The Chief Executive/Tax Ombud, Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO), Dr John Nwabueze, has called for closer collaboration between revenue-generating agencies to strengthen taxpayer protection and trust in Nigeria’s tax administration system.
Nwabueze made the call at a stakeholder engagement themed “Promoting Fairness, Transparency and Trust in Tax Administration in Nigeria,” proposing that revenue-generating agencies designate liaison officers to serve as institutional interfaces with the OTO.
He said the office, established under Part VI of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025, positions Nigeria as the ninth country globally and third in Africa to adopt the tax ombudsman concept.
Quoting former United States President Franklin Roosevelt, Nwabueze said taxes were “dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society,” stressing that the engagement was about strengthening ties between taxpayers and revenue institutions.
The Tax Ombud disclosed that at least three zonal offices are expected to commence operations within the next few weeks, part of efforts to expand the OTO’s footprint beyond the Federal Capital Territory.
“This will bring the office closer to taxpayers, particularly those who may otherwise face difficulties accessing our services from outside Federal Capital Territory,” he said, adding that a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and Obligations would be launched publicly in the coming weeks.
Comments
Start the conversation about this story.