Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria has finally called in the sheriff. Not the kind who wears a badge, but the kind who holds a scale. After years of complaints from small business owners about arbitrary tax assessments and from multinational corporations about double taxation, the government has deployed a powerful new institution to break the logjam. The man leading that charge is Dr John Nwabueze, the pioneer Tax Ombud, who has now assured Nigerians that disputes with tax authorities, whether at the federal, state or local level, will no longer take years to resolve. Speaking at a breakfast meeting with business editors in Lagos over the weekend, Nwabueze laid down a clear deadline: every complaint filed with his office will be settled within 14 to 30 days, in strict compliance with the provisions of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025. Moreover, he made it clear that every single service his office offers, from filing complaints to legal representation in court, is completely free for the taxpayer.
The establishment of the Office of the Tax Ombud signals a fundamental shift in how Nigeria approaches the delicate relationship between the state and its citizens. For decades, the tax system was heavily skewed in favour of the collector. The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2024, which created the office, was specifically designed to rebalance the scales. Nwabueze, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu following the enactment of the law, described his office as an “independent and impartial body” that serves strictly as a “bridge” between taxpayers and revenue authorities. He insisted that the Ombud is not, and cannot, determine tax liability. That heavy work remains with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), state Internal Revenue Services (IRS), and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). However, the Ombud has the teeth and the authority to investigate, mediate, and if necessary, recommend the outright withdrawal of arbitrary taxes.
The urgency of Nwabueze’s mission cannot be overstated. Before the arrival of the Tax Ombud, tax disputes in Nigeria were nightmarish for ordinary citizens. Data from the newly established office shows that common grievances fall into several brutal categories: multiple taxation by overlapping federal and state agencies, arbitrary assessments inflated by revenue officials to meet aggressive performance targets, misinterpretation of complex and often contradictory tax laws, and the simple refusal of some authorities to comply with legal decision notices. The old system forced a taxpayer to either accept an extortionate bill or spend years in expensive litigation. The Tax Ombud changes this entirely. Nwabueze explained that his office now acts as the “first line of intervention,” mediating between the taxpayer and the agency to reconcile the issue before it ever gets to a court of law. If mediation fails, the Ombud has the statutory power to issue guidelines and directives for resolution.
Perhaps the most radical aspect of the Tax Ombud’s mandate is the provision for free legal aid. Under the Act, if a dispute cannot be resolved through mediation and needs to go to the Tax Appeal Tribunal or a court of law, the Office of the Tax Ombud will institute legal proceedings on behalf of the taxpayer, and will cover the entire cost of that legal action. The taxpayer pays absolutely nothing. This single clause has turned the power dynamic of Nigerian tax administration completely upside down. A trembling petty trader who took out a loan to pay an exaggerated tax bill can now walk into a government office and be handed a lawyer at zero cost. It is a game changer that the government hopes will unblock the informal sector and finally bring the millions of untaxed small-scale operators into the net, not through coercion, but through the promise of justice and fairness.
However, the Ombud cannot do the work alone. To reach every corner of Nigeria, Nwabueze has announced a massive operational expansion. The office is set to launch a fully functional website and a toll-free call centre in the coming weeks. The call centre is designed to handle multiple users simultaneously, with a rollover system that redirects calls to available lines to reduce congestion. Nwabueze assured that the service will be toll-free, with callers incurring no cost for accessing support. Once operational, trained agents will assist by collecting key identification details, such as Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) or National Identification Numbers (NIN), to retrieve records and resolve complaints efficiently. Even citizens without internet access in rural areas will be able to pick up a phone, call a free number, and speak to a human being about unfair tax treatment. The office plans to deepen engagement with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and other business groups to ensure that taxpayers are fully informed of their rights.
Reactions from the business sector have been overwhelmingly positive. The Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry described the 30-day resolution timeline as “the most ambitious administrative promise from the bureaucracy in a decade.” He noted that while the timeline is aggressive, the very existence of a deadline signals that the government finally understands that time is money. The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria also threw its weight behind the initiative, commending the Ombud for prioritising outreach and education as a way to reduce disputes and improve compliance. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, has pledged the government’s full support, describing the Tax Ombud as a key signal of the administration’s commitment to fairness and taxpayer protection.
Critics, however, have warned that the Ombud will only be as effective as the revenue authorities’ willingness to comply with its recommendations. If tax agencies drag their feet, the 30-day deadline could become meaningless. Nwabueze acknowledged this challenge, noting that where systemic resistance persists, his office can report such failures to the National Assembly and recommend the imposition of sanctions. For now, he remains optimistic, asking for the public’s patience as the office undergoes its teething phase. As the Tax Ombud prepares to fully mobilise its call centre and digital platforms, the clock is ticking. For the millions of Nigerians who have felt the heavy hand of the tax collector, the question is no longer whether they will be heard, but how fast the answer will come.
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