The government says new tax laws will help young people and small businesses, a presidential aide told a youth forum Friday.
“A lot has been said about the proposed tax reforms,” Rinsola Abiola, senior special assistant to the president on citizenship and leadership, said at a “Youth and Tax” town hall jointly organised by her office and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
“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 said the rules are not just about collecting money. “By fostering entrepreneurship and job creation, young people contribute to expanding the tax base and generating revenue for national development,” she said.
She praised programs the government is rolling out to help youth start and grow businesses, including training and seed funding.
Zach Adedeji, chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, told the audience that tax must be fair and trusted.
“Taxation is both a fiscal tool and a social contract,” he said, adding, “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.”
Adedeji announced youth-focused plans, like a Young Tax Champions programme to teach students and graduates about taxes.
“This is about turning every youth into a tax expert, and about cultivating a generation that values civic responsibility and economic participation,” he said.
Organisers urged young Nigerians to take part, learn how taxes work, and use the new rules to grow businesses and find jobs.
