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Nigeria’s tax landscape is getting a much-needed makeover. So far, 12 states have officially enacted new tax harmonization laws, marking a major milestone in President Tinubu’s plan to clean up the country’s fiscal mess.

The update came yesterday from Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms (and Minister of State for Finance-designate). Speaking in Abuja, Oyedele revealed that the momentum is growing: while 12 states are already on board, another 13 have presented similar bills to their legislatures, with the rest of the country at various stages of the process.

The goal of these reforms isn't just about collecting money—it’s about changing how that money is collected. The new laws are specifically designed to scrap "nuisance taxes" and put an end to the harassment of everyday citizens and small business owners by overzealous collectors.

According to Oyedele, the logic is simple: a modernized system should protect taxpayers' rights, eliminate unfair treatment, and support business growth instead of stifling it. By simplifying the rules, the government hopes to create a more transparent and accountable economic structure that actually shields the most vulnerable groups.

"Transparency and fiscal discipline," Oyedele noted, "remain the critical pillars" of this new approach. As more states sign on, the hope is that the days of confusing, overlapping, and predatory taxes may finally be numbered.