President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr John Nwabueze as the Tax Ombudsman of Nigeria, indicating another benchmark in his administration’s ongoing fiscal and tax reform agenda.
The appointment, announced on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, was made in accordance with the provisions of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025.
According to Onanuga, the move aligns with President Tinubu’s commitment to implementing "far-reaching and sustainable reforms in the tax and revenue administration framework."
Nwabueze, who hails from Oshimili South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, brings decades of experience from both the public and private sectors.
He previously served as Managing Partner of a tax advisory firm, Technical Adviser to the Joint Senate Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Finance, and also as Technical Adviser to the Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Finance from Walden University, Minneapolis; a Master’s degree in Accounting from Strayer University, Washington D.C; and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Mathematics from the University of Jos.
President Tinubu believed Nwabueze would uphold integrity and professionalism in discharging his duties.
Onanuga said the Office of the Tax Ombudsman was created "to strengthen transparency and accountability within the tax system, enhance public confidence, and provide a fair mechanism for resolving disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities."
The office will be responsible for receiving, reviewing, and resolving complaints on taxes, levies, customs duties, regulatory fees, and related matters in line with existing laws. It will also protect taxpayers from arbitrary or abusive practices by tax officials.
Before now, tax-related grievances were handled mainly by agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and various state revenue boards.
The establishment of the Tax Ombudsman is seen as part of the broader fiscal reform drive led by the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee chaired by Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
Tax Ombudsman committee, inaugurated in August 2023, was tasked with harmonising Nigeria’s tax system, reducing multiple taxation, improving compliance, and raising the nation’s tax-to-GDP ratio.
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