The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has urged West African countries to strengthen regional cooperation in advancing tax administration reforms, enhancing compliance with ECOWAS tax policies, and boosting domestic revenue generation.
He made the appeal in a statement released on Tuesday after receiving a delegation from the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), led by its Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, during a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.
The statement was issued by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Mary-Ann Duke Okon.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of renewed efforts by governments across West Africa to broaden their tax bases, strengthen revenue generation, and lessen reliance on borrowing as well as fluctuating commodity revenues.
The development also underscores increasing regional initiatives aimed at aligning tax policies, enhancing institutional effectiveness, and adopting digital solutions to modernise tax administration.
According to the statement, the minister welcomed the WATAF delegation and praised the organisation for its role in advancing tax administration systems across West Africa since it was founded in 2011. He also encouraged the forum to take a more active role in ensuring member states comply with regional tax agreements.
Oyedele stressed the need for closer cooperation among West African nations to accelerate tax administration reforms, improve adherence to ECOWAS tax directives, and boost domestic revenue generation across the region.
According to the statement, the minister urged WATAF to become more proactive in tracking the implementation of regional tax agreements by introducing practical benchmarking frameworks and performance dashboards to evaluate member states’ compliance with ECOWAS tax directives. He said such measures would strengthen accountability, promote the exchange of best practices among countries, and improve tax administration standards across the region.
Oyedele also called on the forum to broaden its benchmarking efforts by identifying, documenting, and sharing successful tax administration strategies adopted by member states.
The statement added that the minister encouraged WATAF to highlight effective practices in areas such as tax digitalisation, informal sector taxation, and wider tax policy reforms, enabling member countries to learn from one another and speed up the implementation of reforms.
The statement further disclosed that WATAF Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, congratulated Oyedele on his appointment and reiterated the organisation’s commitment to helping Nigeria and other member states strengthen their tax administration systems.
Sulio said WATAF would continue to support member countries through capacity development, technical assistance, research, digital transformation, and enhanced regional collaboration.
He also commended Nigeria for its sustained leadership and support for the regional tax body, noting that the country’s financial, institutional, and technical contributions have played a significant role in WATAF’s development and achievements.
The statement noted that both sides explored ways to strengthen collaboration in improving tax administration across West Africa.
It added that discussions focused on expanding cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Finance and WATAF in key areas, including domestic revenue generation, regional tax harmonisation, digital transformation, and capacity building to support more effective tax systems across the region.
Nigeria has in recent years stepped up reforms aimed at modernising its tax administration through digital technology, institutional improvements, and policies designed to widen the tax base, boost compliance, and increase non-oil revenue as part of efforts to promote fiscal stability and drive economic growth.
Founded in 2011, the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) serves as a platform for collaboration among tax authorities in the region by facilitating knowledge exchange, technical support, research, and institutional capacity development.
The organisation partners with member states to strengthen tax administration, enhance compliance, and advance regional economic integration.
