The Federal Government has urged state governments, particularly Ondo State, to eliminate nuisance and illegal taxes by implementing the new tax reform Acts and enacting a State Tax Harmonisation Law.
The call was made on Monday by the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, at a public lecture in Akure to mark the 50th anniversary of Ondo State.
Oyedele recalled that the Federal Government commenced the implementation of the new tax policy on 1 January 2026, and stressed the need for states to align their fiscal frameworks with the reforms.
He said, ‘Implement the new tax reform Acts and enact the State Tax Harmonisation Law to curb nuisance and illegal taxes. The state can even host the National Tax Ombud Office for the South-West region to lead in taxpayer rights and protection.
‘Beyond implementing the new tax reform Acts, Ondo State can introduce a Tax Accountability Report to be sent annually to every taxpayer and develop a holistic state tax and fiscal policy framework to guide spending, revenue mobilisation and debt management’.
Oyedele also called on the state to deepen fiscal transparency at the grassroots, urging local governments to develop economic plans and publish their budgets and audited accounts.
‘To ensure inclusive development, each local government should create an economic development plan and establish a dedicated micro portal on the state’s website to report long-term plans, annual budgets and audited financial statements’, he said.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Mrs Olu Arowolo-Verheije, said the President was committed to supporting Ondo State to unlock its development potential.
She highlighted several ongoing federal projects in the state, including the 71-kilometre stretch of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the Akure–Ore dual carriageway, the Akure–Ado Ekiti Road and the Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Akure.
Arowolo-Verheije also said the Ondo Deep Sea Port project in Araromi was gaining momentum, noting that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa recently received the port’s revalidated licence.
‘When completed, it will be West Africa’s deepest seaport, with a natural draught of about 18 metres’, she said.
In his keynote address, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said Ondo State had made steady progress across sectors over the past 50 years and expressed optimism about its future trajectory.
‘Fifty years on, Ondo State stands transformed, not without challenges, but with remarkable progress and renewed confidence’, the governor said.
He added that the state’s future would be driven by economic diversification, technology and innovation, human capital development and strong institutions.
Aiyedatiwa said flagship projects such as the Sunshine Free Trade Zone, Golden Ceramics Industrial Plant, Ethanol Plant in Ore and the Ondo Deep Sea Port underscored the state’s commitment to industrialisation, job creation and investor confidence.
The governor also said tourism was being repositioned as a growth driver, while sustained investments in education, skills acquisition and youth empowerment would remain central to the state’s development strategy.
