Nigeria’s minister of state for finance, Taiwo Oyedele, has acknowledged that errors were introduced into the country’s new tax reform laws during the legislative process. Speaking at the 2026 annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyedele said inconsistencies emerged due to manual drafting procedures and multiple stages of review, which created discrepancies between the versions circulated to the public and those passed by lawmakers.
The admission follows concerns raised in December 2025 by Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives from Sokoto State, who alleged that the tax bills in circulation differed from what the National Assembly approved. The revelation prompted confusion among stakeholders and led the legislature to establish a committee to investigate the discrepancies.
Oyedele assured that corrective measures are already in place, including the drafting of a finance bill aimed at rectifying the identified errors. He stressed that transparency and consistency are essential to maintaining investor confidence, warning that abrupt policy changes could send negative signals to the business community. Enforcement of the reforms, he noted, would be guided by principles of fairness, clarity, and accountability.
The new tax laws, which took effect on 1 January 2026, were signed by the president on 26 June 2025 after passing through the National Assembly. Oyedele urged Nigerians to await the outcome of the legislative probe, emphasising that a more transparent and publicly accessible legislative process is needed to prevent similar issues in future reforms.
