By Ghazali Ibrahim
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to see tax compliance and the patronage of locally made products as patriotic duties critical to the nation’s survival and progress.
In his Independence Day broadcast on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Tinubu stressed that while the federal government is working to stabilise the economy, collective responsibility from citizens and state governments is equally essential to achieving lasting growth.
“Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes,” the president declared.
“The federal government will continue to do its part to fix the plumbing in our economy. Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise.”
Citing recent reforms at the Ministry of Interior which have streamlined passport processing, Tinubu urged sub-national governments and private stakeholders to replicate such improvements across sectors.
He warned that Nigeria must shift from being a consumer-driven economy to a productive one:
“Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce.”
The president assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to create an enabling environment for enterprise while insisting that sacrifice, innovation, and shared responsibility are the cornerstones of national development.
Meanwhile, the federal government has announced that implementation of four new tax laws—dubbed the “Tax Acts Quartet”—will begin in January 2026.
According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the reforms are designed to expand the nation’s revenue base while easing the tax burden on ordinary citizens.
“As we mark this 65th year since our Independence, we are all witnesses to the remarkable reforms taking shape at a pace never before seen,” Idris said.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is dismantling long-standing obstacles to progress and laying the foundation for prosperity, peace, and unity.”
