2026 Tax Reforms, Who Will Tell Nigerians?

It seems unthinkable that this late in the day, less than six hours to the new year, the 2026 Tax Reforms is still generating a tremendous amount of controversy in the land. Those who ought to know; the elite, the educated and the rich may truly not like what they are getting, and so may not be too eager about spreading the truth about the news. The illiterate, the uneducated and the poor, who should be more excited about it, are mostly misinformed about it, by those who ought to know. The 2026 Tax reforms is being grossly misunderstood.

As a matter of fact, it seems that large swaths of the populace simply do not understand or do not care to understand exactly what the 2026 tax reforms really offers. It is obvious that the media apparatus of The Presidency had not done a good job of educating the people. Neither had Mr Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms nor his media team. The National Orientation Agency is also culpable in this matter. By now, there should be a deluge of press releases, media chats, televised addresses, jingles, social media materials, newspaper adverts, billboards and flyers, all outlining the major selling points of the 2026 tax reforms and why Nigerians should embrace it. It deserves that much mileage. If majority of Nigerians come to a good understanding of these reforms, accept it and own it, it could catapult the nation into a quantum jump level of wealth, prosperity and civilization. After all, having laid a foundation of wealth by colonizing and looting Africa, the major advantage the so-called civilized democracies of Europe and North America have over the rest of the world is a well taxed populace.

The terms of the 2026 tax reforms are quite simple. A simplified tax system designed to eliminate multiple taxes, make for a fairer taxing and a widening of the tax net. The poor will pay less and the rich will pay more. And they will do it digitally with very little opportunity for tax evasion and other misdemeanors.

The major question that remains to be answered is, “Who will go and tell the Nigerian people?”. Back in the days, musicians pitched in to educate the people about new government policies. Ayinla Omowura waxed an album to encourage Lagosians to get behind Mobolaji Johnson’s tax policy. Ebenezer Obey promoted Operation Feed The Nation, Kollington Ayinla did songs to promote government policies, but the Gen Z artistes and musicians are more interested in singing about yansh and opueh!