Ex-CITN President Seeks Tax Policy Overhaul to Fight Poverty and Inequality

A former president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and president of the International Centre for Tax Research and Development, Morenike Tejuade Babington-Ashaye, has called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s tax policy to address poverty, inequality, and weak governance structures directly.

Speaking at the 20th Anniversary Tax Debate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Tax Club, Babington-Ashaye warned that the 2024 tax reform, though promising, could be undermined by policy flaws, corruption, and poor accountability.

Raising concerns on the mutual benefits of the social contract, she said that over the years, the social benefits of taxation have been abandoned. “One of the principles which an idle tax system must have is, sufficiency in the performance of public functions and services – better life for the people, quality environment, quality education, quality health care, among others.

“All cash benefits which the Constitution demands for the people’s happiness have never been done in Nigeria. While the tax reforms have taken care of those working, there is a need for the National Assembly to make a law on the payment of cash benefits to the unemployed, the elderly, the physically challenged individuals, and the newly born whose parents are not employed. Social amenities and benefits are the inalienable rights of citizens to guarantee their welfare and happiness,” she stressed.

Babington-Ashaye, while speaking on the topic, ‘The Political Economy of the Nigerian Tax Reform and its Social Implications,’ warned that the 2024 tax reform, though promising, could be undermined by policy flaws, corruption, and poor accountability. “

She stated that tax is the price every citizen pays for lawfully belonging to a nation. Granting tax exemption to some citizens is deliberately eliminating their political power.

She said the time has come for the government to remove the colonial and military mentality of ‘governance by force’, “ the citizens own their country, and God gave them mineral resources to eradicate poverty. Those whose communities have mineral resources that God planted are endangered and impoverished. The time has come for part of the revenue from the proceeds of mineral resources to be shared equally with households for peace, happiness, and prosperity. The social vices we witness today are due to governments depriving the citizens of their wealth.”

Babington-Ashaye decried the nation’s annual loss of $18 billion due to multinational corporations’ tax evasion, describing it as a major setback to revenue generation. She urged the federal government to tighten enforcement, close loopholes, and ensure multinationals pay their fair share.

According to her, Nigeria’s tax system is riddled with inefficiencies, including multiple taxes and weak coordination between federal and state revenue agencies. She recommended a sector-specific tax approach to stimulate economic growth better.

The former CITN president stressed that tax revenues must be accounted for separately from other government income, with clear reports on how such funds are utilised. “Government owes citizens adequate information on what taxpayers’ money is used for,” she said. “Budgeting must be for the people, not just ministries and agencies.”