President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to embrace tax payment as a vital responsibility needed to fund infrastructure, healthcare, education and welfare programmes for vulnerable citizens.
Speaking on Friday, May 15, at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, the president said many Nigerians expect improved public services without contributing through taxes.
“Everyone wants development, but nobody wants to pay taxes. People demand better roads, quality hospitals and social amenities, yet they are unwilling to contribute. The question is: how do we finance development and secure the future for coming generations? A citizen who pays taxes is fulfilling a civic duty. If you are not exempted and still refuse to pay taxes, then you are neglecting your responsibility,” Tinubu said.
The president also defended his administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market, describing them as painful but necessary steps to stabilise the economy.
According to Tinubu, Nigeria could no longer sustain subsidy payments and policies that encouraged corruption and fuel smuggling.
“We had to reset and reform the economy. The country was spending the resources of future generations before they were even born,” he stated.
Reflecting on the situation before the reforms, Tinubu noted that despite being an oil-producing nation, many states struggled to pay workers’ salaries while the country continued to spend massively on fuel subsidies with non-functional refineries.
“That path was simply unsustainable,” he added.
The president acknowledged that the reforms initially caused hardship and attracted criticism, but maintained that there were already signs of improvement.
He said the naira had become more stable and predictable, making planning easier for businesses and government institutions.
Tinubu further explained that savings generated from the reforms had allowed the government to strengthen intervention programmes for students and vulnerable households through educational support and direct assistance initiatives.
