Tax Reform Chairman Oyedele Breaks Silence on Suspension of New Tax Laws

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has officially debunked reports suggesting that the Federal Government has suspended the issuance of implementation guidelines for Nigeria’s new tax laws.

Clarifying the situation via his verified X handle on Thursday, Oyedele labeled such claims as “Fake News,” after a media report alleged that the government had hit a pause button on the reforms due to ongoing uncertainty.

The controversy stems from an address Oyedele delivered on Tuesday at the 2026 Economic Outlook event organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

While responding to questions on the theme, “ICAN@60: Accountability as the Bedrock for National Development,” he addressed the confusion surrounding various versions of the tax laws currently in circulation.

He noted that while his team had finalized over 40 regulations and public notices, they were waiting for the absolute final version of the gazette to ensure 100 percent legal certainty.

Oyedele further explained that the “Acts Authentication Act says whatever the Government Printer publishes is the evidence of the law that was passed.”

He revealed that while an initial official version was published, some lawmakers argued that it did not perfectly reflect what was passed by the National Assembly. This discrepancy led the legislature to conduct its own review and produce separate gazetted copies.

According to the tax chief, his team made efforts to purchase a printed copy from the Government Printer last week but was informed that the National Assembly had taken all available copies.

Lawmakers reportedly directed that these should not be released to the public until their final review is concluded.

Oyedele emphasized that while this has caused a strategic delay in releasing the guidelines to avoid legal chaos, it does not equate to a suspension of the tax laws themselves.

Moreover, President Bola Tinubu has consistently maintained that the new tax regime will proceed as planned.