Utomi Blames Nigeria’s Woes On Poor Tax Culture

Political economist and activist, Professor Pat Utomi, has said Nigeria’s underdevelopment stems from citizens’ failure to pay taxes and demand accountability from those in power.

Utomi, who delivered the 43rd Annual Olumide Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors in Abuja, said the country’s weak tax culture had fuelled irresponsibility and corruption among public officials.

Speaking on the theme “The New Tax Reforms: What Professionals in the Built Environment Need to Know”, Utomi noted that a strong tax system was crucial for development and civic responsibility.

He said, “Since 1982, I have maintained that the problem with Nigeria is that we don’t pay tax, and because we don’t, we don’t hold people accountable. Taxation gives citizens the moral right to question how their money is spent.”

According to him, failure to pay taxes encourages “a culture of stupidity” where citizens remain silent while leaders misuse public funds.

“Taxation allows you to call your leaders to order and ask why public resources are being wasted on unnecessary projects like new presidential or governors’ lodges,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, a Fellow of the Institute, Kunle Olugbemiro, stressed that professionals must consider how tax policies impact their industries and the wider economy.

Similarly, another member, Suleiman Hassan, said no country develops without adequate resources, urging Nigerians to embrace taxation as a tool for national growth.

He said, “Western countries do not joke with taxation. The revenue they generate is used to develop their societies, and Nigeria must learn from that.”

Participants at the lecture, convened in collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, agreed that enforcing new tax laws and ensuring accountability in revenue utilisation are vital for national development and economic sustainability.