Oyedele Seeks Tougher ECOWAS Tax Compliance, Regional Reforms

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has called for stronger regional collaboration to drive tax administration reforms, improve compliance with ECOWAS tax directives and boost domestic revenue mobilisation across West Africa.

According to a statement on Tuesday, July 14, by Oyedele’s Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Mary-Ann Duke Okon, the Minister made the call during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), led by its Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.

The minister commended WATAF for its achievements since its establishment in 2011, describing the organisation as a key driver of stronger and more resilient tax administration systems across the sub-region.

He urged the forum to play a more active role in ensuring the implementation of regional tax agreements by developing practical monitoring tools for member states.

According to him, WATAF should develop “practical benchmarking tools and performance dashboards that assess member states’ compliance with ECOWAS tax directives.”

He noted that such mechanisms would “promote accountability, encourage peer learning, and help raise tax administration standards across West Africa.”

Oyedele also encouraged the organisation to broaden its benchmarking initiatives by identifying and showcasing best practices in critical areas of tax administration, including digitalisation, taxation of the informal sector and tax policy reforms.

According to him, sharing successful models across member countries would help accelerate reforms and strengthen tax systems throughout the region.

Earlier, WATAF Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, congratulated Oyedele on his appointment and reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to supporting Nigeria and other member states in strengthening their tax systems.

Sulio said WATAF would continue to provide support through capacity building, technical assistance, research, digital transformation and regional cooperation.

He also acknowledged Nigeria’s longstanding contribution to the organisation, noting that the country’s financial, institutional and technical support has been instrumental to WATAF’s growth and success.