NANS demands suspension of new tax law pending public education, review

The National Association of Nigerian Students has called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the planned implementation of the newly introduced Tax Reform Law, citing poor public enlightenment and alleged alterations to the version passed by the National Assembly.

The student body made the demand in a statement signed by its National President, Olushola Oladoja on Monday, ahead of the law’s scheduled commencement on January 1, 2026.

While acknowledging the importance of tax reforms to national development, NANS said the current implementation process was “fundamentally flawed, poorly communicated, and constitutionally questionable.”

“Nigerians are grossly poorly informed and insufficiently enlightened about the content, scope, breadth, impacts, and long-term implications of the new tax reform law,” the association said.

According to NANS, the lack of adequate sensitisation has created widespread fear among citizens already grappling with economic hardship, with concerns that the law could further burden households and businesses.

“A reform of this magnitude requires extensive public education, clarity, and trust-building mechanisms, of which none have been adequately provided,” the statement read.

The association accused the Federal Inland Revenue Service of failing in its responsibility to carry out inclusive nationwide enlightenment, describing its approach as elitist and disconnected from the realities of most Nigerians