E-Financial
FG Halts Tax Guidelines Amid Uncertainty Over Final Laws – Oyedele

Federal Government has suspended the issuance of implementation guidelines for the new tax laws due to lingering doubts about their final version, Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, disclosed on Wednesday.

Speaking in Lagos after delivering a keynote address on the 2026 Economic Outlook, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) under the theme ‘ICAN@60: Accountability as the Bedrock for National Development,’ Oyedele said he directed the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and Joint Revenue Board (JRB) to hold off on guidelines.
He explained that his team purchased a printed copy from the government printer to verify authenticity, only to learn the National Assembly had seized all copies pending completion of its review. “The Acts Authentication Act says whatever the government printer publishes is the evidence of the law. But lawmakers said it’s not what they passed,” Oyedele stated.
Efforts by Nigeria CommunicationsWeek to reach Senate spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), and House of Representatives spokesman, Akin Rotimi, yielded no response, as calls went unanswered and messages unread.
Oyedele acknowledged legislative review as standard but stressed the access restriction reintroduces uncertainty. He instructed his staff to persistently follow up in person at the printer.
Oyedele dismissed allegations of significant alterations to the gazetted versions of the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, and Nigeria Tax Act, which took effect January 1.
He insisted minor discrepancies do not impact key elements like tax rates, burdens, or filing deadlines. In December, Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) raised a privilege matter at the House plenary, highlighting differences between passed versions and gazetted copies after comparing them with Votes and Proceedings.
The House formed a seven-man probe committee, which reported by December 25. On January 3, the National Assembly released Certified True Copies (CTCs) affirming the original passed texts and rejecting the controversial gazettes.
Oyedele decried opposition to reforms, including paid protests and misinformation. “We’ve seen people paid N30 million to protest; the deal broke during sharing, and some spoke to media,” he revealed.
He cited a November 2025 incident where fake news triggered panic sales, wiping N4.6 trillion off the stock market despite exemptions for turnover up to N150 million annually. “That fake news led to real losses, even for pensioners via PFAs,” he warned.
Linking to the event theme, Oyedele called accountability the bridge from reforms to results, urging trust-building, knowledge-seeking, and execution focus.
Panelists advocated coordinated efforts. LCCI Director-General Dr. Chinyere Almona called for inter-agency engagement, technology, and centralised monitoring to resolve policy conflicts.
MAN Director-General Segun Ajayi-Kadir sought inclusive growth without hurting competitiveness, noting manufacturing’s sub-10% GDP share, sector challenges, and N2 trillion in unsold inventory.
Session chair Mohammed Hayatudeen described 2026 as a pivotal year post-2023/2024 turbulence, with stabilised inflation, exchange rates, and reserves, but persistent high poverty. He questioned if tax policy ambition matches administrative capacity.
ICAN President Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya welcomed guests, emphasising accountability for economic stability amid fragile recovery. He highlighted 2025 gains: GDP growth over 4% in Q2, inflation easing to mid-14s, forex reserves at multi-year highs, trade surpluses, and PMI at 57.6.
Yet, he cautioned fragility without discipline. “Accountability is an economic imperative,” Yahaya said, citing global evidence on strong institutions, and urged practical solutions for governance.
E-Financial
NAICOM Signs MoU with BPP to Deepen Insurance Compliance in Public Procurement

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for collaboration and strengthening of the insurance industry, in the area of public procurement processes.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, welcoming the Director-General of BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, and his delegation to NAICOM for a working visit, during which the agreement was signed, highlighted the role of NAICOM as the statutory regulator charged with supervising, regulating and promoting the growth of Nigeria’s insurance industry.
He further stated that NAICOM’s current reform priorities include policyholder protection, regulatory capacity building, legal modernisation, recapitalisation, and increasing insurance penetration.
He emphasised that the collaboration would reinforce the principles of public procurement and insurance practice in Nigeria. He noted that achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of transforming Nigeria’s economy into a one-trillion-dollar economy required strong inter-agency cooperation.
He stressed that the commission’s reform objectives could not be fully realised without strategic collaboration with agencies such as BPP. The Commissioner further disclosed plans to establish a platform to monitor and verify insurance coverage for public procurement items and assured that insurance operators would strictly adhere to established rules and standards.
In his remarks, the Director-General of BPP, Adedokun, commended the ongoing transformation in the insurance industry, describing the Commission’s environment as serene and reflective of its readiness to support the Federal Government’s economic growth agenda.
Adedokun, welcomed the partnership and highlighted implementation as the critical next phase: “Signing MoU is only the beginning — what matters is delivery. BPP has moved to a fully digital submission model to speed approvals and reduce opportunities for corruption”, he stated.
E-Financial
Binance Cuts Illicit Activity Exposure by 96%, Leads Global Crypto Compliance Push

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has reported a 96 per cent drop in direct exposure to illicit activities between January 2023 and June 2025, underscoring its commitment to regulatory excellence and user safety amid Nigeria’s growing digital finance sector.

Binance
The exchange highlighted investments in a robust compliance framework, including over 580 global compliance professionals and 970 staff in related roles, advanced transaction monitoring, stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and anti-money laundering (AML) systems.
These measures align with evolving regulations across key markets, including Nigeria, where crypto adoption surges despite Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines.
Binance’s Chief Compliance Officer, Noah Perlman, said: “At Binance we’ve built a system that doesn’t just react to threats, it anticipates them. A 96% reduction in illicit exposure is a testament to our infrastructure and the 1,500+ professionals working behind the scenes to protect our 300M users.”
Key achievements include a 96.8 per cent plunge in sanctions-related exposure—from 0.284 per cent in January 2024 to 0.009 per cent in July 2025.
In 2025 alone, Binance responded to over 71,000 law enforcement requests, helping seize more than $130 million (over ₦200 billion) in illicit funds.
Collaborations with agencies like Europol, DEA, UK’s NCA, and national cybercrime units have dismantled ransomware groups, darknet markets, and trafficking networks.
Binance co-CEO Richard Teng added: “Our mission has always been to increase the freedom of money, but that freedom is only sustainable if it is built on a foundation of trust. By integrating compliance into our product DNA, we are proving that the world’s largest exchange can also be the most secure.”
The platform engages regulators and policymakers to shape balanced rules supporting innovation while prioritising transparency and financial integrity. Since 2017, Binance has served over 300 million users, publishing regular compliance updates to build trust.
Industry watchers note Binance’s efforts resonate in Nigeria, where crypto trading volumes exceed $50 billion annually, but challenges like fraud and regulatory scrutiny persist. The exchange’s progress could bolster confidence as the CBN refines fintech policies.
Binance reaffirmed its dedication to a safer crypto ecosystem through ongoing investments and partnerships.
E-Financial
Nigeria’s VAT Jumps 34%, CIT Soars 48% to ₦14trn in 9M’25 – NBS

Nigeria’s non-oil tax collections posted robust growth in the first nine months of 2025, with Value Added Tax (VAT) rising 34 per cent to ₦6.4 trillion and Company Income Tax (CIT) jumping 48 per cent to ₦7.72 trillion, bolstering federal revenue amid oil price volatility.

NBS
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed VAT climbing from ₦4.77 trillion in 9M’24, reflecting stronger domestic consumption and imports. Quarterly trends indicated a slight 1.4 per cent dip to ₦2.03 trillion in Q2’25 from ₦2.06 trillion in Q1’25, followed by a 10.66 per cent rebound to ₦2.28 trillion in Q3’25—a 28.1 per cent year-on-year gain.
In Q3’25, local VAT hit ₦1.12 trillion, foreign VAT ₦680.23 billion, and import VAT ₦479.79 billion. Sectorally, Administrative and Support Services led with 89.28 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth, trailed by Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (82.49 per cent) and Human Health (32.4 per cent). Real Estate contracted sharply by 51.33 per cent. Manufacturing dominated contributions at 25.89 per cent, followed by Information and Communication (18.77 per cent) and Mining/Quarrying (14.85 per cent).
CIT followed suit, surging from ₦5.22 trillion in 9M’24. It stood at ₦1.98 trillion in Q1’25, leaped 40 per cent to ₦2.78 trillion in Q2’25, and grew 5.7 per cent to ₦2.96 trillion in Q3’25—a 67.19 per cent year-on-year rise. Domestic CIT reached ₦1.21 trillion in Q3, while foreign CIT hit ₦1.75 trillion, underscoring multinational firms’ role.
Economists attribute the uptick to improved tax administration, digital tracking, and post-reform consumption, though sectoral disparities signal real estate headwinds. The gains support President Tinubu’s revenue diversification drive, reducing oil dependency as global crude fluctuates.
NBS data highlights non-oil taxes’ potential to fund infrastructure and social programmes, with analysts eyeing sustained momentum into 2026.
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