Nigeria, Others Driving Domestic Revenue Reforms – AfDB

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB), says Nigeria and several African countries are leading reforms in domestic revenue mobilisation.

The vice president for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management and Chief Economist, AfDB, Kevin Urama, said this during a virtual pre-2026 Annual Meetings press conference on Thursday.

He said countries such as Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and Kenya were implementing policy and institutional reforms aimed at improving revenue generation and public finance management.

According to him, these countries are providing practical examples that others across the continent can learn from through peer-to-peer exchange.

He noted that collaboration among African countries was increasing, with finance ministers engaging to share experiences and strategies for improving revenue systems.

Urama said recent engagements, including a high-level meeting in Tangier, Morocco, brought together finance ministers to adopt joint approaches to strengthening domestic revenue mobilisation.

He emphasised that reforms were focused not on increasing tax rates, but on broadening the tax base and improving efficiency in tax administration.

“Digitisation of tax systems and improved compliance can significantly enhance revenue without placing additional burden on citizens,” he said.

Urama added that strengthening transparency and accountability in public finance management would improve trust and encourage tax compliance.

He explained that taxation represented a social contract between governments and citizens, which was reinforced when public resource are effectively utilised.

The AfDB chief economist said the bank was supporting countries through initiatives such as the Public Finance Management Academy for Africa to build capacity in fiscal governance.

He said that improved governance, reduced leakages and better service delivery were essential to sustaining reform momentum.

Urama expressed optimism about Africa’s economic outlook, noting that many countries were recording improved growth and governance indicators.

He said the continent’s progress in recent years reflected ongoing reforms and stronger economic management across several countries.

According to him, sustained collaboration, innovation and policy discipline will be critical to consolidating gains and driving long-term development across Africa.