The lower house of parliament has published the four tax reform bills that were recently enacted by President Bola Tinubu, after facing public debate regarding claimed changes to the country's taxation system.
The choice arises following worries expressed during debates in the House about differences between current tax law drafts and the official Acts approved by the National Assembly.
House Speaker Dr Tajudeen Abbas, along with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Saturday ordered the prompt release of certified true copies of the legislation, including the pages marked with endorsements and approval signatures from the president, for public access and confirmation.
The newly introduced laws include the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The debate intensified during a full session when Sokoto representative Abdussamad Dasuki brought up a privileged matter, highlighting the discrepancies between some recently implemented tax law drafts available publicly and the official documents discussed and approved by the National Assembly.
Dasuki cautioned that the spread of these versions, if not resolved, might erode public trust in the legislative process and the credibility of the laws.
After his involvement, the House decided to conduct an inquiry into the issue, leading the Speaker to request an internal review of the Acts and the official publication of the verified copies to explain the circumstances and eliminate uncertainties regarding the legitimacy of the laws.
In a message released on Saturday, House spokesperson Mr Akin Rotimi stated that the choice to publish the Acts approved by President Tinubu "reflects the Speaker's consistent dedication to openness, parliamentary honesty, and trust in the legal drafting procedure."
A portion of the statement said, "The House became aware of conflicting interpretations of the tax laws when an attentive Honorable member noticed differences, sounded the warning, and officially brought the issue before the House under a privilege motion."
Quickly taking action, the Speaker directed an internal review and the immediate disclosure of the verified Acts to remove uncertainty, ensure transparency, and safeguard the integrity of the legislative documentation.
Starting from the beginning of the tax reform initiative, involving wide-ranging discussions with stakeholders, detailed review by committees, thorough examination of each provision, vigorous debate in the main assembly, and finally approval, Speaker Abbas offered strong and consistent guidance to make sure the changes were supported by data, involved all relevant parties, and matched Nigeria's financial situation and goals for growth. During every stage, the Speaker repeatedly stressed that tax reform should be based on clear communication, justice, and full respect for constitutional and legislative rules.
The four Acts that have been introduced are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
“These landmark legislations constitute the backbone of Nigeria’s contemporary tax reform architecture, designed to modernise revenue administration, improve compliance, reduce inefficiencies, eliminate duplications, and strengthen fiscal coordination across the federation.”
As per the declaration, the Speaker, when overseeing the publication of the approved Acts, assured citizens that the National Assembly continues to function as an organization adhering to established procedures and maintaining accurate documentation.
When releasing the verified Acts, the Speaker assured Nigerians that the National Assembly continues to function as a record-keeping body, operating under well-established regulations, precedents, archiving methods, and validation procedures that ensure the accuracy of each passed legislation.
Rotimi also cited the Speaker’s statement: "The National Assembly is an organization founded on documentation, protocols, and historical record. Each bill, each modification, and each Act adheres to a clear constitutional and legislative route. After a law has been enacted and approved, its validity is maintained via verification and storage by the legislative body. There is no uncertainty regarding what defines the law."
On behalf of the House, the Speaker pledged to Nigerians that the sole genuine and official copies of the four tax laws are those approved and published by the National Assembly.
Individuals from the general public, organizations, experts, and relevant parties are accordingly urged to ignore and reject any other papers or editions currently available that have not been authenticated by the National Assembly, since these resources are not considered part of the formal legal documentation.
Thus, the Clerk of the National Assembly has completed the task of matching the Acts—those officially passed, approved, and verified—with the Federal Government Printing Press to guarantee precision, consistency, and standardization.
“Hard copies of the certified tax Acts have also been produced and are being circulated to all Honourable Members and Distinguished Senators, and made available to the public, to ensure institutional clarity, uniform reference, and legislative certainty,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the House stated that the activities of the Special Committee established previously to examine the reported changes will proceed.
“The House affirms that the work of the Ad-Hoc Committee, chaired by Rt Hon Muktar Betara, continues, in line with its mandate, to determine the circumstances surrounding the circulation of unauthorised versions of the tax Acts and to recommend measures that will prevent a recurrence and preserve the authenticity and reliability of parliamentary records.
The Lower House, led by Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, reiterates its steadfast dedication to constitutional principles, the rule of law, openness, and responsible administration.
It also stated that the House will keep enhancing internal safeguards, maintaining organizational discipline, and safeguarding the credibility of Nigeria's lawmaking procedures for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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