The Civil Society Organisations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, CSCHEI, a recognised platform by United Nations Organising supervising and promoting CSOs, CBOs and NGOs within the scope of socio-economic development in Nigeria, has criticized the recent tax policy announcement by President Bola Tinubu’s tax czar, Taiwo Oyedele.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General, Kunle Yusuff, MON and made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Oyedele, the new tax reforms, set to take effect in January 2026, mandate all Nigerians, including those engaged in illicit activities such as prostitution and illegal transactions, to pay taxes.
Oyedele, Chair of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policies and Reforms, explained that the law doesn’t distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate income, deeming all income taxable. He cited examples of sex workers and others engaging in illicit activities, stating they would be required to pay taxes on their earnings.
Kunle Yusuff, MON, strongly disagrees with the approach, arguing it contradicts global efforts to combat internet fraud and cybercrime.
“Instead of encouraging tax payments from those engaged in illicit activities, the government should focus on shaping the minds of Nigerians positively and promoting digital economy opportunities that foster legitimate entrepreneurship.
“We urge the Chairman of Tax Policy to collaborate with the Minister of Digital Economy to develop programs that steer Nigerian youths away from internet fraud and towards productive, lawful endeavors.
“While commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its recent initiatives, particularly the strategic partnership with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on corruption advocacy and awareness programs for tertiary institution students, aimed at preventing internet fraud. We encourage the EFCC to further enhance its approach by adopting a proactive corruption prevention mechanism, shifting focus from reactive measures that often prove costly and less effective.
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“We call upon our institutional members across Nigeria’s 466 out of 744 local governments to integrate “Corruption Enlightenment Advocacy” into their systems and partner with local Council Chairmen.
“Together, we can extend this campaign to senior secondary schools, empowering students with knowledge and values to combat corruption.”
