The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called off its January 14, 2026 National Day of Action to protest the implementation of the controversial Tax Reform Law.

This followed a meeting with the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, in Abuja on Tuesday.
This was the communiqué at the maiden NANS Expanded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

Reading the communiqué, NANS National President, Olushola Oladoja, said its decision to back down on the protest followed satisfactory response from relevant government authorities on the import of the law.

According to him, the new Tax Reform Law is a deliberate and well-intentioned law aimed at improving Nigeria’s economy, strengthening institutional frameworks for revenue generation, with deliberate provisions to protect low-income earners and vulnerable citizens.

The NANS president explained that the law does not target the poor but strengthens social protection while ensuring that higher-income earners contribute more equitably to national revenue, preventing lopsidedness and unnecessary tax burdens on a few.

Passing a vote of confidence on President Bola Tinubu, Oladoja explained, “The Law provides for centralised revenue generation with a clear and transparent sharing formula across the Federal Government, State Governments, and Local Governments.

“That the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) shall serve as ambassadors of public enlightenment, committed to educating Nigerians on the purpose, importance, and benefits of the Tax Reform Law to boost citizens’ confidence and trust in the Federal Government during the implementation of this Law.

“That ENEC affirms the authenticity of the Tax Reform Law as officially released by the National Assembly following the conclusion of its investigation”.

The Guardian reports that members of the Expanded National Executive Council (ENEC) Meeting of NANS are drawn from NANS National Executive Council as well as Presidents and Senate Presidents of National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), NANS Zonal Coordinators across the six geopolitical zones of the Federation, Joint Campus Council (JCC) Chairmen across the Federation, among others.

Last week, NANS called for the suspension of the tax laws, saying it would embark on a peaceful mass protest on January 14 and march to the Presidential Villa gate in Abuja. The students’ body had accused the Federal Government of ignoring public concerns and constitutional processes.

Earlier, Oyedele clarified that the new law is not designed to burden low-income Nigerians but to reinforce social protection mechanisms while promoting fairness in revenue generation.

According to him, the Act prioritises the welfare of vulnerable groups by shielding them from additional tax pressure, even as it restructures the system to reflect ability to pay. This approach, he noted, is aimed at building a more inclusive fiscal environment where economic realities are taken into account.

He further explained that the reform seeks to correct long-standing imbalances in the tax system by ensuring that higher-income earners make a proportionately greater contribution to national revenue.