BREAKING: Reps approves Tinubu’s tax reform bills amid controversy

The Nigerian House of Representatives has approved President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tax reform bills, bringing months of heated debate to a close.

Presidential spokesperson and Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, confirmed the approval in a statement on his official X account on Thursday.

“Tax reform bills have been approved by Nigeria’s House of Representatives today in Abuja. Today, March 13, 2025,” Dare announced, without providing further details.

The approval comes despite significant opposition, particularly from the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum, which strongly rejected the proposed value-added tax (VAT) derivation model in the Nigeria Tax Bill. The National Economic Council also opposed the tax derivation framework.

President Tinubu had initially submitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly on October 3, 2024. These include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

With the House of Representatives’ approval, the bills will now advance to the next legislative stage, setting the stage for their potential enactment into law.