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Nwoya loses 15,000 hectares of forest in 15 years

Nwoya District has lost an estimated 15,000 hectares of natural forest cover between 2011 and 2025, a scale of deforestation that officials say is now driving the prolonged droughts, failed harvests and food insecurity threatening communities in the area.

Nwoya District Forestry Officer, Mr Emmanuel Omara, said the area had approximately 59,000 hectares of natural forest cover before 2010. “In many areas, forests have been replaced by bare ground and grasslands,” he said on Wednesday.

Mr Omara has blamed the shrinking forest cover for this year’s drought, the longest the district has experienced in years. “Crops have dried up, creating a serious risk of hunger among our people,” Omara stated.

Farmers who planted early, when rains came in February, managed to harvest. Those who waited until March or April, as in previous years, were not so fortunate. Maize and groundnut yields in the first season were poor, and a second-season recovery has largely failed to materialise.

Ms Evelyn Acan, a Senior Environment Officer at Nwoya District Local Government, said the deforestation driving this crisis stems from several sources, including commercial farmers clearing large tracts of land, charcoal dealers stripping forests for fuel, and encroachment on wetlands that also help regulate the local climate.

“Some people are cultivating deep inside wetlands without respecting the required buffer zones,” she said, adding that herbicides and pesticides used there are draining into water systems.

The district officials say they are responding to the forest loss, though resources remain limited.

Nwoya’s Department of Natural Resources has installed energy-saving cookstoves at Anaka, Koch Goma Secondary School and Purongo Hill Secondary School to ease pressure on remaining forests, and demarcated four kilometres of sensitive ecosystems.

Bamboo has been planted along catchments to curb soil erosion into rivers.

In a move to address this, ActionAid International Uganda has been engaging communities in Nwoya and Amuru districts as part of the Global Week of Climate Action, a worldwide campaign localised to reach grassroots communities in Northern Uganda, and to help reverse the trends behind the district’s forest loss.

Mr Robert Asiimwe, ActionAid’s Programme Officer for the Northern Uganda Region, said the campaign gives people who have contributed least to the climate crisis, yet bear its heaviest consequences, a platform to be heard.

SLIC General: Building a Stronger Nation Through Protection

A stronger nation is one in which people have the confidence to face uncertainty, families have the means to recover from setbacks, businesses can withstand disruption and communities can rebuild when adversity strikes. Insurance plays a fundamental role in creating that resilience.

As Sri Lanka observes Insurance Month, it is an opportunity to look beyond insurance as simply a financial product and recognise its wider role in building a more secure and resilient nation. When people, businesses and communities are protected, the entire country stands stronger.

As Sri Lanka’s National Insurer, Sri Lanka Insurance General has long believed that protection should be accessible to everyone – not only to those who can afford comprehensive cover, but to people from every walk of life and across every sector of society.

This belief is reflected in the way SLIC General continues to develop insurance solutions around the real needs, livelihoods and aspirations of Sri Lankans.

For those who dedicate themselves to educating the nation’s children, Gurubuhuman provides protection designed with teachers in mind. For those whose livelihoods depend on the sea, Deewararekuma provides protection for people engaged in the fisheries industry. Through affordable solutions such as Janarekuma, personal accident protection can be extended to a much wider section of society.

Protection also extends to the places people call home and the assets they have worked hard to build. Home Light makes home insurance more accessible, with protection starting from just Rs. 1,900 a year. It is an example of how insurance can be made relevant and attainable for more Sri Lankan families.

These solutions represent more than a range of insurance products. They reflect an important principle: insurance must meet people where they are, understand what matters to them and provide protection that is within reach.

Every Sri Lankan has something worth protecting. It may be a home, a vehicle, a business, a livelihood, an income or simply the ability to provide for those they love. When more people have access to protection, families are better equipped to withstand unexpected events, businesses can recover faster, livelihoods can continue and communities can become more resilient.

For a country like Sri Lanka, building this resilience is a shared responsibility. Individuals, businesses, institutions and the insurance industry all have a role to play in creating a culture where protection is understood not as something to consider only after a loss, but as an essential part of planning for the future.

For SLIC General, this responsibility is deeply rooted in its heritage. For more than six decades, the company has evolved alongside the nation, protecting generations of Sri Lankans and standing beside them through times of uncertainty. Today, that experience is complemented by innovation, digital solutions, improved customer experiences and a continuing commitment to make insurance simpler, more accessible and more responsive.

As the National Insurer, SLIC General carries a responsibility that extends beyond business. Its nationwide presence and government ownership provide a strong foundation of stability and confidence, enabling the company to serve Sri Lankans across the country and contribute to a stronger culture of protection.

The trust earned over generations is reflected in SLIC General’s position today. The company is Sri Lanka’s No. 1 General Insurer by market share, the country’s Most Valuable General Insurance Brand, its Most Loved General Insurer and the Highest Fitch-Rated General Insurer. These distinctions are more than measures of market leadership. They represent the confidence placed in an insurer that has been part of the lives of Sri Lankans for generations.

This Insurance Month, SLIC General believes that protection is not simply about preparing for what could go wrong. It is about creating the confidence to move forward – to build, invest, grow, pursue ambitions and face tomorrow with greater certainty.

Because when individuals are protected, families are stronger.

When businesses are protected, economies are stronger.

When communities are protected, the nation is stronger.

And that is why SLIC General believes a stronger nation begins with protection.

All-new Bolero MaXX unveiled in Sri Lanka

From left: Mahindra and Mahindra Country Manager for India Jayant Sujeet, Ideal Group Founder and Chairman Nalin Welgama, Nations Trust Bank CEO Hemantha Gunetilleke, Ideal Motors Managing Director Dilani Yatawaka unveiling the new Mahindra Bolero MaXX Pik-Up vehicles

Mahindra and Mahindra (M and M) and Ideal Motors recently unveiled the all-new Bolero MaXX Pik-Up range at the Motor Show in Colombo, marking a significant milestone in Bolero’s growth strategy.

Building on the strong reputation of the Bolero City Pik-up, the Bolero MaXX range has been engineered to deliver higher productivity, superior load-carrying capability, enhanced comfort and improved safety for commercial vehicle customers. Developed around the pillars of MaXX Performance, MaXX Safety, MaXX Comfort and MaXX Profitability.

Backed by Mahindra and Ideal Motors’ extensive support network, the All-New Bolero MaXX Pik-Up range is poised to set a new benchmark in Sri Lanka’s Single Cab Pickup segment.

Available in 1.5-ton and 1.7-ton payload variants, the Bolero MaXX enables customers to choose the configuration of a vehicle best suited to their transport and business requirements.

Powered by Mahindra’s proven m2Di diesel engine, the range delivers strong performance, reliability and fuel efficiency, making it ideal for transporters, farmers, traders, small businesses and last-mile logistics operators. The new range features increased payload capacity, larger cargo loading areas and improved maneuverability, helping customers maximise productivity while keeping operating costs under control.

Enhanced comfort features such as factory-fitted air conditioning, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat and improved cabin ergonomics ensure a more comfortable driving experience, while reverse parking sensors, turn-safe lights and improved visibility features further enhance safety and convenience.

M and M Head – International Operations, Automotive Division Sachin Arolkar said: ‘The introduction of the all-new Bolero MaXX range marks a significant step in strengthening Mahindra’s commercial vehicle portfolio in Sri Lanka. Developed around the pillars of performance, safety, comfort and profitability, the new range is designed to deliver higher productivity, enhanced driver comfort and superior operating economics, enabling businesses across diverse industries to maximise their efficiency and profitability.’

Ideal Motors Chairman Nalin Welgama said: ‘The Mahindra MaXX Pickup range is designed as a practical, hardworking solution for transporters, farmers, traders and last-mile logistics operators. Its main strengths are its enhanced load-carrying ability, functional cabin features and focus on operating economics. Its purpose is simple – to help owners move more goods, complete more trips and keep their businesses running reliably. This all-new MaXX will no doubt continue the Bolero’s position as Sri Lanka’s most popular light commercial vehicle building on the success of its predecessor while offering customers improved, best-in-class features.’

Backed by Mahindra and Ideal Motors extensive island-wide network, customers will benefit from dependable after-sales support, easy availability of genuine spare parts and financing solutions tailored to their business needs.

The new Bolero MaXX range comes with a 3-year/100,000 km manufacturer’s warranty, providing customers with additional confidence and peace of mind.

The Bolero MaXX range made its public debut at The Motor Show held from 11-13 September at BMICH, Colombo, before becoming available through Ideal Motors’ dealership network across Sri Lanka.

Bankole: Nigeria’s Political System Flawed

An Egba high chief and father of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Alani Bankole, has described Nigeria’s political system as flawed.

Speaking with newsmen at his Oluwo residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking his 85th birthday, he said political leaders should be judged by their competence and performance rather than their ethnic origins.

He said the country’s political discourse had become too focused on the ethnicity and geographical origins of political leaders.

‘Our system is flawed; it is bad. We should concentrate on performance, ability, and the ability to do things, not where somebody comes from,’ he said.

According to him, political leadership should not be determined by whether a candidate is from a particular ethnic group, stressing that Nigerians should focus on what leaders can deliver.

‘After all, we’re all sons of Adam and Eve. Why does it matter today whether somebody is from Igbo or from Yoruba?’ he asked.

Bankole said the preoccupation with ethnic representation had distracted Nigerians from issues of governance and development.

‘Let us talk about performance. Let us forget about things,’ he said.

He argued that competence should take precedence over ethnic considerations, noting that political systems in other countries had increasingly accommodated people from different ethnic backgrounds in positions of leadership.

Bankole, who is the Apena of Egbaland, cited Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom and the first Black person to lead the party, as an example.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, who is the leader of the Conservative Party today in England? Where is she from? Who is talking about that in England? Why are they not saying she is a Black person and they don’t want her? That’s why I said our system is bad.

‘What does it matter to me if the person who is going to be my governor is an Egun person, which is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Ogun State, if he is going to perform?’ he asked.

The Egba chief also criticised what he described as the practice of imposing political candidates on the people, saying political leadership should not be reduced to ethnic calculations or political sponsorship.

Bankole said his own experience had shown that ethnic considerations should not determine personal relationships or political choices.

He cited marriages within his family involving people from different ethnic groups.

He further called for an end to what he described as unnecessary ethnic rivalry, saying Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as an asset rather than a basis for political exclusion.

Karamoja: A bad season should not become a humanitarian crisis

Karamoja is hungry again. But the deeper question is not why people are hungry in 2026. It is why a bad season so often becomes something worse than a bad harvest: a humanitarian emergency.

The current IPC assessment estimates that 673,000 people, 42 percent of Karamoja’s population, face crisis-level food insecurity or worse between August and October 2026, including about 118,000 in emergency, while 679,000 are projected to remain in crisis or worse through February 2027. Karamoja is not classified as famine, despite these figures. That vulnerability is longstanding, marked by the 1980 famine, the 2011 East African drought and the 2022 hunger crisis that reportedly claimed more than 2,200 lives.

Understanding that crisis requires understanding what food means in Karamoja. Food is rooted in sorghum and cattle. Sorghum is the staple, ground into flour and cooked as atapa, eaten with bean sauce and wild greens, pumpkin or cowpea leaves. Cattle extend the food system beyond grain: milk is drunk fresh or fermented into sawa or lolon, while blood is drawn from living cattle through bloodletting, sometimes eaten raw and sometimes mixed with milk or food. After harvest, food is more plentiful and families eat more often; as stores diminish, meals become fewer, sometimes just one evening plate.

That system depends on water, crops, livestock and markets, but the balance can fail all at once. When rains fail, crops suffer and livestock face drought, disease and scarce water. Food prices rise as incomes fall, and families eat their reserves and sell productive assets. A bad season then quickly becomes a crisis beyond the harvest.

Yet Karamoja has not been without intervention. The government and partners have for years invested in boreholes, valley tanks and irrigation, including Lokitumo in Moroto. FOSTER, FAO and WFP have rehabilitated water systems while supporting school feeding and early action. Most recently, the President unveiled a long-term three-phase strategy: short term, sorghum, green gram and white peas suited to unreliable rains, alongside goats and beekeeping; then irrigation and dams; and eventually commercial agriculture.

If these investments have been this consistent, why does the same vulnerability keep returning? This is the agricultural policy question at its heart. Karamoja is not evidence that Uganda lacks agricultural potential. It shows that the country has not yet organised and financed that potential strongly enough to protect food security when one region suffers a bad season.

Feeding Uganda’s population must therefore be treated not simply as development policy, but as a matter of national security.

Just as the State finances defence in peacetime, agriculture needs planning and funding long before hunger strikes. Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy shows how this can work by supporting farmers, sustaining production and protecting food supplies. Uganda should build a system that moves surplus to deficit areas, stores grain between harvests and keeps food affordable when a season fails, rather than waiting for crisis to trigger action.

he answer also lies closer to home. Food security is shaped by who controls, accesses and consumes available food. Cattle are food, income and wealth, yet in Karamoja women have less involvement in livestock decisions even though they carry much of the work of feeding households. A family can have cattle, milk, meat, eggs and vegetables, yet women and children may still be denied eggs, offals or certain vegetables. Food taboos restrict pregnant mothers from eating ngamolteng (offals), ekiloton (wild dodo), nyito (animal testis) and emany (liver) because of beliefs linking them to miscarriage, madness, infertility or difficult childbirth. Harvests also bring social obligations. Marriages, initiations and naming ceremonies, some postponed through the lean months for lack of food, are celebrated with the new stores and can leave little reserve when another weather shock strikes.

The test of all these interventions, therefore, is not how much relief arrives after a crisis, but whether households can withstand failed rains without exhausting the means to recover. Bad seasons will always happen. In Karamoja, they should not have to become humanitarian emergencies.

Chasing the next $3b: What it will take for Sri Lanka’s apparel sector to get there

For thirty years, Sri Lanka›s apparel industry has quietly powered the country›s export economy accounting for roughly 40% of merchandise export revenue and employing 300,000 to 350,000 people. That scale wasn›t accidental. It was built through deliberate Government-industry planning dating back to the early 1990s.

The first transformation, anchored by the 200 Garment Factories Program, pushed manufacturing beyond Colombo, created jobs in rural communities, and built the industrial base the sector still runs on today. It worked because the Government and industry moved together, not apart.

Now the industry is asking for a repeat but for a very different set of problems.

Sri Lanka’s Government has launched an ambitious National Export Development Plan (NEDP) targeting an increase in merchandise exports from $13.6 billion (2025) to $28 billion in 2030. Aligned to this, JAAF is looking at a target of $ 8 billion. Against a backdrop of exports that have remained around the $5 billion mark for the last 5 years, this highlights a deeper challenge: the industry has outgrown the model that once drove its growth. The next phase will require a stronger focus on value addition, innovation, automation, productivity, market diversification and moving further up the global value chain.

The competition has changed. Manufacturing giants with deeper supply chains, wider trade access and lower costs have pulled ahead. Automation, digitalisation and sustainable manufacturing are no longer differentiators, they are the baseline, one thing is clear: simply adding more sewing lines won›t close the gap.

So what does the industry actually want?

JAAF is calling for stronger investment incentives, to attract new foreign direct investment and encourage manufacturers already established here to reinvest not just in apparel manufacturing, but also in fabric mills, trims and packaging. The goal is to grow our apparel manufacturing base whilst reducing Sri Lanka›s reliance on imported materials by building a stronger domestic supply chain, especially in synthetic yarn and fabric, where local production currently meets barely a third of demand. To deliver on this, Sri Lanka needs to have a proposition for investors that competes with the offers on the table by other countries. If not, investment will not flow into the island.

There is a strong case for a dedicated push toward automation, robotics and AI-driven manufacturing. Industry leaders don›t frame this as a cost-cutting exercise, but rather as increasing productivity as a driver to boost overall exports. It is also a matter of staying competitive, as without this shift, Sri Lanka risks falling further behind manufacturing hubs that have already made the leap.

On trade, the asks are specific: pursue the application for the EU›s new GSP+ scheme in 2027, secure a preferential trade arrangement with the United States, and strengthen the existing free trade agreement with India. JAAF also wants Sri Lanka to open new negotiations with South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and to set up a dedicated Government-industry working group to keep trade talks focused and consistent.

Perhaps the least glamorous but most practical request is institutional. Industry leaders say there needs to become a genuine one-stop shop rather than one stop among many. That means faster approvals, clearer VAT treatment for exporters, more flexibility for companies to transact in foreign currency, and long-overdue labour law reforms.

Energy policy is also key. Open access and power wheeling regulations are moving toward being fast-tracked, alongside stronger incentives for battery storage together aimed at giving manufacturers more reliable and sustainable power options.

None of this stands alone. Industry commitments of new investment, productivity gains, local supply chain development and job creation are matched by asks of Government: market access, a competitive tax environment, reduced costs of doing business and regulatory certainty in return.

The stakes go beyond a single industry. This is not just a plan for Sri Lanka to recover lost export ground. It builds a more resilient, higher-value apparel sector that can withstand global shocks better than the current one does.

Whether this plan of action takes shape will depend on how quickly Government agencies move to match the industry›s proposals with actual policy. Three decades ago, a similar alignment of purpose reshaped Sri Lanka›s apparel industry. The question now is whether that same coordination can happen again, at a moment when the competition has only gotten tougher.

FirstBank Expo: Governors Seek Value Addition To Boost Agribusiness

Governors of Lagos, Ondo and Niger States yesterday called for a major shift toward structured, patient capital to boost Nigeria’s agribusiness value chain and drive non-oil export growth.

They spoke on Wednesday in Lagos at the opening ceremony of the FirstBank Agric and Export Expo 2026 with the theme ‘From farm to global markets: Building Nigeria’s Export Value Chain.’

Addressing the gathering Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ruth Olusanya, stressed that unlocking the nation’s true economic strength requires financial institutions to adapt to the unique operational realities of agribusinesses.

‘A good harvest without financing cannot become a good business, and a good product without access to markets cannot become a successful export.

‘Our financing structures must recognize the realities of agriculture, including planting and harvest cycles, rather than imposing conventional short-term financing models on long-term agricultural businesses. This is an area where institutions such as FirstBank can make a transformative difference,’ Sanwo-Olu said.

Sanwo-Olu further urged financial institutions and agro-processors to prioritize local value addition, warning that raw commodity exports limit economic prosperity.

Aiyedatiwa said Ondo State’s agricultural potential in cocoa, oil palm, cassava, fisheries, aquaculture, and livestock would only translate into prosperity if the government and the private sector developed the full value chains around those commodities.

‘Comparative advantage alone does not create prosperity,’ Aiyedatiwa said. ‘Our responsibility as a government is to convert the comparative advantage into competitive advantage.’

He said his administration was therefore moving beyond primary production to areas including ‘quality inputs and production, aggregation, processing, storing, logistics, traceability and standards, financing and ultimately access to domestic and international markets.’

Aiyedatiwa identified insecurity as one of the major constraints to agricultural expansion, saying attacks and other security challenges were limiting farmers’ ability to expand their farms and increase productivity.

Bago, meanwhile, warned that Nigeria’s dependence on food imports was unsustainable and called for a deliberate national policy to prioritise domestic production.

He also emphasised what he called food sovereignty, describing it as paramount.

He said Nigeria had imported food worth more than $3 billion in the year, with the figure potentially reaching $4 billion before the end of the year.

‘It is scary,’ Bago said.

Reaffirming the lender’s commitment to supporting the sector, Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group, Olusegun Alebiosu, stated that the bank is shifting its operational focus from high-level conversations to targeted execution and capital deployment.

‘Our objective is not only to showcase opportunities within agriculture and exports but also to facilitate the connections, partnerships, financing solutions, market access opportunities, and knowledge exchange required to transform ideas into thriving enterprises,’ Alebiosu said.

‘Over the years, this Expo has evolved into a leading platform for conversations and collaborations that advance Nigeria’s agricultural and non-oil export sectors,’ he added.

Highlighting the macroeconomic perspective, FirstBank Chief Economist Chinwe Egwim noted that despite agriculture contributing over 20 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, the sector generates just 4.1 per cent of total merchandise export earnings.

‘When a sector that is contributing as high as 20 per cent to total GDP is only contributing about 4.1 per cent to merchandise trade, that creates compelling opportunities for growth.

‘Capital becomes more powerful when it connects these opportunities rather than treating each part of the value chain in isolation. Financing additional production has greater commercial impact when there is sufficient capacity to aggregate, to store, or to process that output,’ Egwim said.

Consul General of Brazil in Lagos State, Ronaldo Vieira, also shared insights from Brazil’s two-century agricultural transformation, noting that sustainable agro-export expansion relies on integrated collaboration between public policy, research bodies, private finance, and farmers.

WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup: Flamingos off to blistering start with Niger thrashing

Nigeria’s U17 women’s team, the Flamingos, began their 2026 WAFU B U17 Girls’ Cup campaign in emphatic fashion with a commanding 5-0 victory over Niger Republic in Yamoussoukro on Wednesday.

The Flamingos asserted their dominance from the first whistle, controlling possession and dictating the tempo of the game. Captain Harmony Chidi set the tone in the 16th minute, opening the scoring to give Nigeria a deserved 1-0 lead. Despite sustained pressure, Nigeria had to wait for some time for their second goal which came through Awawu Bashiru’s clinical finish. Adegbuyi also had a goal ruled out for offside, but the first half ended with Nigeria firmly in control, with goalkeeper Onyiyechi Opara untested throughout the opening 45 minutes.

The second half saw the Flamingos continue their relentless attacking display. While Niger Republic struggled to contain Nigeria’s pace and creativity, the Flamingos remained patient in their build-up play, searching for more goals to seal the emphatic win. The floodgates opened late in the game as the Flamingos turned dominance into goals. In the 83rd minute, Ohunene Sunday made it 3-0 with a well-taken goal, before Mary Dunstan made it four, leaving the Nigeriens stunned.

Nigeria capped off a perfect afternoon in stoppage time, as Ayomide Rotimi added a fifth goal in the 94th minute to complete the 5-0 rout and underline Nigeria’s superiority in the encounter. The comprehensive victory sends a strong message to other contenders in the tournament, as the Flamingos kick-started their title defence with a clean sheet, five goals, and a performance that showcased depth, discipline, and attacking flair.

CRICKET-WCPL-INNINGS Trinbago Knight Riders Women 145-6 (20 overs) vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Women – Final

The Trinbago Knight Riders Women reached 145 for six in 20 overs, batting first against the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League Final at Kensington Oval here on Thursday.

KNIGHT RIDERS WOMEN 145-6 in 20 overs (Sushma Verma 39, Shika Pandey 27, Marizanne Kapp 25; Shabnim Ismail 2-18)

Finance Bill 2027: FG to review withholding tax, digital tax rules

The Federal Government is set to review Nigeria’s withholding tax rules to prevent the system from putting unnecessary pressure on the working capital of businesses, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has said.

Oyedele spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the inauguration of the Technical Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, where he said the review would form part of the government’s wider effort to make the country’s tax system simpler, clearer and more supportive of economic growth.

The subcommittee has six weeks to prepare recommendations for the Finance Bill 2027, review the withholding tax regulations, and examine Nigeria’s Significant Economic Presence rules governing the taxation of certain digital and cross-border businesses.

Oyedele said withholding tax should remain an advance payment and compliance mechanism, not an additional cost of doing business or a drain on funds companies need to operate and expand.

‘Withholding tax is an advance payment and compliance mechanism, not an additional cost of doing business or a tax on working capital,’ he said.

The Minister said the issue was particularly important because of Nigeria’s high cost of capital, noting that keeping business funds tied up for an extended period could impose high costs on companies.

He said the committee must therefore review the existing deduction-at-source regulations against the new tax laws and recommend changes that would improve compliance without placing avoidable financial pressure on businesses.

Oyedele also directed the committee to review the Significant Economic Presence Order 2020 and develop an updated framework that reflects the country’s new tax laws and international best practices.

According to him, Nigeria needs to protect its legitimate tax base in an increasingly digital, global economy while ensuring its tax rules do not discourage technology companies and cross-border investment.

He said the country needed to balance protecting revenue with remaining open and competitive to international business. ‘Nigeria must protect its legitimate taxing rights while remaining competitive for technology and cross-border investment,’ he said.

The Minister said the wider reform programme also aimed to reduce the complexity of Nigeria’s tax system, which he said had imposed high compliance costs on businesses and created room for discretion and tax arbitrage.

He told members of the subcommittee that where two policy options could achieve the same result, the simpler option should be preferred. ‘Complexity is itself a cost. It raises compliance costs and creates room for discretion and arbitrage,’ Oyedele said.

The government, he added, received 134 submissions through its online public consultation on the proposed fiscal and tax reforms, in addition to further submissions made in person.

The submissions came from businesses, investors, professional organisations, civil society groups, academics and members of the public across the country.

Oyedele said the wide range of submissions was important to the reform process because those who experience difficulties in the tax and fiscal system should have an opportunity to propose ways of improving it.

Among the issues emerging from the submissions are calls for clearer and simpler provisions in the new tax laws, particularly on value-added tax thresholds, withholding tax and capital gains treatment.

The proposals also aimed to strengthen taxpayers’ rights, speed up tax refunds and provide safeguards for small businesses.

The Minister said the committee would also consider proposals to improve investment and competitiveness in sectors including mining, renewable energy, healthcare and the capital market.

Multiple taxation and poor coordination among revenue authorities also emerged as major concerns from the public submissions.

Oyedele said stronger coordination among revenue agencies, as well as greater digitalisation and data sharing, could reduce the burden on taxpayers by preventing them from repeatedly submitting information that government agencies already have.

He said the government’s fiscal reform should support investment, production, productivity and the formalisation of businesses rather than discourage economic activity.

The Minister said the reform’s guiding philosophy was that government should avoid taxing the economy’s productive base in a way that discourages future growth. ‘Our philosophy remains that we should not tax the seed but the fruits,’ he said.

He added that the objective was to create an environment where businesses could grow, invest, employ more people and contribute more to the economy.

Oyedele directed subcommittee members to examine every proposal based on evidence and its implications for the wider economy, rather than its popularity or the identity of the person or organisation making the proposal.

He said members should ask what problem a proposed change would solve, how much it would cost, who would benefit and who would bear the burden, and consider possible unintended consequences.

He warned that a tax measure that increases government revenue could impose a much higher cost on the wider economy if it discourages investment or productive activity.

The committee was also asked to examine the impact of proposed tax measures on low-income earners, households, workers, small businesses, women and young people.

Where a policy change creates winners and losers, Oyedele said the committee should consider appropriate safeguards and balancing measures.

He also urged members to look beyond immediate policy objectives and consider the long-term effects of their recommendations so that measures designed to address current problems do not create new distortions in the future.

Oyedele said the review followed the enactment of what he described as Nigeria’s most comprehensive tax reform in decades.

He recalled that when President Bola Tinubu established the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee in July 2023, the country’s tax system was complex and fragmented, with businesses facing multiple taxes and revenue agencies.

He said the situation also placed a disproportionate burden on low-income Nigerians and small businesses, while government revenue remained constrained.

The reforms subsequently produced the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act 2025.

However, Oyedele said the passage of legislation did not mark the end of the reform process.

He said implementation would inevitably expose areas where taxpayers, businesses, administrators and investors encountered difficulties, requiring clarification, adjustment or further reform. ‘No serious reforms end with the enactment of legislation. Good reform is a process, not an event,’ he said.

He said the Finance Bill 2027 should therefore not be treated as another annual legislative exercise or an attempt to rewrite the 2025 reforms.

Rather, the bill should preserve the core principles of the existing reforms while addressing problems revealed during implementation and responding to new economic realities.

The government has brought together officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Revenue Service, the Joint Revenue Board, professional bodies, organised private sector, and other stakeholders to participate in the process.

Oyedele said the approach was designed to resolve issues collaboratively rather than through separate institutional positions.

The Ministry of Justice, he said, would participate throughout the drafting process instead of waiting until the documents had been completed before carrying out a legal review.

The Minister also directed members to keep their deliberations and working documents confidential until they are authorised for release.

Members must disclose conflicts of interest and withdraw from voting on matters in which they have a conflict.

Oyedele told members that they were appointed to contribute their professional knowledge to a national assignment, not to advance narrow institutional interests.

He said the reform process had moved from the first stage of changing the structure of the tax system to a new stage focused on making the new structure work more effectively.

‘The first phase of our reforms was about changing the architecture. The next phase must be about making that architecture work better,’ he said.

According to him, the success of the next phase should not be measured by the number of sections of legislation amended, but by the number of real problems resolved for taxpayers and the economy.

He said the broader objective was to achieve greater economic prosperity for Nigerians while improving the competitiveness of the Nigerian economy through a tax and fiscal system that provides greater clarity and predictability.

Oyedele urged the subcommittee to approach its work with discipline, listen to different views, question existing assumptions and rely on evidence in reaching its recommendations.

Speaking at the event, the Co-Chair of the Technical Subcommittee, Mr Albert Folorunsho, said the committee’s assignment was both important and time-sensitive.

He said the members understood that their work covered the preparation of the Finance Bill 2027, review of the withholding tax regulations and examination of the Significant Economic Presence Order.

Folorunsho said the recommendations should produce a tax system that is fair, clear and efficient while supporting investment and sustainable economic growth.

He said the committee would ensure that its proposals were technically sound, practical for tax administrators to implement and responsive to the challenges facing taxpayers, businesses and government.

Although the six-week deadline was short, Folorunsho expressed confidence that the experience and commitment of members would enable them to complete the assignment within the specified period.

He said the committee would work with relevant stakeholders and seek reforms that strengthen revenue mobilisation without imposing unnecessary burdens on taxpayers.

‘Although six weeks seems like a short period, I am confident that with the experience and commitment represented in this room, we can deliver within this time frame,’ Folorunsho said.

He assured the Minister of the members’ diligence, objectivity and commitment to producing recommendations capable of meeting the expectations placed on the subcommittee.