Tax Ombud Central to Tinubu’s Drive for Fair, Transparent Tax System — Information Minister

Oru Leonard 

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has described the Office of the Tax Ombud as one of the key institutional reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promote fairness, accountability, and transparency in Nigeria’s tax administration system.

Speaking during a courtesy meeting with the leadership of the Office of the Tax Ombud and heads of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister said the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s determination to strengthen trust between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

According to Idris, effective tax administration remains critical to national development, stressing that the establishment of the Office of the Tax Ombud was designed to ensure justice and equity in the management of tax-related matters across the country.

He explained that the Ministry convened the meeting to deepen collaboration with the Office and expand public awareness about its responsibilities and contributions to national growth.
“We need to enlighten Nigerians on the mandate of the Office of the Tax Ombud and the role it is expected to play in strengthening confidence in the tax system and supporting development,” the Minister stated.

Idris noted that public misunderstanding and misinformation initially trailed the Federal Government’s tax reform initiatives because many critics lacked proper knowledge of the proposed policies.
“When the tax reforms were introduced, there was a lot of misunderstanding and even deliberate misrepresentation because many people commenting on the reforms had not seen the actual documents. This is why sustained public enlightenment is necessary,” he said.

The Minister also defended the broader economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, saying measures such as the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms were already producing positive economic outcomes nationwide.

He said many states that previously struggled to meet salary obligations and fund infrastructure projects now have improved financial capacity due to increased revenue availability arising from the reforms.

Idris further highlighted improvements in Nigeria’s global economic outlook, noting that the country’s foreign reserves had surpassed 50 billion dollars for the first time in more than a decade.

He added that international investors were gradually regaining confidence in Nigeria’s economy, while the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list signaled growing international confidence in Nigeria’s financial governance framework.

The Minister assured the Office of the Tax Ombud of the Ministry’s full institutional support through its agencies, including the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
“As a Ministry, our responsibility is to bridge the gap between government policies and the people by ensuring Nigerians understand the purpose and benefits of those policies,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr. John C. Nwabueze, said the office was created to strengthen transparency, accountability, and fairness in Nigeria’s tax administration process.

He explained that the Office serves as an independent platform for addressing taxpayers’ complaints, protecting taxpayers’ rights, and promoting confidence between citizens and tax authorities.

Nwabueze emphasized the importance of public education and awareness campaigns in improving voluntary tax compliance and strengthening trust in public institutions.
He added that the Office was seeking strategic collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to expand nationwide sensitisation campaigns through broadcast media, digital communication platforms, and grassroots engagement programmes.

The Tax Ombud boss also stated that the Office’s mandate aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of institutional reforms, economic governance, accountability, and improved public service delivery.

Among dignitaries present at the meeting were the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu; Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos; Director-General of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Muhammad Ali; Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama; and Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba Ndace, alongside other senior government officials.

Vover Photo Caption, R–L: The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, fnipr, and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Office of the Tax Ombud Nigeria, Dr. John C. Nwabueze, during a courtesy visit by the latter to the Honourable Minister in Abuja. Photo: Khalid Ahmed/FMINO