Tinubu Links Tax Compliance to National Development at Africa CEO Forum

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu urged citizens to fulfill their tax obligations, asserting that development demands such as improved infrastructure and healthcare cannot be met without adequate funding. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, Tinubu highlighted the contradiction between public demands for services and resistance to taxation or land acquisition for projects. He famously stated that non-taxpayers, unless exempted, are effectively not fulfilling their role as citizens. The President also defended his administration's controversial economic reforms, including subsidy removals and currency unification, describing them as painful but necessary measures to prevent national bankruptcy. He noted that many states were previously unable to pay salaries due to fiscal mismanagement. Tinubu claimed these reforms have stabilized the naira and enabled direct support for vulnerable households and students. Despite facing significant public pushback, which led him to temporarily stop reading media commentary, he expressed confidence in the long-term benefits of his policies, comparing the economic adjustment process to the pains of childbirth leading to a positive outcome.