President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigerians who refuse to pay taxes should not regard themselves as citizens unless they are officially exempted by law.
Tinubu made the remark yesterday, while addressing participants at the Africa CEO Forum in Rwanda, where he highlighted the critical role of taxation in driving national development and economic stability.
The President said many citizens demand improved roads, hospitals, infrastructure and economic growth, yet fail to contribute financially through taxes, stressing that no nation can achieve meaningful development without adequate funding.
According to him, taxation remains one of the key tools governments use to finance public services, strengthen the economy and support vulnerable populations.
Tinubu also noted that lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for stronger investment in sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure and pharmaceutical research, adding that countries must carefully manage revenue sources to ensure sustainable growth.
“A citizen who pays taxes is a citizen, whether corporate or individual. If you are not a taxpayer and not exempted, then you are not a citizen,” the president stated.
