Economy
Controversial Tax Reform: Governors, Dogara, others back reform

Controversy trailing the Tax Reform Bills may mellow down anytime soon as the 36 State Governors, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, his deputy and other critical stakeholders have thrown their weight behind the reform, saying that time to reform law in Nigeria is now.

The support for the controversial bills could be inferred from submission of the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule who spoke on behalf of 36 State Governors during a Town Hall conversation on the bills aired by Channels Television.

At the three hour town hall conversation on the tax reform bills monitored by our reporter, prominent Nigerians like former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Investments and Trade Company , Baba Yusuf, the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform , Mr Taiwo Oyedele, asserted that the time for the reform is now .
Governor Abdullahi Sule who made his contribution at the tail end of the televised programme via telephone conversation, said if the Town Hall had taken place earlier , the Governors wouldn’t have taken the position they took for withdrawal of the bills from the National Assembly few weeks ago.
He specifically told Nigerians that had clarifications made by the Chairman of Presidential Committee , that came up with the bills, Mr Taiwo Oyedele at the Town Hall conversation on new formula for distribution of Value Added Tax, VAT, among the three tiers of government, known to governors few weeks back , reservations expressed about the reform, wouldn’t have arisen .
“I have listened to clarifications made on perceived misgivings by the Governors’ forum and some other critical stakeholders about the Tax Reform bills and getting inclined to the proposed reform, particularly in the area of elimination of multiple taxation.
“Some of us who are governors today , were in recent past , key players in the companies that generate and pay heavy VAT to government coffers and clearly understand the lopsidedness of proceeds sharing being aimed to correct now.
“Specifically, if Mr Taiwo Oyedele had informed the governors that a new model of 60% VAT distribution for better equity is part of the reform as he clarified at this Town Hall Conversation , there wouldn’t have been much disagreement from the onset , meaning that the conversation being done now , was what the Governors’ forum requested for before forging ahead with processing the bill for consideration at the National Assembly”, he said.
Mr Oyedele had in his earlier clarification on some misconceived provisions of the reform bills , explained that the proposed tax reform aimed at shared prosperity for all Nigerians by exempting the vulnerable or the poor from personal income tax and shifting that to those that are gainfully employed , earning up to N1.5million annually .
According to him, the proposed reform, will address the most contentious issue of VAT distribution with new formula driven by equity and shared prosperity.
He said: “The current formula for sharing VAT among states is based on 20% derivation, 50% equality and 30% population. The tax reform proposes a different model of derivation which will attribute VAT to the place of supply and consumption rather than the current model which attributes VAT to the state where it is remitted thereby favouring states with company headquarters.
“Further, derivation under the new model will account for 60% of VAT distribution for better equity and to discourage any state from seeking to administer VAT as a state tax, which will not only result in much lower revenue for all tiers of government but will impose a higher burden on businesses”.
He also debunked the insinuation that some provisions of the tax reform bills , aim at liquidating public agencies like the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure ( NASENI) , Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives , Hon Yakubu Dogara , posited at the Town Hall Conversation that the proposed tax reform , will fetch the Northern part of the country $250billion in years to come from livestock and exploration of mineral resources .
He said he had read through the four bills and discovered that they are well intended for economic revival of the country and wealth creation for Nigerians .
He admonished Northern leaders, particularly , Governors , not to wear cap of regionalism, religiousity at this time but that of Leadership
“Time is always rife to do right . Time to carry out the proposed tax reform based on the four bills I’ve personally read, is now and not tomorrow.
“For us in the North , the proposed reform , is challenging us to look inward by keying into the $ 2..5trillion global Livestock market through the Livestock Ministry recently created .
” Leveraging on the Livestock market and managing other resources prudently , based on projections by experts , will in no distant time , make the North earn about $25billion from the $2.5trillion global livestock market ” .
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Investment and Trade Company, Mallam Buba Yusuf, described the reform bills as well envisioned for revival of the Nation’s economy through competitive revenue generation and distribution.
” I’ve read the bills , they are well envisioned for the country and Nigerians .
“Nigerians particularly those of us from the North, should read the bills and not just listen to those misinforming them on the planned reform is all about “, he said

Economy
Newly appointed Accountant-General, Ogunjimi assumes office, pledges fairness to staff

The Accountant General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week has assumed office on Monday.

In a brief ceremony marking his assumption at the Treasury Office in Abuja, he promised to be fair to staff of the office which he said, they would not be intimidated or victimized during his tenure of office.

In his maiden address to the entire staff of the Office of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, he called for unity, professionalism and commitment in order to achieve the objectives of the office.
He recalled how he suffered victimisaton in hands of previous Chief Executives where he worked, he promised that it would not be the case as he was elevated as the Accountant General of the Federation.
He said: “It is good to be back, this is our home, nobody will drive us out. I want everybody to have the spirit of togetherness.
“I am not in any group, I am not going to polarize the house.
“If I fail, everyone here has failed. I am ready to commit myself to the service of the public.”
The Accountant General called on staff to let the past go and forge a new spirit in order to move the office forward for the good of the nation and the current administration.
“During my interview for this job, when I was asked what I would do differently to change the image of the Treasury House, I wanted to put the question back to you.
“What will you do differently to correct the image of the OAGF? The question is to all staff members.
“Everyone of us must work to change the perception of the country’s treasury.
“I have been a victim of the chief executive officer firing directors he or she doesn’t like.
He assured the staff of the Treasury House of cooperation they haven’t seen in their lifetime professional career, saying, ‘I don’t like him. Please remove him’, I am not going to be that leader,” he said.
CAPITAL POST recalled that President Bola Tinubu last week approved the appointment of had last week approved the appointment of Mr Babatunde Ogunjimi as the country’s new Accountant General thereby putting to rest the guesswork of who should be the next occupier of the Treasury House.

Economy
NASENI embarks on nationwide campaign to promote Made-in-Nigeria products

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has announced plans to launch a nationwide sensitization campaign to promote the adoption of Made-in-Nigeria products, highlighting the transformative impact of locally engineered innovations on the nation’s economy.

As part of the initiative, the agency is organizing strategic focus group meetings across the six geopolitical zones of the country to galvanize support for indigenous products.

Speaking at the North Central zonal meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the Coordinator, Implementation and Management Office (IMO) of NASENI, Yusuf Kasheem, emphasized the importance of supporting local products to drive economic growth.
“When Nigerians embrace the initiative, we do more than purchase goods—we invest in our future. We create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and reduce our reliance on imported alternatives,” Kasheem said.
He further highlighted that the widespread adoption of locally made products is a step toward a stronger, more self-sufficient Nigeria.
Kasheem reiterated NASENI’s dedication to leveraging technology and innovation to boost national prosperity.
“In just over a year, through strategic partnerships both locally and internationally, NASENI has introduced 35 commercially viable Made-in-Nigeria products. These innovations span critical sectors and reflect our commitment to excellence and self-reliance, he said”
Among the highlighted products are Solar Irrigation Systems, Home Solar Systems, Lithium Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Laptops, Smartphones, Animal Feed Mill Machines, and Energy-Efficient Street Lamps—each designed to improve various aspects of the economy and daily life.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of Business Development at NEXIM Bank, Hon. Stella Okotete, described the promotion of Made-in-Nigeria products as a national imperative.
“By increasing the quality, branding, and competitiveness of our products, we enhance our foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and strengthen the value chain across key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, solid minerals, and services,” Okotete stated.
To support the initiative, Okotete disclosed that NEXIM Bank had introduced targeted interventions such as single-digit interest loans for export manufacturing and value addition, along with export credit facilities to improve financing access for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The campaign aims to foster a culture of pride and reliance on locally made products, positioning Nigeria as a hub for technological innovation and economic self-sufficiency.

Economy
FAAC: N1.703 trillion revenue shared among FG, states, LGCs for January

A total sum of N1.703 trillion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) was shared among the Federal, States and Local Government Councils as the January 2025 Federation Account Revenue.

This was disclosed at the FAAC meeting held in Abuja on Friday.

The N1.703 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N749.727 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N718.781 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N20.548 billion and Augmentation of N214 billion.
A communiqué issued by FAAC stated that total gross revenue of N2.641 trillion was available in the month of January 2025.
The total deduction for the cost of collection was N107.786 billion, while total transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings were N830.663 billion.
According to the communiqué, gross statutory revenue of N1.848 trillion was received for the month of January 2025. This was higher than the sum of N1.226 trillion received in the month of December 2024 by N622.125 billion.
Gross revenue of N771.886 billion was available from VAT in January 2025. This was higher than the N649.561 billion available in the month of December 2024 by N122.325 billion.
The communiqué stated that from the N1.703 trillion total distributable revenue, the federal government received a total sum of N552.591 billion, and the State Governments received a total sum of N590.614 billion.
The Local Government Councils received a total sum of N434.567 billion, and a total sum of N125.284 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.
On the N749.727 billion distributable statutory revenue, the communiqué stated that the Federal Government received N343.612 billion, and the State Governments received N174.285 billion.
The Local Government Councils received N134.366 billion, and the sum of N97.464 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.
From the N718.781 billion distributable VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N107.817 billion, the State Governments received N359.391 billion, and the Local Government Councils received N251.573 billion.
A total sum of N3.082 billion was received by the federal government from the N20.548 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL). The State Governments received N7.192 billion, and the Local Government Councils received N10.274 billion.
From the N214 billion Augmentation, the Federal Government received N98.080 billion, and the State Governments received N49.747 billion.
The Local Government Councils received N38.353 billion, and a total sum of N27.820 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.
In January 2025, VAT, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT), Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies increased significantly while Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and Oil and Gas Royalty decreased considerably.

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