Cleric’s Claim on Religious Tax Exemption Faces Scrutiny Amid New Reforms

A controversial claim by Plateau-based cleric Ezekiel Dachomo that Nigeria’s new tax laws would selectively target Christians has raised concerns about misinformation surrounding the country’s comprehensive tax reform initiative.

During a recent appearance on the Lucky Udu Experience podcast, Dachomo alleged that under the forthcoming tax system, Christians would bear the tax burden while Muslims would be exempt. “They are saying next year, they will start paying tax. I told my fellow Christians, ‘this tax, we are the one to be paying it’. But as far as Islamic people is concerned, they will never pay that tax. They are not paying that tax,” he stated.

The claim comes amid significant changes to Nigeria’s tax framework, with the federal government having gazetted four new tax reform laws on September 9. These laws—the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act—are scheduled for implementation beginning January 1, 2026.

Financial analysts familiar with the legislation have pointed out that the claim lacks factual basis, as the reforms contain no provisions for religious-based tax exemptions. The laws apply uniformly to all Nigerian citizens and businesses that meet the established income thresholds, regardless of religious affiliation.

Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the presidential fiscal policy and tax reforms committee, addressed the reforms’ scope during an October 4 press conference with journalists and public analysts. He emphasized that the obligation to self-declare income has long been enshrined in Nigerian law and applies universally.

“Sex workers, agberos, you know what I said is, everybody has the responsibility to self-declare. That is the first obligation in the law,” Oyedele clarified.

The reforms do include significant exemptions, but these are based on income levels rather than religious identity. Most notably, Nigerians earning less than N250,000 monthly will be exempt from income tax, a measure designed to reduce the burden on lower-income citizens in a country where economic hardship has intensified in recent years.

Additional relief provisions target small businesses and average taxpayers, reflecting the government’s stated aim to create a more equitable taxation system while expanding the country’s tax base. Nigeria has historically struggled with low tax compliance rates compared to other African economies, with the informal sector remaining largely untaxed.

Tax experts suggest that claims like Dachomo’s could potentially undermine public confidence in the reforms at a critical implementation stage. Nigeria’s complex religious landscape—roughly divided between Christianity and Islam, with significant regional concentrations—makes religious-based claims particularly sensitive.

“The spreading of misinformation about religious preferences in taxation could foster unnecessary tensions and potentially impact compliance rates,” noted a Lagos-based tax consultant who requested anonymity. “The reforms represent the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades and should be evaluated on their technical merits rather than through a sectarian lens.”

The tax reforms come as part of broader economic restructuring under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has implemented several controversial economic policies including fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification. These measures have contributed to increased living costs for many Nigerians, making tax policy changes particularly scrutinized.

As implementation approaches, government agencies are likely to increase public education efforts around the new tax laws to combat misinformation and boost compliance. Meanwhile, fact-checkers and economic analysts continue to emphasize that the tax obligations outlined in the reforms apply equally across religious lines.