Nigeria is a country where, for every naira the government earns, more than forty-five kobo disappears into debt servicing before a single public service is delivered. The reform that addresses this is not the enemy of ordinary Nigerians. The system that created this situation, and the beneficiaries of that system who are loudest in opposing its reform, are far more deserving of public scrutiny.
The Civic Talks Moment that Explains Everything
At a recent Civic Talks forum, a man stood up and declared with visible emotions that the new tax laws were going to make it impossible for him to pay his children’s school fees. It was a sincere moment, and it resonated deeply because Nigeria is a country under genuine economic pressure. Any policy that appears to threaten the family budget deserves to be questioned. But a tax expert in the room offered an immediate, patient clarification: school fees — at nursery, primary, and secondary levels are zero-rated under the Nigeria Tax Act. Zero-rated means the government has specifically listed them as outside the VAT net. Schools have no legal basis to increase fees, citing this reform. If anything, the law removes the ambiguity that schools once used to justify unexplained fee increases.
