Federal Government on Monday unveiled digital platforms under the Office of the Tax Ombud, enabling Nigerian taxpayers to resolve tax-related disputes free of charge as part of efforts to improve fairness, transparency and accountability in tax administration.
Taiwo Oyedele
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this during the launch of the Tax Ombud website, toll-free call centre and case management system at Stratton Hotel, Abuja.
Oyedele described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s fiscal reform agenda, saying the platforms would make tax dispute resolution more accessible to taxpayers nationwide.
“Taxpayers, regardless of location, can now engage more easily with the dispute resolution process without unnecessary administrative bottlenecks or delays, and the good news is that it is entirely free,” he said.
According to him, the Office of the Tax Ombud was established to strengthen taxpayer protection and boost confidence in Nigeria’s tax administration system.
He said the institution would serve as an independent and impartial platform for resolving complaints, mediating disputes and addressing systemic tax issues across the country.
Oyedele added that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax administration, reducing arbitrariness, protecting taxpayer rights, encouraging voluntary compliance and building a globally competitive fiscal system.
“As we unveil these platforms today, let this mark a new era in tax administration in Nigeria, where taxpayers are treated not as adversaries but as partners in national development,” he said.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said Nigerians needed more awareness about the role of the Tax Ombud in supporting the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Idris said the government’s economic reforms were beginning to yield positive results, citing improvements in revenue performance and investment inflows.
Also speaking, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, described the platforms as citizen-centred reforms designed to improve public access to tax complaint resolution.
She said tax administration should not only focus on revenue generation but also on strengthening trust and confidence in public institutions.
Nigeria’s first Tax Ombudsman and Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, John Nwabueze, said the office was established under Part Six of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria Establishment Act 2025 to promote fairness, transparency and efficiency in tax administration.
He said the digital platforms would allow taxpayers to lodge complaints online or through the toll-free centre, track cases in real time and access mediation services without resorting to prolonged litigation.
Executive Secretary of the Joint Revenue Board, Olusegun Adesokan, said the office was created to protect taxpayer rights and mediate disputes between citizens and revenue authorities at no cost.
Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, Tope Fasua, said the Tax Ombud forms part of the broader tax reform agenda initiated by the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee.
He noted that the reforms are aimed at widening the tax net while exempting small businesses and low-income earners from additional tax burdens.
In June 2025, President Tinubu signed four major tax reform bills into law, including the Nigeria Tax Act, in what government officials described as a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s tax system.
