Lagos State Government has stated that the new tax reforms, scheduled for implementation on January 1, 2026, are designed to create a system that fosters strong economic growth in Nigeria.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), stated this during the two-day tax summit titled “Reforms To Results, The Lagos Implementation Roadmap,” held in Lagos and organised by the Office of the Special Adviser, Taxation and Revenue, Lagos State.

According to him, the new tax reforms are designed to ensure fairness, predictability, and improved compliance. He stated that the success of Nigeria’s tax reform agenda lies entirely in effective implementation at the sub-national level, stressing that the state has positioned itself as a leading driver of the reforms at this level.

“As the Federal Government advances reforms to harmonise tax laws, strengthen VAT administration, improve coordination across tiers of government, and separate tax policy from administration, Lagos State is positioning itself as a leading sub-national in the implementation of these reforms. Our focus is not merely compliance with new frameworks, but effective execution that delivers real value to citizens and businesses.

“In Lagos, tax reform is being approached as a governance reform, anchored on simplicity, transparency, digital efficiency, and fairness. Taxation is ultimately a social contract. People comply willingly when they trust that the government is responsible, accountable, and responsive,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He stressed that Lagos State is ready to play its leadership role by aligning policy with practice, strengthening inter-governmental collaboration, and maintaining continuous engagement with the private sector and professional bodies.”

In his welcome remark, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Taxation and Revenue, Abdul-Kabir Ogungbo, highlighted the solutions expected from the summit.

Ogungbo noted that his decisive steps to simplify tax laws, reduce multiplicity, strengthen institutions, and prioritise compliance over coercion demonstrate uncommon courage and foresight.

He described the summit as another important milestone in the state’s continuous engagement and collective effort to work in alignment with the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.

He said that the Lagos State government had undertaken extensive and productive engagements with key stakeholders across the state’s ecosystem, encompassing both the public and private sectors.

Ogungbo, however, proposed a single-digit nine taxes and levies payable in line with constitutional provisions and the new tax act. He said that the harmonisation would aid taxpayers’ data centralisation and harmonise revenue operations across the state and local councils.

Also in her remark, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, stated that sub-national governments have a critical role to play in the effective implementation of the tax reforms, urging the states and local councils to collaborate to ensure ease of compliance.

Oyedele also emphasised the need for sub-national governments to develop a credible data-gathering system that would help them improve tax revenue, plan more effectively, and address the infrastructural needs of their people.

Similarly, Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, said that tax reforms had progressed beyond the stage of theoretical policy formulation, but have now reached a point where the practical, granular challenge of implementation needs to be confronted.