FG launches free tax dispute resolution platforms for Nigerians

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Federal Government has launched new digital platforms that will allow Nigerians resolve tax-related disputes free of charge as part of efforts to improve fairness, transparency and accountability in tax administration.

The platforms, unveiled on Monday in Abuja, include the Office of the Tax Ombud website, a toll-free call centre and a case management system designed to make tax dispute resolution more accessible to taxpayers across the country.

Speaking during the launch, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the initiative marked an important milestone in the country’s fiscal reform agenda.

According to him, taxpayers can now engage more easily with the dispute resolution process without facing unnecessary administrative bottlenecks or delays.

He explained that the Office of the Tax Ombud was created to strengthen taxpayer protection and build confidence in Nigeria’s tax administration system.

Oyedele noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s ongoing tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax administration, reducing arbitrariness, encouraging voluntary compliance and protecting taxpayer rights.

“Taxpayers, regardless of location, can now engage more easily with the dispute resolution process without unnecessary administrative bottlenecks or delays, and the good news is that it is entirely free.

“This institution is designed to serve as an independent, impartial, and accessible platform for resolving complaints, mediating disputes, and addressing systemic issues affecting taxpayers across the country,” he stated.

“As we unveil these various platforms and initiatives today, let these serve as a symbol of a new era in tax administration in Nigeria, one where taxpayers are treated not as adversaries but as partners in national development,” the Minister said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said there was a need for greater public awareness about the role of the Tax Ombud in the economic reform programme of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Idris defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, insisting that the country’s economy had begun to improve, with better revenue performance and increasing investment inflows.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, described the platforms as citizen-centred reforms that would improve public access to complaint resolution mechanisms.

“The introduction of these digital platforms speaks directly to the need for more accessible, responsive, and citizen-centred public institutions,” she said.

Walson-Jack added that tax administration should not only focus on revenue generation but also on building trust and confidence in public institutions.

Earlier, Nigeria’s first Tax Ombudsman and Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, John Nwabueze, said the office was established under Part Six of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria Establishment Act 2025.

He described the initiative as one of the most forward-looking institutional reforms under the Tinubu administration.

According to him, the digital platforms would allow taxpayers to lodge complaints online or through the call centre, track their cases in real time and access mediation services without prolonged litigation.

“Our mandate is clear: to serve as a trusted bridge between taxpayers and revenue authorities through mediation, conciliation, stakeholder engagement, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that reduce the burden of prolonged litigation and enhance institutional efficiency,” Nwabueze said

The Executive Secretary of the Joint Revenue Board, Olusegun Adesokan, said the office was created to protect taxpayer rights and provide free mediation services for citizens facing tax disputes.

On his part, the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, Tope Fasua, said the creation of the Tax Ombud formed part of the broader tax reform agenda initiated by the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee chaired by Oyedele.

He added that the reforms were aimed at widening the tax net while exempting small businesses and low-income earners from additional tax burdens.