The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that he faces threats to his life over his role in implementing comprehensive tax reforms in Nigeria. Oyedele made the revelation on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking at a governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, noting that reforms which challenge entrenched interests are often met with resistance.
Speaking at the event, Oyedele said, “Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” adding that mistrust of government, weak tax compliance culture and poor understanding of fiscal exchange continue to hinder progress. He explained that Nigeria’s tax revenue remains far below that of comparable countries, making reforms inevitable, and urged supporters to speak up, warning that silence allows critics to dominate public discourse. “What we have been doing all along… was pain reliever. It hasn’t taken us far. Now we’re doing the surgery. It’s going to come with some pain, but that’s the only right thing to do,” he said.