The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria is urging the federal and subnational governments to introduce specific safeguards for manufacturers in the 2025 Tax Law to prevent higher compliance costs and multiple levies on factories.
In his keynote address at the 55th Annual General Meeting of MAN’s Apapa Branch on Thursday, Francis Meshioye, MAN president, said manufacturers support tax harmonization but need protections to ensure that the new tax reform strengthens competitiveness rather than adds pressure on businesses already operating in a difficult environment.
“While the law seeks to harmonize, digitize, and reduce friction, for it to work for manufacturers, especially those in trade corridors like Apapa, we need deliberate safeguards,” Meshioye said.
“The test must be factories opened and jobs created,” he added. He outlined four safeguards that must anchor the rollout to make the 2025 tax law work for manufacturers.
First, “harmonization with teeth”: Lagos should be the first state to publish a tax code aligned with the new law, with one entity to assess and a portal to pay. MAN said this would cut compliance costs significantly for members moving goods across local governments.
