The Nigerian Senate has approved the harmonised versions of four key tax reform bills and forwarded them to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for final assent.

The bills—namely the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, and Nigeria

Tax Bill, all for 2025—have been under legislative review since their initial submission by the President in November 2024.

The legislative process was marked by opposition from northern governors, the Northern Elders Forum, civil society organisations, and opposition parties, who raised concerns about aspects of the reforms. In response, the National Assembly held broad consultations with various stakeholders to address these
issues and make necessary amendments aimed at ensuring a more balanced approach to revenue generation and fairness.

A joint conference committee made up of senators and members of the House of Representatives reconciled the differences between the two chambers and produced a harmonised report. This report was subsequently adopted by the Senate during plenary on Wednesday.

Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and the head of the Senate delegation to the conference committee, presented the report and noted the collaborative effort involved in refining the bills.

With the bills now passed by the National Assembly, they have been sent to President Tinubu for his assent, which will formally enact the reforms into law and initiate changes to Nigeria’s tax system.