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Biodun Oyebanji, governor of Ekiti State, has urged the members of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), the supreme authority for all Nigerian tax authorities, to make sure that the country’s tax system is fair and effective so that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tax reforms may be implemented.
As part of Friday’s opening ceremonies for the 2025 Joint Tax Board Strategic Retreat in Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, Ikogosi-Ekiti, the governor made the following statement.
In praising Tinubu for proposing a comprehensive reform to raise residents’ living conditions, Governor Oyebanji said that a strong tax system is crucial to promoting economic growth and citizens’ welfare.
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He went on to say that the bill’s primary goals are to increase digitalisation in tax administration, broaden the tax base, improve revenue mobilisation, streamline compliance procedures, promote accountability and openness among revenue authorities, and more.
Revenue mobilisation and the delivery of sustainable development would be reshaped when the bill is implemented in 2026, he noted.
At the retreat, Governor Oyebanji urged the attendees—who included the heads of the tax departments from all 36 federal states—to thoughtfully consider the law’s effects on the country’s progress towards what he called a “transformative policy”—an economy that is both resilient and self-sufficient.
“The President’s signature on these tax reform bills and their anticipated start of implementation in January 2026 give us a once in a generation chance to radically alter our nation’s revenue mobilisation, compliance promotion, and sustainable development initiatives.
As we stand in solidarity with Mr. President’s will to restore Nigeria to its former glory, we must express our deepest admiration for his bravery and vision. For the foreseeable future, these changes will determine how Nigeria’s economy develops.
During his remarks, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Joint Tax Board, praised Governor Oyebanji for his effective leadership in ensuring the success of the state’s internal revenue service. He also mentioned that the retreat’s theme, “Re-imagining the Nigeria tax eco-system: harnessing the four tax reform laws as game changers in tax administration,” was relevant and an important choice for implementing President Tinubu’s tax reform on a national level.
Adedeji, accompanied by Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, the Coordinating Director of the Federal Internal Revenue Service, praised the citizens of Ekiti State for their voluntary tax payment. He attributed this to the Governor’s righteous spending on the people’s welfare, which contributed to the state’s high internally generated revenue.
Mr. Olaniran Olatona, Chairman of the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service, extended his gratitude to Governor Oyebanji for his unwavering support of the state’s efforts to generate its own income, which he had pledged to put to good use in the development of the state. This, in turn, had encouraged citizens to voluntarily pay their taxes.