Northern Youth Assembly Urges Lawmakers to Reject Tinubu’s Proposed Tax Reform Bill
By Hafsat Bello Bahara
The Northern Youth Assembly, representing youth leadership across Nigeria’s 19 northern states, has issued a fervent call to northern lawmakers in the National Assembly, urging them to oppose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed tax reform bill.
In a press release signed by the president of the assembly Dr Ali Idris Muhammad and the secretary Dr Garba Abdulhafuz, The group called on Northern lawmakers to reject the proposed tax reforms outright when presented in the National Assembly, they vowed to mobilize against any northern lawmakers who support the tax reform bill, branding them as “anti-Nigerian” and “agents of destruction.”
They warned that pursuing such reforms to gain approval from international bodies like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would come at a significant cost to citizens’ welfare.
The assembly voiced concerns that the proposed tax reforms would deepen the financial strain on low- and middle-income earners, many of whom are already grappling with the country’s economic challenges.
According to the group, such tax burdens would stifle the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are critical for economic development and job creation in the region.
The group contended that the reforms offer no real solutions to pressing issues of joblessness and economic exclusion among young people, instead placing additional financial burdens that could hamper their efforts to thrive.
The youth assembly also criticized the lack of engagement with key stakeholders, including community leaders, business owners, and youth representatives, in discussions around the tax reform bill.
They argued that a policy with such wide-reaching impacts should be crafted through broad-based consultation with those likely to be most affected.
Additionally, the group called for greater transparency and accountability in how government revenue is managed before any new taxes are imposed, asserting that Nigerians deserve to know how their taxes are being used.
