The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that the Bola Tinubu-led administration remains committed to upholding the principles of participatory democracy while implementing its transformative reform agenda.
This assurance was given by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during the 2024 Annual Public Lecture/AGM and Awards organised by the Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations on Saturday.
The event, themed “Tax Reform: The Role of Public Relations in Fostering Constructive Dialogue for National Economic Renaissance,” underscored the importance of dialogue and inclusivity in democratic governance.
Addressing attendees, Idris highlighted the administration’s openness to stakeholder engagement and its commitment to addressing all concerns regarding the ongoing tax reform efforts.
“The theme for the public discuss, ‘Tax Reform: The Role of Public Relations in fostering Constructive Dialogue for National Economic Renaissance’, has brought to the fore, yet again, the place of constructive dialogue as a vital pillar of democracy,” he said.
“Society advances by mutually respectful engagements, where we give voice to diverse opinions, and respect those who we disagree with.
“We will certainly not always agree on all issues, perhaps not even on most. But we will always be guided by the fact that the things that unite us, our common humanity, our nationhood, our sense of patriotism, our collective vision for a Nigeria that works for all, will always be more important and more meaningful than our differences of age, religion, region, ideology, gender, culture, and social class.”
On taxation, Idris acknowledged the flaws in Nigeria’s current tax administration system, citing the need for reform to align with the country’s developmental aspirations.
“The topic before us today is a sensitive yet important and inescapable one: taxation. All over the world, effective taxation is important as a source of financial power for governments to provide social services for their citizens.
“However, there is plenty of reason to believe and assert that Nigeria’s tax administration system has become long overdue for reform, on account of design and implementation flaws as well as the general attitudes of taxpayers toward taxation.
“In light of this, the ongoing review of the country’s tax laws and realities is timely and crucial, especially as part of a larger set of macroeconomic reforms aimed at setting the country on an irreversible path of growth and development.”
Idris commended the work of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reform, noting its efforts in public engagement on the new tax bills. He described the ongoing discussions on these reforms as a testament to Nigeria’s democratic vibrancy.
“The full details of the new tax bills are available in the public domain. One must commend the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reform for an excellent job in this regard, in terms of public engagement so I will not attempt to go over these details again here.
“What I will say is that it is very inspiring and heartwarming to see Nigerians from all walks of life coming out to express their views and opinions on these matters of critical national importance, as such is the very essence and meaning of democracy.
“In spite of the challenge of trust deficit that tends to crop up around matters of governance in Nigeria, we have still been able to have what can be adjudged as robust debate on this sensitive issue.
“President Tinubu has also been very clear that the Executive will listen to and work with all stakeholders to ensure that all concerns are duly and comprehensively addressed.
“We will continue to ensure open lines of communication and engagement with the National Assembly and all other stakeholders on these taxation bills.”
The lecture emphasised the role of public relations in fostering dialogue to ensure the successful implementation of reforms aimed at Nigeria’s economic renaissance. It also reinforced the administration’s dedication to participatory governance and constructive engagement.
