Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has revealed that he has been threatened with death because of his role in carrying out Nigeria's extensive tax reform program.

Speaking at a governance colloquium on Tuesday in Abuja to mark the 50th birthday of Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman, the Special Advisor to the President on Policy and Coordination, Oyedele revealed the information.

Speaking to attendees, Oyedele stated that advancing reforms, especially those that go against long-standing interests, requires extraordinary bravery, especially in a system that has historically opposed structural change.

“Reforms are hard, and tax reforms are even harder. You need courage. I receive threats simply for trying to fix a broken system,” he said.

He pointed out that deep-rooted mistrust in government institutions, weak tax compliance culture and limited public understanding of fiscal exchange remain major impediments to the successful implementation of the reforms.

Oyedele noted that Nigeria’s tax revenue performance is significantly lower than that of comparable countries, stressing that this reality makes comprehensive tax reforms unavoidable.

He called on Nigerians who understand and support the reform agenda to speak out publicly, warning that remaining silent allows opponents of the reforms to dominate the national conversation.

Describing public trust as the most serious challenge confronting the reform process, Oyedele said many Nigerians have misinterpreted the reforms, wrongly assuming that the government is introducing new taxes rather than streamlining existing ones.

“There is suddenly a national awareness, and people say the government has brought taxes all over the place, when in fact what we are doing is reducing the taxes they have been paying and harmonising them,” he explained.

He added that there are significant political, financial, and reputational risks associated with implementing the reforms.

"You must have the guts to persevere. It's quite dangerous, therefore you need to have the guts to take chances," he remarked.

Oyedele defended the reform method despite being the target of personal threats and online assaults, claiming that previous taxation strategies were only band-aid fixes that didn't deal with underlying issues.

"We have been using the tax system as a pain reliever for my entire adult life. We haven't come very far. We are now performing the procedure. "It is the only right thing to do, but it will hurt," he stated.

Oyedele encouraged Nigerians to be dedicated to the goal of long-term economic stability and voiced hope about the country's future, characterising the current rate and scope of reforms as unparalleled.

On January 1, 2026, the federal government formally started enforcing the new tax system.

The Nigeria Tax Act 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025 are the four main pieces of legislation that form the foundation of the new system.