Kemi Adeosun Endorses Tinubu’s Tax Reforms, Says Data Integration Key to Ending Evasion
Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has publicly expressed support for the tax reform agenda being pursued by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that weak tax compliance—especially among wealthy individuals and large corporations—has remained one of Nigeria’s most persistent governance failures.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, Adeosun argued that Nigeria’s tax problem is not rooted in the absence of laws, but in years of lax enforcement and limited political courage to confront powerful interests who benefit from public infrastructure while avoiding their fiscal obligations.
According to her, tax compliance during her time in office was particularly poor among high-net-worth individuals and major companies, many of whom had the capacity to pay but deliberately stayed outside the tax net. She cited the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) as one of the major policy efforts introduced to address this gap.
VAIDS, launched during her tenure, was designed to encourage individuals and businesses to voluntarily declare previously undisclosed income and assets, with reduced penalties. Adeosun described the programme as a direct attempt to confront entrenched tax evasion and widen the country’s revenue base.
Reflecting on the realities of public finance leadership, Adeosun said unpopular decisions were unavoidable for anyone serious about reform.
“When you’re minister of finance, the word ‘no’ becomes your watchword. If your finance minister is loved by everybody, they’re probably not doing much of a job,” she said.
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The former minister also praised the Tinubu administration’s push toward data harmonisation across government agencies, describing it as a critical step toward effective tax collection and improved governance. She noted that Nigeria has historically operated fragmented identification systems, including the Tax Identification Number (TIN), National Identification Number (NIN), and Bank Verification Number (BVN), which made it easier for individuals to hide income and assets.
“I was excited when I saw moves to harmonise data. We’ve had TIN, NIN, BVN—too many numbers. Once you harmonise data, it becomes very difficult to hide,” Adeosun stated.
She explained that integrated data systems allow government agencies to quickly identify individuals and companies who benefit from public resources but fail to pay taxes. With the addition of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, she said enforcement becomes significantly more efficient.
“Once you have data, and with AI, you can see very quickly who is not playing the game fairly,” she added.
Beyond fiscal policy, Adeosun also addressed the issue of insecurity, acknowledging it as a long-standing national challenge but insisting that the current administration appears to be showing stronger political will to confront it. She argued that insecurity did not develop overnight and would not be resolved instantly, but maintained that decisive leadership was crucial.
In a personal reflection, Adeosun recounted a traumatic experience during her time as finance minister, when her home was invaded and she was robbed at knifepoint. The incident, she said, underscored the severity of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“It was extremely scary. I never slept in that house again,” she recalled.
Despite the experience, she emphasized that progress requires persistence, noting that sustained effort and commitment are more important than quick fixes.
“Insecurity didn’t start overnight, and it won’t end overnight. But what matters is that there is now a clear will to tackle it,” Adeosun said.
While her comments have drawn mixed reactions from the public, including criticism linked to controversies from her time in office, Adeosun’s intervention adds to the growing national debate around taxation, governance, and accountability. As tax enforcement tightens under the Tinubu administration, voices for and against the reforms continue to shape public discourse on how Nigeria should balance revenue generation with public trust and service delivery.