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Take Advantage of Social Investment Opportunities, Buhari Tells Nigerian Youth
Joel Ajayi
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerian youths to take advantage of the numerous National Social Investment Programmes NSIP under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to make their lives more purposeful.
The President made the remark on Thursday while addressing the nation on the #‘ENDSARS’ protests in the country and its aftermath.
He said despite the dwindling revenue of the nation coupled with the added responsibilities and restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has put in place initiatives to help small scale business owners, the youths, and the poor to help make them make a living.
“Government has put in place measures and initiatives principally targeted at youths, women, and the most vulnerable groups in our society. These include our broad plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years. There is also the creation of N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund to provide opportunities for the youths and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund, through which the government is giving a grant of N30,000 to one hundred thousand artisans and guaranteeing a market for the products of traders.
“Other initiatives include, Farmermoni, Tradermoni, Marketmoni, the N-Power program including N-Tech and
N-Agro. No Nigerian government in the past has methodically and seriously approached poverty-alleviation like we have done”.
President Buhari appealed to the youths to note and take advantage of the various well-thought-out initiatives of his administration designed to make their lives better and resist the temptation to be used by subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of truncating the country’s democracy.
He emphasized his administration’s commitment to the wellbeing and welfare of citizens as well as preserving the unity of the country.
“We will continue to improve good governance and our democratic process through sustained engagement. We shall continue to ensure that liberty and freedom, as well as the fundamental rights of all citizens, are protected. But remember that government also has the obligation to protect lives and properties as well as the right of citizens to go about their daily businesses freely and protected from acts of violence.”
President Buhari however appealed to protesters to shun violence and discontinue the street protests while constructive engagement with the government will be encouraged in finding solutions to their demands.
Featured
Tax Reform Bill Passage: New Tax Laws, Better Nigeria
By Arabinrin Aderonke
Nigeria must work; this is the vision we have held onto for so long. When the news came that the Senate had passed all four tax reform bills, it was one of those moments you stop and ask yourself, is this really happening? For years, Nigeria’s tax system has been a source of frustration, something we all got used to criticizing. Truthfully, it was not just tax. From electricity to education to healthcare, we have long complained about the failure of government systems.
On top of that, Nigeria remained tied to the unstable global oil market, leaving us with unpredictable revenue and a shrinking ability to fund our future. That is exactly why we must keep believing in the idea of a new Nigeria. And this time, it is not just another round of promises, this is action.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu understood that to truly rebuild Nigeria, we needed a tax system that would create sustainable revenue, spread the burden fairly, and give every Nigerian, rich or poor, north or south, a reason to trust government again. That is what led to the introduction of the tax reform bills in 2024. It has taken months of serious policy work, consultation, and courage. Now, with the National Assembly passing all four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Nigeria Tax Administration (Procedure) Bill 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill 2024, and the Joint Tax Board (Establishment) Bill 2024, we are seeing decisions that could finally loosen Nigeria’s dependence on oil and give states the resources they need to grow.
One of the features is the new VAT sharing formula. Under the proposed structure, 50 percent of Value Added Tax revenue will be shared equally among all states, 20 percent will be distributed based on population, and 30 percent will be distributed according to actual consumption. It is a formula designed to balance fairness with performance, giving each state a stake while also encouraging economic activity and good governance.
The Senate also made it known that the VAT rate will remain at 7.5 percent, resisting pressure to increase it. For Nigerians, that means no new burden added to goods and services. But more importantly, the bills approved also provided for the continued funding of development agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). These are the institutions that support learning, research, and innovation across the country, and their survival is necessary for the future of the Nigeria we all want.
Another part of the bill is the plan to turn the Federal Inland Revenue Service into the Nigeria Revenue Service (Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill). But this is not just a name change. It is a coordinated effort to build a system that supports states, strengthens local government revenue, and makes tax collection more transparent.
Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of FIRS, has led the redesign of the agency and introduced many measures aimed at improving tax collection across the country, and even these Tax Reform Bills are one. If anyone has earned respect in this space, it is him. His work shows that reforms are possible when people in charge are ready to do better.
As it stands, all four tax reform bills have been passed, and these laws are now in place. This means Nigeria has completed what many consider the most needed tax reform in years.
The process now moves to the harmonization stage, where both the Senate and House of Representatives will come together to resolve any differences in their versions of the bills. Once they reach an agreement, the bills will be sent to the President for his final approval. After the President signs them into law, they will be published in the official gazette, making them official. From there, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which will be renamed the Nigeria Revenue Service, will take the lead in implementation. With the capable Tax Boss, Dr. Zacch, we can be sure that the results will exceed expectations.
This is the Renewed Hope Nigerians have been waiting for. The changes are here, these reforms give us the chance to do things right!
Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the technical assistant on broadcast media to the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service
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