BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has opposed cash collection of taxes, while adopting e-payment to block revenue leakages and make funds accessible for infrastructure and other life-changing projects.
Rather, the group informed the governments to provide safe channels for reporting suspected unauthorised collection without risk of reprisal, and strengthen accountability for collection and remittance.
This was captured in a report titled: “NESG Tax Perception Survey Report 2026”, which examined how Nigerian households, firms, and tax officials understood, perceived, and experienced the tax system during the early implementation of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025.
It was packaged by NESG in collaboration with Nigeria Public Finance Facility (NPFF) and Uk International Development, covering nine themes.
They are Knowledge and Awareness; Trust, Legitimacy and Fairness; Fiscal Exchange and the Social Contract; Compliance Behaviour and Willingness; Social and Individual Norms; Equity and Progressivity; Institutional Capacity and Taxpayer Experience; Digitalisation and Innovation; and Voice and Accountability.
Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Dr. Tayo Aduloju enjoined the government to reconcile assessments, collections, receipts, and remittances at regular intervals, with audit trails for payments passing through banks and intermediaries.
He emphasised the need for tax collectors to apply risk-based monitoring to unexplained gaps between assessed, collected, and remitted amounts, as well as supervise field collection more closely and tighten controls over third-party collectors.
“Connect tax collection to tangible public benefits through better service delivery and clearer reporting on how revenue is used. Publish accessible information on major tax-funded projects, including location, cost and implementation status.
“Provide citizen-friendly expenditure dashboards and other accessible fiscal-information tools. Create channels for communities and businesses to give feedback on the quality of publicly funded services,” he advised the government.
Between July and September 2026, the study surveyed 18,000 working adults (one per household) and 9,097 firms in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Six states of Abia, Bauchi, Kano, Nasarawa, Ogun and Rivers were oversampled to increase the number of observations.
Aduloju enjoined tax authorities to translate the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 into practical guidance for each taxpayer group, and publish plain-language guides for households, employees, self-employed persons, and small businesses, with short, obligation-specific materials like FAQs, infographics, videos and radio in major local languages.
The Head of Growth, Trade and Investment, British High Commission in Nigeria, Mahesh Mishra noted that the UK Government is proud to support the survey, saying that the survey provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from taxpayers across Nigeria.
Mishra hinted that evidence and dialogue are essential to ensuring that reforms are well understood, responsive to people's perceptions, and capable of delivering lasting benefits for the country.
“As Nigeria implements important tax reforms, understanding how citizens and businesses perceive the tax system has never been more important.
“By capturing perspectives on awareness, trust, compliance and engagement with the tax system, it contributes to a stronger evidence base for policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders working to improve public finance outcomes,” Mishra said.
Mishra pointed out that an effective tax system helps the governments to finance essential public services, support economic growth and strengthen accountability between citizens and the state.
The Uk representative stated that building public confidence in the tax system is fundamental to long-term development and shared prosperity, commending NESG for its leadership in delivering the important research and for its commitment to informed public debate.
Mishra was optimistic that the findings would enrich national conversations on taxation and public finance, and support Nigeria's continued efforts to build a stronger and more inclusive economy.
The UK remains a committed partner to Nigeria's development journey, looking forward to continuing the collaboration in support of sustainable growth, stronger institutions and greater opportunities for all.
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