Tax Ombud: Key Reform Pillar of Tinubu’s Administration – Information Minister
The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has described the Office of the Tax Ombud as a major institutional reform initiative of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s tax system.
The Minister stated this during a courtesy visit on Tuesday 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.
According to the Minister, the Office of the Tax Ombud represents the Federal Government’s commitment to building trust between taxpayers and tax authorities through mediation, fairness, and public accountability. “Tax administration is a very essential component of national development. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu established the Office of the Tax Ombud to ensure fairness, equity, and justice in the administration of taxes in Nigeria,” the Minister said.
He noted that the Ministry convened the meeting to strengthen collaboration and raise public awareness of the Tax Ombud’s role. “We need to bring awareness to Nigerians about what the Office of the Tax Ombud is supposed to do and the contribution it will make towards national development. That is why we brought together the heads of our key agencies to support this public enlightenment effort,” he stated.
The Minister explained that misconceptions about tax reforms initially led to resistance because many critics did not fully understand the policies. “When the tax reform initiative was introduced, there was a lot of misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and even outright mischief because many people criticising the reforms had not even seen the documents. That is why public enlightenment is very important,” he said.
Speaking on the broader economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, the Minister said the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms had already begun yielding measurable results across the country. “When President Tinubu took office, many states struggled to pay salaries, and infrastructure investment was almost at a standstill. Today, states have more resources to meet obligations, invest in development, and support their people because of these reforms,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted improvements in investor confidence and Nigeria’s international economic standing under the current administration. “For the first time in over 13 years, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have crossed the 50 billion dollar mark. International rating agencies are now looking at Nigeria positively, investors are returning, and the country has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force grey list. These are clear signs that the reforms are working,” he added.
He assured the Office of the Tax Ombud of the Ministry’s full 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 duty is to connect government policies with Nigerians so they can understand the benefits of those policies. We will continue to work with the Office of the Tax Ombud to ensure Nigerians understand its mandate and how it protects both taxpayers and government institutions,” the Minister said.
Earlier, the Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John .C. Nwabueze, said the office was established to strengthen fairness, accountability, and transparency within Nigeria’s tax administration system. “The Office of the Tax Ombud serves as an independent mechanism for resolving taxpayers’ complaints, protecting taxpayers’ rights, and promoting trust between tax authorities and citizens. We believe taxpayer education and public enlightenment are essential to improving voluntary tax compliance and strengthening confidence in government institutions,” he said.
Dr Nwabueze said the office was seeking to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to drive sustained public awareness campaigns across traditional media, digital platforms, and community outreach programmes.
He added that the office’s work aligns closely with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in institutional reforms, economic governance, accountability, and improved service delivery.
Those present at the meeting included 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; Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba Ndace, and other senior government officials.
Rabiu Ibrahim
Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation. Tueasday, May 19, 2026
