The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele @Taiwo Oyedele, has called for stronger regional collaboration to deepen tax administration reforms, improve compliance with ECOWAS tax directives, and strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation across West Africa.
The Minister made the call during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), led by its Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, at the Federal Ministry of Finance Headquarters in Abuja.
Welcoming the delegation, the Minister commended WATAF for its notable progress since its establishment in 2011 and acknowledged the organisation’s contribution to building stronger and more resilient tax administrations across the region.
He challenged WATAF to take a more active role in monitoring the implementation of regional tax agreements by developing practical benchmarking tools and performance dashboards that assess member states’ compliance with ECOWAS tax directives. Such tools, he noted, would promote accountability, encourage peer learning, and help raise tax administration standards across West Africa.
The Minister also encouraged the Forum to expand its benchmarking initiatives by identifying and showcasing best practices in key areas of tax administration—including digitalisation, taxation of the informal sector, and broader tax policy reforms—to enable member countries to learn from one another and accelerate reforms.
Earlier, Executive Secretary of WATAF, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, congratulated the Minister on his appointment and reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to supporting Nigeria and other member countries in strengthening tax systems through capacity building, technical assistance, research, digital transformation, and regional cooperation.
He expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s longstanding leadership and support for WATAF, noting that the country’s financial, institutional, and technical contributions have been instrumental to the Forum’s growth and success.
The meeting also explored opportunities for enhanced collaboration between the Ministry and WATAF in advancing domestic revenue mobilisation, regional tax harmonisation, digital transformation, and capacity development across West Africa.
SOURCE: IN HOUSE