BY AHMED TAHIR
A university don, Professor Abdullahi Zubairu has called for the establishment of a national agency to coordinate revenue collection and monitor how tax proceeds are utilised for the benefit of citizens.
Zubairu, a professor of accounting and taxation with the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said the establishment of a coordinating agency will greatly assist in enhancing transparency, accountability and inclusiveness in tax administration, while also protecting the rights of taxpayers.
He spoke during the university’s 61st inaugural lecture of the institution in Keffi, Keffi local government area of the State.
Presenting a paper titled, “Designing an Effective Governance Framework for Tax Reform in Nigeria’s Developing Economy,” Professor Zubairu, also called for comprehensive tax education to help Nigerians understand taxation ”’s role and importance in society.
He explained that one of the major reasons for Nigeria’s tax underperformance despite several reforms is due to lack of adequate education for Nigerians on the importance of taxation thereby making it look coercive to some and discouraging some others from even paying.
“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.
“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 see people urging and eager to pay,” he stated.
He urged leaders to revisit the post-colonial system when citizens were enthusiastic and cooperative in paying taxes due to confidence in governance and accountability.
He said citizens will be eager to pay taxes if the proceeds are judiciously utilized to improve their living conditions.
“When citizens see visible, tangible outcomes such as improved roads, public schools, health systems, and security, tax becomes a shared commitment rather than a coerced extraction,” he noted.
In a keynote address, the Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Professor Maikano Mohammed Ari, urged academics and policymakers to focus on research and innovation aimed at developing result-oriented tax policies.
She said taxation is more than a revenue tool but Ideally, a mechanism through which the state and the citizens negotiate the social contract, hence the importance of both parties having a clear understanding of what the contract entails.
The lecture attracted participants from academia, traditional institutions and students who gathered to brainstorm on ways of developing an effective tax regime capable of ensuring visible service delivery to Nigerians.
