Nigeria inaugurates national tax transition steering committee to accelerate regional tax reform
Folarin Abiodun
Nigeria’s officially launched the National Tax Transition Steering Committee (NTTSC), a major institutional lever for driving national tax reforms in line with ECOWAS Directive C/DIR.5/07/23.
This directive aims to establish a regional mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the ECOWAS Fiscal Transition Programme (FTP).
The ceremony, presided over by Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, on behalf of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, was attended by senior representatives of public institutions and the private sector. This key moment marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s alignment with the dynamics of fiscal integration in West Africa.
In her speech, Mrs Jafiya underlined the strategic role of the NTTSC in Nigeria’s transition from a trade-based revenue system to a sustainable domestic fiscal model. She pointed out that this transformation is supported by the ECOWAS Fiscal Transition Support Programme.
As the national coordinating body, the NTTSC will work closely with regional structures such as the Convergence Council and the Regional Pi-lotage Committee to ensure that national tax policies are aligned with the regional transition strategy drawn up jointly by ECOWAS and UEMOA for the next five years. The objective is clear: to promote sustainable development, reduce poverty and build a fairer tax environment.
Mrs Jafiya expressed the Nigerian government’s gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for its leadership in this major reform, while underlining the commitment of all stakeholders to ensuring the success of the national tax transition programme.
Speaking on behalf of the Customs Union and Taxation Directorate, Dar-lingston Talery stressed the need for closer cooperation between Member States. In his view, the harmonisation of tax policies is an essential lever for stimulating regional economic growth. He also stressed the importance of synergy between national and regional institutions to ensure a smooth and efficient tax transition.
The inauguration of the NTTSC confirms the determination of the Federal Government of Nigeria to modernise its tax system, strengthen the mobilisation of domestic resources and actively contribute to economic growth and fiscal stability in the ECOWAS region.
