A Kogi State former governorship aspirant and women leader, Princess Grace Iye Adejoh, has said it is not too late for President Bola Tinubu to hearken to Labour’s demand to suspend the new tax law, saying it will only cause more hardship to the poor masses and will not fix the economy as expected.

President Tinubu had said there was no going back on the new tax laws, which took effect from January 1.

But Princess Adejoh, a vocal women leader, said when families struggle daily with hunger, job insecurity and rising household costs, taxation becomes a burden rather than a shared civic responsibility.

She said any tax that will add to the burdens of Nigerians at this moment, no matter the good intentions of government, will be counterproductive as it will add more pain and misery to their plight.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Friday, Princess Grace Iye Adejoh said, according to projections based on World Bank data, about 61 per cent of Nigerians — an estimated 139 million people — are expected to be living below the national poverty line by 2025.

She said this figure reflects a dramatic deterioration in household welfare in recent years, with poverty rising sharply as labour incomes fail to keep pace with inflation and the current national minimum wage falls far below meeting the basic needs of workers.

She said, “Taxation is a legitimate instrument of development in any working economy. In countries where citizens are productively employed and able to meet basic needs, paying taxes is a civic duty that supports national progress. In Nigeria today, however, this ideal remains elusive.

“Nigeria’s GDP per capita remains extremely low, estimated at about USD 807 in 2025, placing the country among the poorest globally despite its vast population and economic potential.

“Unemployment figures present another troubling dimension. While official data shows the unemployment rate declined to roughly 4.3 per cent in Q2 2024, this headline figure masks the reality that most Nigerians work in informal or low-income jobs with little stability or social protection.

“In this context, expanding taxation before creating robust economic opportunities risks further impoverishing the citizenry. When families struggle daily with hunger, job insecurity, and rising household costs, taxation becomes a burden rather than a shared civic responsibility.

“A people-centred government must sequence its policies correctly. Before expanding the tax net, it must expand opportunity. Job creation, investment in small and medium-sized enterprises, reliable power supply and reduction in the cost of living are prerequisites for a sustainable tax system.

“Equally vital is transparency and accountability in public spending. Persistent governance failures and waste continue to erode public confidence in how tax proceeds are used. When citizens see their contributions translated into improved public services — healthcare, education, roads, security — they are more willing to comply with tax obligations.

“Nigeria does not lack potential revenue; it suffers from weak economic inclusion and inefficient public spending. Taxation should be a reward for productivity, not a penalty for poverty.

“Until millions of Nigerians experience real economic stability, demanding higher tax contributions from them will deepen hardship and stoke public resentment. The solution lies not in taxing hunger, but in creating prosperity,” she added.

(The Sun)

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