Category: News

“That said, I am not opposed to engaging foreign expertise. However, such engagements must be clearly justified, with a transparent explanation of the specific gaps they are intended to fill, why those gaps cannot be addressed locally, and, above all, the concrete benefits to Nigerians.

“This is especially important because Nigeria is not lacking in tax expertise. The country has a strong pool of qualified tax professionals, advisory firms, and globally recognised consultancies already operating locally, with the capacity to support tax reform and modernisation.

“In light of this, it is reasonable for Nigerians to question why external partnerships are made a priority instead of strengthening and leveraging existing local capacity. Sustainable reform should build institutions from within.

“These concerns arise at a time of significant economic strain. Over 60 per cent of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. Youth unemployment remains widespread. Small and medium-scale enterprises are burdened by multiple taxes, while government borrowing continues to rise without commensurate gains in productivity.

“In such circumstances, policy attention should focus on simplifying the tax system, closing revenue leakages, broadening the tax base fairly, and ensuring prudent use of public resources.

“Any agreement or policy initiative that lacks transparency, public confidence, and clearly defined, measurable benefits risks further eroding trust in government. It is therefore imperative that the Federal Government publishes the full MoU, clearly explains its rationale, and outlines the mutual benefits—particularly the tangible advantages Nigeria stands to gain.

“Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world, with about 75% of our citizens under the age of 35. With such a large share of the population young, joblessness at this scale should be a national emergency.

“It is deeply troubling that, rather than investing in these youths as our most productive assets, promoting and supporting MSMEs the drive growth and create employment, we the Leaders chose wasteful spending, corruption, unproductive borrowing, and policies that will shrink opportunities and expand poverty, reducing Nigerian youths to easy tools for all forms of vices.

“Nigeria does not lack entrepreneurial and resourceful youths, what we lack are leaders who are intentional about creating opportunities. We need leaders who understand that jobs come from deliberate investments in production and from running a government that is prudent, transparent, and people-centred, that can lift people out of poverty.

“We need leadership that will see youths as the engine of productivity and growth of a nation. This is the time, more than ever, for the Nigerian youths to get involved and ensure they elect leaders who have their best interest and the best interest of our nation.