The tax reforms driven by President Bola Tinubu are focused on empowering, supporting and building a better economic future for young Nigerians to thrive, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership, Ms Rinsola Abiola, has said.
This is just as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Zach Adedeji, urged youths to be more involved in tax matters in order to have a clear understanding of how it works and benefits they stand to derive from taxation.
The duo spoke at a Youth and Tax Town hall meeting jointly organized by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership (OSSAP-CL) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
In her welcome address, Ms. Abiola assured that Nigeria’s proposed tax reforms are not just about revenue collection but also about opportunity, empowerment, and national inclusion.
“A lot has been said about the proposed tax reforms,” she stated, adding, “and I wish to assure everyone present here today, and indeed all other young people across the country, that these reforms have been crafted with the best interests of young people at heart, whether as professionals and salary earners, or business owners.”
Abiola emphasised that young people are no longer the leaders of tomorrow but active participants in shaping economic policies today. She listed advocacy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and policy engagement as key avenues through which youths can influence Nigeria’s tax landscape.
“By fostering entrepreneurship and job creation,” she said, “young people contribute to expanding the tax base and generating revenue for national development.”
The presidential aide highlighted the Tinubu administration’s efforts to support youth, including funding for startups, digital skills training, and reforms aimed at easing the cost of doing business. “The Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recognizes the immense potential of Nigeria’s youth and is actively working to empower them,” she noted. “President Tinubu is a leader who listens and cares genuinely about the youth.”
On his part, FIRS Chairman, in a keynote address, noted that building a culture of voluntary tax compliance lies in engaging Nigeria’s young majority who make up more than 60% of the population.
“Taxation is both a fiscal tool and a social contract,” Adedeji, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Research and Statistics, Associate Prof. Aisha Mahmoud Haman, said.
“It is the foundation of public trust and the most sustainable means by which governments meet their obligations to the people.”
He acknowledged the longstanding public perception of taxation as a burden, but said the FIRS is actively working to rebuild that relationship. “Our role at the Federal Inland Revenue Service is not simply to collect taxes but to build a culture of voluntary compliance, transparency, accountability, and most crucially, inclusion.”
“If we harness this energy productively, Nigeria can become one of the most competitive economies in the world. But if we ignore it, we risk deepening economic exclusion, unemployment, and social tension.”
He unveiled several youth-focused initiatives, including the Young Tax Champions Programme, designed to recruit students and young graduates as ambassadors of tax education across the country. “This is about turning every youth into a tax expert, and about cultivating a generation that values civic responsibility and economic participation,” he said.
“The goal is not to burden young entrepreneurs with taxes they cannot afford, but to bring them into a system that supports their growth,” he explained. “This means providing incentives, simplifying tax processes, and linking compliance with access to credit, business support, and government services.
“Tax education must begin early—in our primary and secondary schools, our universities, and even in our vocational institutions,” he said. “Our young people must understand how tax works, why it matters, and how it affects their daily lives.”
“You are the present and future of tax administration in Nigeria,” Adedeji told the young audience. “We must build together a society where every citizen contributes fairly, benefits equitably, and feels a shared sense of ownership in the destiny of our great nation.”
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya, the Director, Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Mr Soji Enyiade, Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) represented by Deputy Director Yinka Fisher, and the DG of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu represented by the Deputy Director, Youth Engagement and Inclusion.
