₦airaland Forum

mrBlunt:
Senegal dey ball mehn! This was what I expected the Eagles to play against the Moroccans in the semi final. If we had attacked them the way we attacked Algeria with our dangerous attack, we would have won the game in regulation.

Some of u keep saying this. The moroccans have some of the best tacticians in the continent. They neautralized the center field that supplies ball to our attackers. It was deliberate and it worked. Once u take control of the mid field, it becomes hard to supply passes to ur frontmen. If u watched the game well, Morocco did one thing which was attack and fall back as quickly as posssible which made them to be two to three to tackle one super eagles player. This made it hard for any of our players to even see breathing space. Senegal must have studied this pathern. Give it to Morocco, they reached the semi final not by chance, them dey ball.

Jazzman01:
Something is fundamentally wrong with the black race

The truth we have refused to admit.

In 2026, I on generator for over 14 hours daily. The noise, the cost, gush, what does Tinubu wants me to do? Where will I see money to pay his tax? I'm sure a lot of us will go to jail because I can't allow my child sleep under heat and mosquito every night.
I dislike this country with passion. Do U know what they call deep hatred? Yes, that is how much I dislike this country.

Kemetian:
N38 billion is barely $25 million.

WHAT IS $25 million over a 22 year period for the upkeep of former Presidents?

VERY NONSENSICAL THREAD.

For a poor country, it is too much Baba. Now we have more tax on a poor country.
Those who u guys think earn well actually have lots of dependencies because naija is a poor country. U shouldnt be splashing such on politicians. Now this is for just few mentioned. Now, imagine the rest across the country and imagine all the money they also loot while in office.

GanagiBitrus:
Yes, but Referee's neutrality is the starting point for efficiency.

Anybody can be neautral. We dont need to come from another region to be neautral. We need to teach our selves to learn to be neautral even if the person is from our side.

[quote author=GanagiBitrus post=138164257]That's equally wrong.
The referee should rightly be from a region outside the regions playing. [/quote
What should matter is efficiency.

GanagiBitrus:
Common Sense should have made CAF know that the Referee should be from Central or South Africa.

But then maybe CAF lacks Common Sense.

Was it not a Ghanaian ref that officiated Nigeria Vs Morocco? Is Ghana not from west Africa ?

It is 3:24 AM and my generator is on. There is no way I can sleep without electricity to power the fans at least. There is just something about Nigeria that I can't figure out. It seems to be under heavy curse.
Did U know that Ukraine on major war has more stable electricity than Nigeria.
If U have the chance, pls don't birth anyone here. The most wicked humans are those ruling us and those supporting them.
Tinubu, I am tired of running generator for over 14 hours daily. If I was in Abuja, I would have picked up placard to walk round the city saying I am tired of running generator for over 14 hours daily.
It is not a crime to be a Nigerian.
All U care about is tax but no plan or tell us at least if U will fix power issue within the next 6 months. South Africa achieved a lot with their electricity within 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. Pls don't tell me same can't be done.
Sir, president, I know U sleep with air conditioner paid by the state resources, don't Nigerians deserve to sleep with air conditioner on? What wrong have we done?
The state takes care of U and Ur family, can Nigeria also take care of Nigerians? I am running mad. I am tired of buying fuel. I am tired of sleeping under heat when I don't power the generator.
Pls dont tell me to use solar. Them no swear for us in this country. How can these men be using our money and yet we can't see any value in all our natural resources and taxes they take.
Or did god design Nigeria to make money for politicians ? I'm tired.

Dalohad:
You are a joker.

If his son has no confidence in him, why should other Nigerians vote him..

His son defecting show his father lacks capacity and is not even sure of winning that election, so he is trying to put their eggs in different baskets..

Sorry, but it will cost him a great deal of political capital.

make una dey play. That guy will work for his dad. He most likely will act like a sell out. Get info, try to sabotage the party, lol

J[quote author=Corporate2020 post=138140787].
So, Tinubu is wrong for increasing allocation to the States?[/quote
Yes. There is no need to suffer citizens if U don't have means to checkmate corruption. It is the duty of the govt to fight corruption, not the duty of the masses because the governors will alwyss over power protesters.

oshkoach:
Wasteful venture.
This is what Tinubu has caused. Milk the citizens dry and then put money in the pockets of governors.
Now governors are so rich at the expense of the poor masses.

F00ls.
Imagine the so called giant of Africa only had one shot on goal against Morocco but if na to steal money we for win carry first.

This is why I'm against the tax system. It has no direct benefit to the people. The governors, ministers, MD, presidents, his friends are all super rich now. While we hustle to feed them and still run generator. I'm fucking tired.

Burob:
Mr Man go rest, if u like don’t pay your tax.

Maybe u work with politicians who are lazy and looting the entire nation. Imagine one ex minister under 100b naira probe. Haaaaaaaaa

Burob:
Yes he couldn’t defend the rubbish u said, he did not even waste time reading the assumed rubbish u must have exclaimed.

All we can say is if u like don’t pay tax, na u know, na u and Tinubu administration issue be that.

Assumed rubbish? Hahaha, an ex minister currently is under probe for over 100billion. We can see Nigerian politicians budgeing 20m for 4 tables
All politicians do is loot and run to ruling party and gets saved. U want me to be wasting my income on such a useless system? Dont worry, we go use legal loophole handle it wella. We go also budget 20m for office table

Omoluabi16:
What is happening in Lagos is scary. They will use one flyover and renovate market now to boost their rating. The naive ones will be praising them. . I wish we understood what intentional leadership is. Think the Asian tigers..United Arab Emirates. But of course a whole lot of citizens do not understand how these things work. That's why a malami was able to loot over a #100b.

Exactly my point. They waste money on these crimianls who still loot endless and turn around to tell me that Nigeria needs revenue, so we need pay more tax. Revenue to do what exactly? To care for criminals.

This is what I keep saying. They waste our resources and claim we lack revenue. This is madness. I hope Nigeria will be ready when we claim that we spend 10m on fuel for our company as part of business expenses because we go quote all these ones o.

Burob:
If u like no pay tax o, na your prerogative be that.

he couldnt defend rubbish

And yes, we have been paying tax since we were born. They have not used it to do anything.

Ttalk:
Is less than 1% of what Mallami dash his son. Save us early morning sermon

So, what are u saying? Is Malami not from APC regime? Why are they wasting my hard earned money? Do u need a lobby for this? Protect ur country and that is all.
Why waste my tax on this? And where are all the looting politicians? Past presidents, ministers, senators, where are they for recovery of money. Money recovered, what exactly has it been used to build for Nigerians?

Burob:
Mr Man for your information there is no where in the world were tax laws are perfect, even in The USA, & that is why there are tax dodgers, & there are also strict penalties that if u choose to be stubborn & ignore voluntarily or involuntarily disobeying the law out of disagreement for the law, u should pay a hefty fine or go to prison, or both hefty time & prison.

The hefty fine, or prison sentence is what u Nigerians like Gringory Obi are against, not the law itself.

Oga, I am agasint paying tax and still be providing my self with water, no emergency services, no good roads, still use private hosptials because even your politicians dont use public healthcare, they know they are terrible state. I still need to use private schools. I am against paying tax while politicians loot as lords and will never go to jail. I am against paying tax and still be buying fuel for generator. U hear?
who will buy me generator fuel when Tinubu reduces my purchasing power because of tax? All past governos and ministors in Buhari who loot our public revenue, what has happened to them?
I will glaldy pay tax if the govt uses it to provide amenities that i wont need to spend on those amenities anymore. Go and read this article: https://www.nairaland.com/8597545/rethinking-taxation-resource-management-nigeria
U want me to keep paying money to politicians who import babes from north america and enjoy lavishly? is ur head paining u?
All the money gotten from oil, gas, lithium, empty lands for farming, all the money from gold, miniral resources, all the borrowed money, where are they? Looted by politicians. So, increased tax wont be stollen, right? I am ready for u today

Burob:
Of course it must be tampered with, that is the work of the National Assembly & government to tamper with a draft proposal.

Abi u think say na copy & paste government go do with a draft proposal?

Exactly what a 5 star reputable firm is now saying: the final result is faulty. It is critical. I know those of u who support govt always make excuses. But this time, just accept. A firm, no partisan firm, well known globally, well respected, just pointed out 31 critical flaws of the so called tax. Govt if responsible should always listen. Govt is for people, right? It should listen. Well, nigerians arent used to inclusive leadership.

Burob:
No be same KPMG draft the law for the Revenue Service, who in turn give am to the National Assembly to vet?

u no dey hear sey them tampered with it?

yarimo:
The same man that increase poverty rate as governor in anambra state is here talking rubbish

This does not change the fact that KPMG has pinpointed 31 critical errors in the useless law. It has not. U may not the messanger, no wahala. But the message is clear.

Like I always say, oppositions are allowed to score points based on the failure of the ruling class. That is how opposition work. In some climes sef like Europe, opposition will lead their masses to the street to demand for change when ruling party bleeps up. For instance, opposition can lead portest demanding the resignation of chief of army staff if insecurity skyrocket. Dont blame oppostion, blame the ruling party. APC did same

keemsleek:
See who is talking. Demon talking. Why dud he delete Deborah tweet. Goodluck to those support this guy. He has never condemn the terrorists. When buharo was ne gotiatingvwuth terrorist where was his voice. Hypocrite abegi...

What he said, it is true or not? Take the message, leave the messanger. Opposition have right to score goals based on ruling party's mistakes.
How do u arrest youth protesting over insecurity but u never answer them when they called u for protection? U never tracked their kidnappers who r$ped their wives and mothers. Has anyone ever raped ur wife or mother in ur present before? If no, then shut dey Bleep up.

franchasng:
Ending Khamenei's reign of terror and suppression in Iran will bring stability in MiddleEast.


Many Muslim terrorist groups being solely sponsored by Iran will die a natural death with time. Peace will return to MiddleEast and many terror organizations will suffer funding and support which will force members to turn a new leaf and embrace peace and life.

As they did in Libya, right?

nairalanda1:
You are acting as if my comment means I am supporting looting. That is why I cannot engage with you, because you are beating a strawman.

Go and get rid of that idea that I support looting and see me later.

Nigeria's problem is leakage and corruption. U are talking about how our money and oil alone is not enough. Since we are poor, our politicians need to pay modestly and not heavily, period.
U cant tax me heavily while I still provide water, elctricty, even patch my community roads, provide my own security, having no emergency help, have to deal with wacky hospitals. U cant tax me. Tax is a social contract. The Europeans arent rich in natural resources. Resource rich nations must first find ways to convert their resources into finishes products. That is where the money is.
Our leadeers have shown to interest in education. They send their kids abroad. They have shown no interest in health care, they treat abroad. So, even if u do tax 80 percent, still same story. He who couldnt use 20 naira to do anything cant use 200 naira to do anything.

nairalanda1:
Hahaham. I am coming..I day come.

Okay

1. Germany has a higher per Capita GDP. That's because it is an active exporter of manufactured goods and services. I mean we all know at least one international brand that is German.

Nigeria is a country that depends on income from 1.5 million bpd of crude and revenue from tax that never reach 23 billion dollars annually.

2. The man wants Nigerian government to do the same as German government on the budget we have?

Plus Every German pays tax to the central government and state government and even local government . Nigeria wey only ten million out of 230 million pay tax? Okay o.

And he dey compare am to Nigeria where only ten million people pay income tax and revenue from oyel is not up to 100 billion dollars annually ( Germany is spending 600 billion dollars this year as budget, compared to our 36 billion dollars )



We would end up with debts in the trillions of dollars in the next ten years if we did what he is demanding.

Someone wants government to do what 600 billion is doing with 36 billion. ? Na WA o.

Abeg, tinubu government is useless. As are all our past government including GEJ. Because if a country like Nigeria cannot do budget of 800 billion dollars by now, that means all our leaders are useless


And the thing is many Nigerians think that 36 billion dollars can guarantee a lifestyle that 600 billion dollars can cover. Na WA o.

Also, go and read this article
https://www.nairaland.com/8597545/rethinking-taxation-resource-management-nigeria

A resource rich country has no business taxing her citiznes up to 30 percent. That is madness. Do u think as wealthy as DRC is, she is poor today becus she is not taxing her citiznes up to 90 percent of their income? Even if DRC tax her citiznes up to 90 percent of their income, her people will still be poor.
To make a country grow, accountability on the part of the ruling class is a must. Blocking leakages is a must. Having credible election is a must. Investing in education, especially on STEM is a must so u can convert ur raw materials into finished goods. What we have here: we spend lavishly on politicians to maintain them and u f$cking talking about how money is not enoug. If Senators earn 5m yearly, will they die?
So, why must I suffer to fund the life style of senators, presidents and governors, including past and present? Why? We make a lot of money already, where are they going to? We cant even fix electricity, not even one.
Alright, fix insecurity so that a lot of us can go into proper animal farming, etc. At least proper agriculture can crash food prices, but no. Govt cant even fix security. Like, una dey mad to support all these things? Whta is the problem? Why do u guys like making excuses for these failed politicians?

nairalanda1:
Hahaham. I am coming..I day come.

Okay

1. Germany has a higher per Capita GDP. That's because it is an active exporter of manufactured goods and services. I mean we all know at least one international brand that is German.

Nigeria is a country that depends on income from 1.5 million bpd of crude and revenue from tax that never reach 23 billion dollars annually.

2. The man wants Nigerian government to do the same as German government on the budget we have?

Plus Every German pays tax to the central government and state government and even local government . Nigeria wey only ten million out of 230 million pay tax? Okay o.

And he dey compare am to Nigeria where only ten million people pay income tax and revenue from oyel is not up to 100 billion dollars annually ( Germany is spending 600 billion dollars this year as budget, compared to our 36 billion dollars )



We would end up with debts in the trillions of dollars in the next ten years if we did what he is demanding.

Someone wants government to do what 600 billion is doing with 36 billion. ? Na WA o.

Abeg, tinubu government is useless. As are all our past government including GEJ. Because if a country like Nigeria cannot do budget of 800 billion dollars by now, that means all our leaders are useless


And the thing is many Nigerians think that 36 billion dollars can guarantee a lifestyle that 600 billion dollars can cover. Na WA o.

I want to engage with u on this. Are u ready to have proper conversation on this and let spit out facts. Are u ready?
Now, answer me, what have we achieved with what we have collected so far? Hope u know that nigerians have been paying tax and for heaven sake, nigeria's problem is not lack of fund, Nigeria's problem is fucking wastage. When will people like u admit this truth?
All the past Buhari ministers who looted this country dry, where are they? Are they serving jail terms and their stollen wealth gotten back and invested in Education? Why are we not exporter of finished goods? Why are our senators over paid with crazy benefits? How can a poor country have extremely wealthy politicians? Are u saying we are created to fund the life style of politicians? Why arent we invested in education to enable us produce graduates who can produce and exports?
We want to get into agriculture but govt cant even get security right for young Genz to even consider farming. So, whose fault is this? All politicians do is to live large. Are u saying that taxing us while we buy bottle water, drive on bad roads, use private hospitals and schools, buy fuel for generator for electricity, etc? Is right? Like we came to this world to give up our natural resources to govt, they loot, give up our taxes to govt, they loot?
Aso Rock budgeted 7b for solar. What happens to Nigrians paying tax from their small hustle who have no electricity? I want u to answer these questions clearly.
Has any ex president be investigated before and loot recovered? If we protest, do we get arrested? So, u jst want us to work, pay tax and govt officials use natural resources to carry babes and buy properties in Dubai? I want to engage u here and pls, answer me with logics and not sentiments

seunmsg:
Less than 10% of Nigerians pay personal income tax. In fact, only those in well structured paid employment get to pay. Even at that, over 90% of them don’t pay up to 30%.

Again, it’s sad to see people ignorantly thinking their personal income taxes goes to FG. No, your taxes goes to your state government fully. Tinubu gets all the blame for the tax reform while state governors take every personal income tax. Even the VAT, states take 85% while FG takes 15%. Nigeria is probably the only country where the central government doesn’t take a dime from payroll tax. In US, Germany etc, FG takes the lion share from payroll tax. Not in Nigeria.

No, Tinubu works with state governors. Who is in charge of EFCC? is it us or FG? Presidents wont try governors when they leave office because they work for him while in office. Nigerians are calling out the system and whoever is the president is who they will call out because we run unitary presidential system. Leave this sentiment pls. And yes, Nigerians pay heavy tax. Income tax is not the only tax. Did u know that each time I dial bank code, I pay money? Part goes to govt.
We have no reason to pay anything. Go and read my articles I publushed on this stuff. We have farmable lands, wealthy resources. All we need is block leakages, fix corruption so that money meant for investment in public amenities go there. So we can invest in education and produce graduates who can convert our natural resources into finished high products for local and global consumption.
Take DRC for instance, did u know that DRC has some of the best natural resouces on earth that normally, all her citizens are supposed to be cool? But DRC is citiznes are mainly poor with no visible govt social infrastructure. Do u think if DRC increases her tax to 70 percent, DRC will automatically become developed? The answer is no. As long as ex governors, ex presidents, ex ministors, loot and get away with it, we are saying no to the tax.

MufasaLion:
Apparently, the supposed "Giant of Africa" is always nowhere to be found.

Some of u dont really know how useless nigeria is. hahahah
the country is a complete mess. Guy, I wrote an article here and stated that the tax bracket for poor should start from 60m yearly. Nigerian leaders are extremely wicked. How can u consider a poor person to be someone who earns 1.2m yearly to be excepted from income tax? That is ridiculous. Ur income has no power here. Infact, Most Nigerians are poor. Anyone who earns 1.2m yearly is dead already. A person earning 30m a year is still struggling and Tinubu wants to completely reduce their purchasing power. The reason why someone who earns 30m yearly is struggking is because he most likely will have dependent parents, siblings, spouce, and he will sort out social amenities by him self such as schooling, electricity, water, bore hole, security, drives on terribel raod, handle health care. So, at the end, 30m otilo. Now, Tinubu plans to take a cut from that. Has his purchasing power not reduced again? It has been reduced. In the next 4 years, many people who struggled will struggle more.

[quote author=lawani post=138109926]The best run countries in Earth take almost half of their GDP as taxes to finance collective prosperity. They take around 45 percent of the GDP. There is no other way to become an advanced country[/quot

You lie. Read the content carefully again. U can't take such heavy tax on resource rich country. The Europeans don't have resources as we do. UAE, Quatar, Saudi, are examples resource rich countries that have achieved great success without heavily taxing their citizens.

Number two, U can't depend on tax when U have massive corruption, extreme leakages of public funds, too much money spent on political elites. Do U understand ?
Thirdly, read the first part of this piece. U produce the service and then tax the citizens. U want 25 percent of my sweat yet U won't give me electricity, water, good roads, healthcare, etc. So what exactly are U using my money to do?
U want to tell me that a county like DRC is having poverty everywhere because they lack money? Did U know that DRC has some of the best and most expensive natural resources on earth but corruption has crippled the country. Even if U tax the citizens 90 percent of their income, if U couldn't fix corruption from income generated from natural resources, U will still not achieve anything.
Nigeria has money. What Nigeria lacks is political will to tackle corruption. What on earth makes U think more tax will lead to development when income from all our resources and tax previously never achieved anything? Answer this question first.

First Principle: Taxation is a Consequence of Production, Not a Substitute for It

This is the foundation of everything else.

Historically and economically:

Societies produce first.

The state then taxes a portion of that production.

Taxes exist to coordinate, protect, and scale production — not to replace it.

When a state tries to:

Tax people before it has organized production,

Or tax people to compensate for lack of production,

It breaks the social contract.

Why This Matters

In a productive economy:

People earn income because real goods and services exist.

Taxing income means sharing surplus.

In an unproductive economy:

Income is already scarce.

Taxing it reduces survival capacity.

The state becomes extractive, not enabling.

This is the difference between:

Taxing surplus (legitimate)

Taxing scarcity (destructive)

Germany Fits This Rule

Germany:

Organizes labor.

Imports raw materials.

Converts them into high-value goods.

Exports finished products.

So when Germany taxes:

It is taxing value added.

Not just existence.

This makes high taxes economically tolerable and socially accepted.

Nigeria Violates This Rule

Nigeria:

Has not organized land, labor, or capital into productive systems.

Exports raw resources.

Imports finished goods.

Has weak industrial capacity.

Yet it:

Taxes salaries.

Raises VAT.

Adds levies and fees.

So the state is taxing unrealized potential, not realized value.

That is why taxation feels punitive instead of participatory.

Key Takeaway[/i]

[i]A state that has not organized production has no moral or economic basis to heavily tax labor income.

This single principle explains:

Why Western Europe can tax heavily.

Why resource-rich but poorly organized states should not.

Resource Rent Should Replace Labor Tax in Resource-Rich Countries

Resource-rich countries have the capacity to fund the state through resource rents, not heavy labor taxation. This includes:

Subsoil resources

Extraction rights

Export permissions

Environmental licenses

Resource rents can finance:

Infrastructure

Education

Healthcare

Scientific research

Industrial policy

In such countries:

Income tax should be symbolic (≈1–3%) to maintain accountability and formalization.

VAT should be modest (≈5–7%) and targeted at luxury consumption.

This ensures that citizens are not burdened for a state that already possesses abundant natural wealth.

Investing in Science and Value Addition

Simply extracting raw materials does not create sustainable wealth. True prosperity comes from:

Extraction

Conversion

Compounding value

Examples for Nigeria:

Oil → Petrochemicals → Plastics, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals

Gas → Electricity → Industrialization

Lithium → Batteries → Electronics, electric vehicles

Agricultural land → Processed food products → Local consumption + exports

Minerals → Refined metals → Components for industry

Investing in science, technology, and education ensures that raw resources are transformed into high-value goods, creating employment, domestic markets, and export revenue.

Universities and research institutions should be STEM-focused, conducting studies and producing technologies to manufacture products currently imported, such as televisions, batteries, radios, and cars. Grants and state funding should prioritize applied research that substitutes imports with local production.

Agro-Industrial and Household Farming Policy

Nigeria can leverage its land and water resources by implementing policies such as:

Allocating free land to households for animal farming, conditional on productive use

Providing training in modern animal husbandry

Subsidizing veterinary care and feed technology

Integrating markets to sell surplus locally and internationally

Outcomes:

Food self-sufficiency for Nigeria and West Africa

Export revenue from meat, dairy, and leather

Employment creation

Base for agro-industrial processing

This aligns with a resource-driven, production-first economic model.

Governance: Cutting Costs and Reinvesting in Productivity

A major obstacle is the excessive spending on political elites:

Ex-governors, ex-presidents, ex-senators, and high-ranking officials often receive disproportionate salaries and maintain privileges at the expense of productive investment.

Redirecting funds from political elite maintenance to productive sectors can:

Fund STEM-driven education

Support universities and research institutions

Finance industrial and agricultural value-addition initiatives

The state should prioritize investment in human capital and technology, rather than overcompensating politicians while taxing citizens heavily.

Taxation of Digitally-Active Young Nigerians

Young Nigerians increasingly earn income digitally through foreign infrastructure and platforms from countries like the US, UK, and Canada. Many net incomes are earned while living in Nigeria. Yet these citizens are heavily taxed from 15% to 25% on earnings that come from abroad, without benefiting from local resources or infrastructure.

This is economically and morally unjustifiable. The taxation system should be reconsidered, especially for citizens generating wealth independently of Nigeria’s current resource or infrastructure exploitation.

Conclusion: A Resource-Rich, Low-Tax Model for Nigeria

Labor income tax: 1–3% (symbolic, maintains accountability)

VAT: 5–7% targeted at luxury consumption

Resource rent capture: Full utilization of oil, gas, minerals, and agricultural potential

Science and technology investments: Conversion of raw resources into high-value goods

Agro-industrial development and household farming: Full use of land, water, and labor

Governance reform: Cut excessive elite spending; redirect funds to productive sectors; ensure transparency and efficiency

Digital economy consideration: Reassess taxation on young Nigerians earning abroad to reflect that they derive no benefit from local resources

Such a model prioritizes production, value addition, and sustainable growth over extractive taxation. It allows Nigeria to generate wealth locally, reduce burdens on citizens, and compete globally in high-value markets.

DatNiggaDaz:




This is the most sensible and logical statement ever written since APC took Nigeria and Nigerians to the gallows.

Your views are Spot on bro.

Thank you brotherly. I honestly don't know why most of us in this country behave the way we do. We have no business heavy taxing Nigerians. We need to fix leakages and invest income from our resource rich society into STEM driven educational system. Why are we this wicked? I am so hurt and broken.

I am writing this as a concerned Nigerian. I do not carry political or economic weight in this country; I am simply expressing myself from the deepest part of my heart.

I must confess that Nigeria has hurt me beyond my imagination. There are many of us who truly did not want to migrate out of Nigeria. We stayed, silently hoping that someday the country would get it right. Instead, the country keeps punishing its citizens.

Please read this with an open mind—not as a member of any political party. Drop religious and political biases, read carefully, and digest this piece honestly.

The Purpose of Government and the Reality of Taxation

The goal of any reasonable government should be to increase the purchasing power of its people, not to reduce it.

One of the biggest problems confronting Black nations is our constant attempt to copy Western systems without considering local realities. Western countries favor high taxation mainly because they are service-driven societies, not because they are naturally resource-rich.

Most African countries, including Nigeria, are richly blessed with natural resources. Western nations rely heavily on taxes and, in return, provide efficient public services. Their public infrastructure—healthcare, education, transport, emergency services—is top class.

Western Europe’s tax-heavy model did not emerge from moral superiority; it emerged from structural necessity. A snippet from my conversation with ChatGPT captures this clearly:

**“The Western European model is not universal—and never was.

Western Europe’s high-tax model evolved because of structural constraints, not moral superiority:

– Resource scarcity
– Cold climates
– High population density
– Early industrialization without raw materials
– Costly welfare obligations after two world wars

So they built tax-heavy, service-heavy states.

Trying to impose this same model on resource-rich, land-abundant, young-population, low-income countries is conceptually wrong.

Different material conditions require different fiscal logic.”**

So I ask: When will we start thinking locally?[i][/i]

When will we design systems that work for us?

The Myth of “The Poor Will Not Be Taxed”

Under the current tax system, we were told the poor would not be taxed. That is simply not true.

The average Nigerian family operates within a communal structure, unlike Western societies. One income often supports many people.

Take a typical family of four. Only one or two members may earn income—sometimes as high as ₦25 million yearly. Due to historical and structural failures, this is common.

In the eyes of government, earning ₦25 million means you are “doing well”—an executive income earner. But is that the reality?

Consider this scenario:

A young man is trained through university by struggling parents. He graduates, finds no job, gets no business loan, and eventually teaches himself a tech skill. He begins earning online from foreign clients. Due to the volatile naira, his income rises to ₦25 million per year.

Yet:

His parents are poor

His siblings are struggling

He supports extended family

He has personal living expenses

He may already have a wife and child

By official standards, he is rich. In reality, he is technically poor.

At the end of the year, he may have little or nothing left.

This is the story of many Nigerians today.

Why the Current Tax Threshold Is Unrealistic

The claim that earning ₦1.2 million yearly means someone is “not poor” and therefore tax-free is unrealistic.

Under the old law, if I earned ₦20 million yearly from foreign sources, I did not pay personal income tax. However, I still paid:

VAT

Bank charges

Transaction levies

These all go to the government.

Now let’s talk about real living costs in Nigeria.

Nigeria lacks:

Central water systems

Stable electricity

Free quality healthcare

Free quality primary and secondary education

We buy bottled water to avoid disease. We pump water from boreholes using generators. Electricity is unreliable—even in state capitals.

Fuel is expensive. Generator maintenance is constant. Private schools are costly, but unavoidable. These are not luxuries; they are survival expenses.

The Impact of the New Tax Law

Using ChatGPT to estimate my tax under the new law for a ₦20 million income:

Tax Breakdown

₦0 – ₦800,000 @ 0% = ₦0

₦800,001 – ₦3,000,000 @ 15% = ₦330,000

₦3,000,001 – ₦12,000,000 @ 18% = ₦1,620,000

₦12,000,001 – ₦20,000,000 @ 21% = ₦1,680,000

Total Estimated Tax: ₦3,630,000
Effective Tax Rate: ~18.15%

This reduces my disposable income to about ₦16 million—without solving any of the problems that required higher spending in the first place.

Government cuts purchasing power but does not provide electricity, water, security, healthcare, roads, or education.

The Bigger Economic Consequences

Foreign clients already assume Nigerians are cheaper to hire. Now we are taxed like the UK but without UK benefits.

This will:

Kill growth

Push more youths abroad

Crush the middle class

Nigeria is an informal economy. Millions already contribute through VAT and bank charges. Instead of punishing online earners, government should partner with them.

Let NYSC members be mentored by digital workers, content creators, and remote professionals.

If Nigerians earn more, government earns more VAT—through travel, luxury spending, and internal tourism.

What Nigeria Actually Needs

Nigeria does not need aggressive taxation. Nigeria needs:

Transparent systems

Reduced political leakages

Serious investment in STEM education

Finished-product exports, not raw materials

Taxing someone earning ₦3 million yearly is wickedness.

If the government insists on copying Europe, then the tax threshold should start from ₦60 million per year—and even that is debatable.

Nigeria’s problem is not lack of money; it is leakage and corruption.

Political Waste: Cited Sources

According to Vanguard, Nigerian senators earn staggering sums annually through salaries and allowances:

Source:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/09/pay-of-national-assembly-members-2/

Breakdown (as reported by Vanguard):

Running cost: ₦13.58 million monthly (₦162.96 million yearly)

Salary: ₦750,000 monthly (₦9 million yearly)

Constituency projects: ₦200 million yearly

Total: ~₦372 million per year
This is over ₦1 million per day, including Sundays.

Additional benefits include:

Severance gratuity – ₦7.43 million

Furniture allowance – ₦7.45 million

Vehicle allowance – ₦9.94 million

These figures exclude inflated contracts and political patronage.

More recently, TVC News reported that the Akwa Ibom State Government gifted luxury SUVs to former deputy governors:

Source:
https://www.tvcnews.tv/gov-eno-gifts-ex-akwa-ibom-deputy-govs-new-suvs/

These are the same politicians asking struggling Nigerians to “sacrifice more.”

Final Reality Check

Most young Nigerians are not in the formal sector. Jobs are distributed by connections, not merit.

Many of us applied to institutions like:

CBN

Nigerian Police

Immigration

FRSC

Civil Service

Without connections, opportunities were nonexistent.

This pushed young Nigerians into online work. The new tax system intentionally captures them, even though they privately provide:

95% of their electricity

Education

Healthcare

Security

Water

This is unjust.

Worldwide income taxation works in countries like the UK because citizens receive real benefits. Nigeria provides none of these.

We cannot copy and paste systems. We must solve our problems locally.

The current tax system is extreme, brutal, and destructive. It targets the few Nigerians who managed to stay afloat.

Bottom line

Western Europe’s tax model is context-specific

Resource-rich countries are not obligated to copy it

Nigeria’s problem is organizational and scientific failure, not insufficient taxation

Heavy income tax in Nigeria is a symptom of failure, not a solution. Even the leader of the tax commutee should engage me in debate over these points if them born him well and he is sure of his system.

If you have a superior argument supporting this tax system, I am open to hearing it.