By Aaior K. Comfort

Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal and Tax Reforms Committee, has called for urgent tax relief for Nigeria’s poorest citizens, arguing that they have been disproportionately burdened by tax payments. Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Oyedele emphasized the need to reassess the nation’s tax system to better align with the principles of progressive taxation.

Oyedele criticized the current tax structure, stating that the focus on incremental revenue progress is insufficient given the narrow tax base. He argued that the solution lies not in raising taxes for existing taxpayers but in ensuring that vulnerable individuals and small businesses are relieved from excessive tax burdens.

Instead, Oyedele advocated for a tax system that places a fairer share of the tax responsibility on the middle class, elites, and those who can afford to pay more. “Revenue transformation for us meant we can no longer celebrate incremental progress because the base was just so small,” Oyedele stated. “It is time for [the poor] to take a break, which means we have to look at the system again to take that burden away from vulnerable people and small businesses.”

He reiterated the importance of aligning tax policies with the principle of progressivity, where those with greater financial capacity contribute more, thereby easing the pressure on those less able to bear it.