By the time President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the four landmark tax reform bills on June 26, 2025, Nigeria had already travelled a long and, at times, politically charged road.
In the ongoing debate around the new tax laws, this pattern is increasingly evident, as a wave of false or exaggerated claims, half-truths, and outright misinformation.
The implementation of Nigeria’s new tax law is quietly redefining the country’s fiscal architecture, with states and local governments emerging as the biggest beneficiaries of a revised Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing formula that significantly reduces the Federal Government’s take.
The new Nigerian tax regime was formally proposed on October 3, 2024, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu transmitted the Tax Reform Bills to the National Assembly.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said despite public outcry against the implementation of the new tax law, the law will take effect on Thursday, January 1, 2026.