By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The Federal Government’s tax reform drive took centre stage in Abuja on Tuesday as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed that he had received death threats for his role in pushing structural changes to Nigeria’s tax system, laying bare the personal risks confronting officials at the heart of the reform agenda.
Oyedele spoke at a high-level governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), Hadiza Bala Usman, an event that doubled as a frank appraisal of the costs and contradictions of reforming Nigeria’s governance and fiscal architecture.
According to Oyedele, tax reform has proven exceptionally sensitive because it directly confronts entrenched interests and long-standing inefficiencies in a system weakened by low trust in government and a fragile tax culture.
“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio remained among the lowest globally, arguing that the country could not sustainably fund development or social protection without fundamentally reworking how revenue is raised and administered.
“Our revenues are abysmally low compared to peer countries. That reality leaves us with no real choice. Reform is not optional if we are serious about development,” Oyedele stated.
He noted that resistance to tax reform was often amplified by misinformation and fear, particularly in an environment where citizens see little connection between the taxes they pay and the public services they receive.
“People ask: Why should I pay more when I cannot see the impact? That question reflects years of weak accountability and broken trust. But the answer cannot be to abandon reform. The answer is to fix the system,” he said.
Oyedele warned that silence from informed stakeholders would only embolden false narratives and deepen public anxiety around reform policies.
“If those who know the truth remain silent, false narratives will dominate. Reformers cannot win this alone; citizens who understand what is at stake must also speak up,” he added.
In his remarks, Vice President Kashim Shettima said Oyedele’s experiences illustrated the depth of the sacrifice demanded of public officials committed to structural change.
Shettima urged Nigerian public servants to embrace courage, discipline, and selflessness, stressing that meaningful legacies in governance are rarely built on popularity but on resilience and institutional strengthening.
According to him, the most impactful contributions to nation-building are often quiet, painstaking efforts that attract resistance before they deliver results.
“If we are to raise generations of Nigerians ready to lead with purpose, deliver with excellence and serve with courage, we must remember this truth: intention without the willingness to pay the price of service remains wishful thinking,” the Vice President said.
He added that reforms, by their nature, unsettle established interests and test the resolve of those entrusted with public responsibility, insisting that retreat in the face of pressure only prolongs national decline.
*Shettima demands courage, discipline in service, lauds Bala Usman at 50
Eulogising the celebrant, Shettima described Hadiza Bala Usman as a symbol of disciplined service and proof that excellence in public administration is achieved through responsibility rather than spectacle.
“There is no doubt that Hadiza’s place in our public service history is secure. It was not built on applause or public drama. What she has become is the result of responsibilities carried fully, and institutions strengthened with care,” he said.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said the colloquium provided an opportunity to honour a life defined by purpose and service, noting that Bala Usman’s leadership at the CDCU had strengthened inter-ministerial coordination and reinforced a results-oriented culture aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also contributing, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi (Dattijo), said the reforms undertaken in the past two years were the deepest in decades, aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions.
He cited early macroeconomic gains, including improvements in external reserves and balance of payments, while cautioning that reforms often falter due to weak coordination and fragile institutions rather than a lack of good intentions.
In the keynote address, former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Joe Abah, emphasised transparency, institutional integrity and process-driven reform as the bedrock of sustainable governance.
Responding, Bala Usman thanked the Vice President and participants for the honour, saying she was humbled by the recognition and reaffirmed her belief that service, when carried out with integrity and discipline, remains the most powerful tool for strengthening institutions and advancing national development
