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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Nasarawa varsity don urges tax education for Nigerians

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Nigerian professor advocates for comprehensive tax education to improve voluntary tax compliance and understanding of its societal importance.
  • Professor Abdullahi Zubairu argues that a lack of education makes taxation seem coercive, hindering revenue generation despite reforms.
  • He proposes an "Ambitious Tax Reform Framework" emphasizing accountability and transparency to foster a social contract between the state and citizens.

In Nigeria, the issue of tax compliance remains a critical challenge, and Professor Abdullahi Zubairu of Nasarawa State University is shedding light on a fundamental solution: education. His call for comprehensive tax education underscores a widely recognized problem – that many Nigerians do not fully grasp the significance of taxation or how their contributions fuel national development.

For anybody to be fully involved in the payment of tax has to be well educated and know what the tax will be used for.

· Abdullahi ZubairuExplaining the necessity of tax education for citizens.

Zubairu's argument, presented at the university's 61st inaugural lecture, highlights that viewing taxation as merely coercive, rather than a civic duty, stems from a deficit in public understanding. This perspective is particularly relevant in a developing economy like Nigeria, where reliance on natural resources like oil has historically led to revenue volatility. Effective tax collection is crucial for fiscal sovereignty and sustainable development, yet achieving this requires a shift from punitive enforcement to voluntary compliance, driven by informed citizens.

Everybody should be fully aware of what to pay, how to pay, when to pay and what the taxes you are paying are being used for. That is just the simple thing. Without that clear understanding, the system of paying tax will become coercive instead of voluntary compliance.

· Abdullahi ZubairuElaborating on the importance of transparency and clarity in the tax system.

The professor's proposed "Ambitious Tax Reform Framework" offers a pragmatic roadmap. It moves beyond technical fixes to address the ethical and social dimensions of taxation, framing it as a shared moral obligation. This approach resonates with the concept of a social contract, where citizens' willingness to pay taxes is contingent on the state's accountability and the justifiable use of those funds. Such a framework is vital for building trust and ensuring that taxation serves as a tool for inclusive national development, rather than a burden.

It becomes coercive because citizens have to be forced to pay but if the necessary steps are taken especially adequately educating the citizens on the need and importance of tax, you will see people urging and eager to pay.

· Abdullahi ZubairuContrasting coercive tax collection with voluntary compliance through education.

From a Nigerian perspective, this discussion is not just academic; it's about the practical realities of funding essential public services and reducing dependence on volatile commodity markets. Professor Zubairu's insights offer a path toward strengthening Nigeria's fiscal resilience by empowering citizens with knowledge and fostering a more participatory approach to governance.

Heavy reliance on natural resources such as oil and gas has historically exposed the country to external price shocks and revenue shortfalls which often translate into budget deficits and service delivery gaps.

· Abdullahi ZubairuHighlighting the vulnerability of Nigeria's economy due to resource dependence.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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