesses as well as individuals.How will this bill address multiplicity of taxes? In Nigeria today, laws dealing with various aspects of taxation are scattered in different legislations. Some of these laws are: Companies Income Tax Act, Personal Income Tax Act, Capital Gains Tax Act, Value-Added Tax Act, Stamp Duties Act, Petroleum Profits Act, Tertiary Education Fund Act, Petroleum Industry Act and so on. In addition to the tax-specific laws, there are plethora of tax provisions in non-tax laws such as the NLNG Act, Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act, NASENI Act, Lottery Act, Companies and Allied Matters Act, etc. The list is seemingly endless.In enforcing these disparate tax provisions, unintended multiple taxation occurs and this is one of the things that the bill seeks to address. The Nigeria Tax Bill aims to codify of all taxing provisions into one single document to be known as the Nigeria Tax Act when passed into law. In the bill, chapters are devoted to the various tax types in a simplified format. The proposed tax law is also written in a simple language that anyone with basic literary education can read and understand. The complexity of the extant law, for instance, is such that it will be pretty difficult for a Professor of Mathematics to compute his personal income tax on his own because of all the inter-twinning provisions that will befuddle him as to what income is taxable or what deduction is allowable. All these complications and complexities have been removed in the new proposals.In the proposed law, companies doing businesses within the country have been re-classified into two: small and large. This is done in accordance with the companies’ respective turnover thresholds. A company will be deemed small if its turnover is N50m or less in a year. Under the extant law, any company which records a turnover of N25m or less is not required to pay Companies Income Tax (CIT). In the new tax bill, companies with yearly turnover that is up to N50m will not pay CIT. As regards large companies, that is, those whose turnover thresholds are above N50m, there is a proposal in the bill to give some relief to them. The objective of this succour for such companies is in line with President Tinubu’s avowed commitment to protect small businesses and eliminate inhibitions that negatively impact entrepreneurship in the country.Perhaps the game-changer among the several pleasant provisions of this document is what the bill seeks to do with VAT. It is an eloquently testimony to the fact that President Tinubu has listened and harkened to the complaints by Nigerians, particularly the ordinary Nigerians who are bearing the substantial brunt of the initial pain of the government’s economic reformation policies. In the proposed law, VAT will not be charged on all items that have direct existential impact on the common people. Items such as food, medicals, education, transport business and agriculture are not chargeable to VAT. For instance, tuition fee or rent paid by proprietors or purchases made by school owners for the purpose of the business of educating Nigerians will be free from VAT. It is the same for owners of hospitals, those in agricbusiness as well as those who buy vehicles for transportation. These are the areas where the lives of the common people will be significantly positively affected, especially in view of the temporary pain of the ongoing reforms.In addition, certain input VAT which hitherto is not possible to claim under the current law can now be claimed. Another relief the president has put in the bill is that for VAT refunds will be made within 30 days upon completion of paper work by the such companies or entities. Already VAT is not being charged on diesel and petrol. The president had in July this year directed the suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes on importation of food commodities as part of measures to arrest the rising cost of living.It may interest many to know that VAT rate of 7.5% currently being charged in Nigeria is the lowest on the continent and one of the lowest in the world. Madagascar and Morocco charged 20% VAT in 2022, while it is 19.25% in Cameroon. Many countries of the world, recognising the importance of tax revenue in providing public services, have this year reviewed their VAT upwards with one of the most striking examples being Saudi Arabia which upped its rate from 5% to 15% in July.Further to the Nigeria Tax Bill, the table of tax rates for individuals has been restructured in a way that brings huge respite to low-income earners. It is worth mentioning that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) does not collect taxes from individuals. It is within the jurisdiction of states’ revenue authorities to collect such income tax from individuals. The only set of individuals who pay personal income tax to FIRS are members of the Armed Forces, members of the diplomatic corps and foreigners earning income in Nigeria. In the new bill, individuals whose annual income is N800, 000 after the deductions of pension and deductible items will not be required to pay personal income tax (PAYEE). However, the elite who earn fat annually will pay more. This is in line with the global principle of progressive taxation which takes more tax from the high earners and a little lower tax from middle earners, while low income individuals pay very little. The pledge of Mr President is that his administration’s fiscal policy will tax prosperity and not poverty.The second bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, basically seeks to consolidate administrative provisions for all taxes. This bill harmonises all tax administration issues such as registration, filing, payment, dispute resolution, etc for all tax-types and revenue authorities. It also clearly delineates the roles and objectives of all tax authorities in the country as well as their relevant jurisdictions. The aim of this bill is to promote the ease of tax administration, lessen tax compliance burden on the citizens and improve the ease of doing business in the country.As for the proposed Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, this is seeking to replace the Joint Tax Board (JTB) which has been wobbly since its establishment because it was built on quicksand. The proposed replacement not only addresses the glaring shortcomings in JTB, but also retains the joint control of the body by the federal and state governments. It also seeks the creation of the office of Tax Ombudsto resolve all complaints that may arise from the operations of JRB.Today, we cannot run away from the cryptocurrency ecosystem because it is the in-thing. But as it stands in Nigeria today, there is no law that regulates cryptocurrency operations. One key highlight of the Nigeria Tax Bill is that it seeks a legislation to regulate the digital currency market said to be worth $1trillion globally. The bill, when passed into law, will arrest the revenue the country has haemorrhaged in the sector. It will be recalled that some executives of one of the biggest cryptocurrency platforms, Binance, are in court for non-payment of taxes among other offences.The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill is primarily proposing a change of name for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the Nigeria Revenue Service. This bill is one which seeks to correct the error of 2007 when Nigeria’s apex tax authority, FIRS, became autonomous as an operational arm of the Federal Board of Inland Revenue (FBIR). The mandate of FIRS is to administer tax laws to assess, collect and account for revenue accruable to the federation and not the Federal Government. Especially when we consider the current sharing formula on VAT revenue, only 15% goes to the Federal Government. The remaining 85% is shared between the states and the local government areas.Today, tax revenue from FIRS is the main reason the 36 states and the local government councils smile to the banks monthly during their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting. A total of N17.8trillion accrued to the Federation Account between January and July this year. FIRS tax revenue alone contributed N11.7trillion, representing 65.8 percent of the total money disbursed to the federal, state and local government councils to meet their needs.Giving such a critical agency an appellation which suggests it is collecting tax solely for Federal Government is improper and must be corrected. Another error in the current name is contained in the word ‘Inland’ which restricts the agency to the collection of taxes within the interior territory of the country. Nigeria has huge revenue to collect from offshore transactions and only a repeal of FIRS (Establishment) Act 2007 to pave the way for the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act can make that happen. Those suggesting that the proposed name change will translate to other revenue agencies being subsumed or merged with NRS need to get copies of the bill to clear their doubt.The general principle of the four tax bills is not just to modernise the tax system in the country, but also to ensure that relief is created for ordinary Nigerians and businesses. And so, for insulating the poor from VAT payment through exemptions of good and services that directly impact their lives, for making VAT neutral for businesses through enabling deduction of input tax from out VAT, President Tinubu has demonstrated fidelity to his commitment that government policies must allow the poor to breathe and not suffocate. Tinubu deserves to be applauded as a leader who listens to the yearnings of the citizens.Dare Adekanmbi is the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman.
NEWS
How Governor Dauda Lawal Enhanced Agriculture and Food Security in Zamfara State in Under 3 Years
By Oladapo Sofowora
For a state like Zamfara with the moniker; ‘Farming is our Pride’ is a case of a toothless bulldog who can only bark without attacking. Adjudged as the state with the most rich and arable land for agricultural works but failed to meet its full potential. The reason is not far-fetched but it’s an issue of leadership without foresight, genuineness and the can-do spirit. For years, Farmers had abandoned their fields, storage facilities were rotting and fertiliser was a luxury. This made families across the fourteen local government areas skip meals not because of banditry alone, but because food production had flatlined to the surface.
In 2023, the messiah, known for taking challenges head-on, came into the picture: Governor Dauda Lawal took the state from a struggling agrarian state back to its true potential. These changes were done without magic but required the seriousness from a government that is ready to bring about rescue to the ailing agriculture and food security value chain in Zamfara.
Today, the story is different, perhaps not perfect but measurably, verifiably different. Here is the direct account of how agriculture and food security improved under Governor Dauda Lawal within just three years and why the improvement needs to continue for another four years not through promises but through documented interventions that any farmer, trader, or housewife in Gusau, Funtua, or Talata Mafara can readily confirm.
For the very first time, fertilizer and improved seeds were hoarded by political middlemen who sold them at triple the market price or kept them for their own cronies this scam was finally stopped as farmers finally got inputs and they got them fairly. Governor Lawal broke that system entirely by creating a biometric farmer registration system that eliminated ghost names and party loyalists masquerading as farmers. Through this system, the state distributed 190,000 bags of subsidized fertilizer at a 50 percent subsidy directly to small holder farmers across all fourteen LGAs between 2023 and 2025. He also distributed 120,000 bags of maize and sorghum seeds and over two million rice seedlings free of charge to registered farmers.
The result was immediate and measurable. According to the Zamfara State Ministry of Agriculture, the number of farmers who planted at least one hectare of crops increased from approximately 180,000 in 2022 to over 350,000 in 2024. Fertilizer access rate among rural farmers rose from 22 percent to 67 percent. More farmers planting means more food on tables, more off-takers and funds readily available, more emerging markets are opening up and staple food availability like; maize, sorghum, millet, rice were increased by an estimated 40 percent across the state within two planting cycles.
Post-harvest losses dropped significantly, as food that used to rot now reaches hungry mouths. Before Lawal, Zamfara lost nearly 40 percent of its harvest to spoilage, rot, and pest infestation because there were no functional storage facilities across the state. Many farmers have had to watch their tomatoes, peppers, and grains decay while their families went hungry. In a bid to cushion this effect, the governor revived the Gusau Grain Storage Complex and the Funtua Agricultural Hub by installing modern silos with a combined capacity of 25,000 metric tons.
He also distributed 10,000 hermetic grain bags, airtight storage bags to rural women farmers who previously had no way to preserve their harvest beyond a few weeks. Post-harvest losses dropped from an estimated 38 percent in 2022 to 22 percent in 2024 this were verifiable statistics according to the Zamfara Agricultural Development Project.
With these changes, it is clear that; 16 percent more of every harvest actually reaches the market or the family kitchen. Less food waste means more food circulating in the local economy and farmers can now store their grains for months and sell when prices are fair, rather than being forced to sell immediately at rock-bottom prices to avoid spoilage.
Before Governor Dauda Lawal, Zamfara used to be a one-season farming state once the rains stopped in October, food production also nosedive. Families then endured five months of scarcity, sky-high prices and reliance on imported food from neighbouring states. Governor Lawal changed that permanently by rehabilitating five earth dams like; Bakolori, Zauro, Wawan Rafi, Dansadau and Kwalkwalawa, installing solar-powered irrigation pumps to ensure year-round water access. He also distributed 5,000 treadle pumps to smallholder farmers in Shinkafi, Kaura Namoda, and Talata Mafara LGAs.
Dry-season cultivated land increased from roughly 2,000 hectares in 2022 to over 10,000 hectares in 2024. Farmers are now producing onions, tomatoes, peppers, and wheat during the traditional lean months of November to March. The impact on food security has been dramatic as staple food prices which historically spiked by 50 to 70 percent between February and April, increased by only 22 percent during the same period in 2025, the smallest lean-season inflation in a decade. Families are eating better during the hardest months of the year because Lawal refused to accept that Zamfara should be hungry for half the calendar.
Herder-farmer clashes and livestock diseases had decimated Zamfara’s animal protein supply, with thousands of cattle dying from preventable illnesses and violent confrontations pushing herders off traditional routes. Governor Lawal launched the largest livestock vaccination campaign in the state’s history, inoculating 2.2 million cattle against CBPP and 1.5 million goats and sheep against PPR all free of charge. He also established three modern grazing reserves equipped with veterinary clinics and water points, moving herders away from open grazing that provoked conflicts with crop farmers.
Livestock mortality rates dropped from approximately 15 percent annually to 6 percent in 2024. Milk production increased by an estimated 30 percent and meat availability rose by 20 percent across major markets. More milk and meat means better nutrition, especially for children. Protein deficiency cases reported by Zamfara’s primary health centers dropped by 18 percent between 2023 and 2024. That is not a statistic. That is thousands of children getting stronger because Governor Lawal decided that animal health is human health.
Mechanization farming needed to replaced hoes, aching backs and tiny plots. In other to ensure more productivity of farmers across the state by reducing their burden amdnhelping them cover a large portion of their land during planting, Governor Lawal acquired 100 tractors, 300 power tillers and 50 combine harvesters by also establishing a tractor-hire scheme where farmers pay per hectare cultivated rather than bearing the crushing cost of ownership. He also opened a N2 billion Agricultural Credit Fund, providing loans to over 12,000 farmers at 5 percent interest with a six-month moratorium terms no commercial bank in Nigeria would ever offer. Land under cultivation expanded from 320,000 hectares in 2022 to approximately 480,000 hectares in 2024. Mechanization rates climbed from 8 percent to 22 percent.
Each tractor cultivated an average of 500 hectares per season, replacing the labor of over 200 farmworkers. More land under cultivation directly translates to more food supply, and the state’s estimated total food production in metric tons increased by 35 percent between 2022 and 2024 according to ZADP harvest surveys.
The ultimate test of any governor’s food security policy is whether families can afford to eat at least three square meals. Governor Lawal passed this test by creating the Zamfara Food Security Stabilization Committee, opened five bulking centers where farmers aggregate produce for bulk sale to major processors and waived all local government taxes on agricultural produce movement for eighteen consecutive months. No roadblocks, no levies, no settlement fees for trucks carrying farm produce.
In major Zamfara markets, the price of a 100-kilogram bag of maize in September 2024 was N38,000, compared to N52,000 in neighboring Katsina and N55,000 in Sokoto. Beans were N65,000 in Zamfara versus N85,000 in Kaduna. Sorghum prices were N35,000 in Zamfara versus N48,000 in Kano. An average household in Gusau spends approximately 28 percent less on staple grains than a comparable household in Katsina or Kano. That difference is money that stays in pockets for healthcare, education, and other needs. In a state where poverty rates were among the highest in the nation, that 28 percent saving is the difference between a child staying in school or being sent to the streets.
Despite Governor Dauda Lawal’s inheritance of an agricultural sector in intensive care, with just two years later, the vital signs have improved across every major metric. Farmers accessing subsidized inputs rose from 22 percent to 67 percent. Post-harvest losses dropped from 38 percent to 22 percent. Dry-season cultivated land expanded by 400 percent. Land under total cultivation increased by 50 percent. Mechanization rates more than doubled, as livestock mortality rate was cut by more than half.
The lean-season food price spike, which historically punished families with 50 to 70 percent inflation was contained to just 22 percent. Has he solved all of Zamfara’s food problems? No. Despite security, roads to some farming communities are still poor, more irrigation infrastructure still needed, the direction is unmistakable. Governor Dauda Lawal took a manifesto promise in 2022 and turned it into a measurable reality which everyone can see today. Food is more available and affordable.
For the first time in years, Zamfara’s farmers are looking ahead, not just surviving but producing. To consolidate on all these gains and also make it more solidified, Governor Dauda Lawal’s re-election is a collective efforts which all sundry must come together to make a reality by speaking in one voice on the pools and ensuring that farmers continue enjoying the dividend of democracy to ensure stability in Agricultural and food security value chain in the state and Nigeria at large.
The Zamfara State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Dauda Lawal, has approved the sum of ₦3,759,931,812.50 for the immediate rehabilitation of the Gusau Water Supply Scheme (Phase I). This forms part of the administration’s sustained efforts to address water scarcity and improve access to clean and safe water in the state capital.The approval was granted during a meeting of the State Executive Council following the submission of a memorandum by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, which sought urgent intervention on the deteriorating water supply system in the Gusau metropolis.The project is aimed at restoring efficient water production and distribution across the city, ensuring reliable service delivery to residents, and strengthening public health and sanitation standards.The State Government further reaffirmed that funding for the project has been duly captured in the 2026 Appropriation Law, reflecting its commitment to prioritizing critical infrastructure and improving the quality of life of citizens.Upon completion, the Zamfara State Water Corporation will oversee the operation and maintenance of the rehabilitated facilities to ensure sustainability and long-term service delivery.This initiative underscores the commitment of the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal to addressing key developmental challenges and fulfilling its promise to provide essential services to the people of Zamfara State.The government calls on residents to support ongoing efforts and cooperate with relevant authorities to ensure the successful execution of the project.
Stakeholders of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State have thrown their full weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Dauda Lawal for a second term in the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement came on Saturday, April 25, 2026, during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened at the Government House in Gusau. The gathering drew all four former governors of the state, elected officials, elders, and representatives of youth and women from all 14 local government areas.
Speaking at the event, Governor Lawal described the meeting as timely, noting that political activities ahead of the 2027 elections are about to intensify.
He explained that his decision to join the APC was not merely political but a strategic move to reposition Zamfara, strengthen collaboration with the federal government, and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda. He thanked stakeholders for their unwavering support throughout the transition process.
Lawal urged party leaders to manage public expectations with maturity and fairness, acknowledging that not all political aspirations can be met immediately. He stressed that leadership goes beyond positions and that political relevance comes from service and contribution to development.
He further assured that fairness, equity, and justice would guide his administration’s decisions, and called for discipline and loyalty to the party.
In a communiqué read by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Bello Matawalle, himself a former governor, the stakeholders declared their full support for President Tinubu and Governor Lawal. The communiqué also covered discussions on party unity, governance coordination, security challenges, and preparations for the 2027 elections.
All four former governors of Zamfara Ahmed Sani Yarima, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi, Abdul’aziz Yari, and Bello Mohammed Matawalle were present and made clear commitments to the APC and the re-election bid of the president and the governor.
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