Dr. John Nwabueze, the Tax Ombud and Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud in Nigeria, has urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to provide strategic support aimed at enhancing the operational capacity, independence, and effectiveness of the nation's newly established tax arbiter.
Nwabueze made this appeal during a visit to the South African Tax Ombud in Pretoria, which was facilitated by the IMF as part of its global initiative to strengthen tax administration systems through knowledge exchange and institutional collaboration.
Speaking at the engagement, Dr. Nwabueze expressed gratitude to the IMF for promoting international cooperation and acknowledged the South African Tax Ombud for its hospitality and willingness to share insights and best practices.
He noted that the establishment of Nigeria's Office of the Tax Ombud under Part VI of the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act 2025 represents a significant policy milestone by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This initiative aims to promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in tax administration.
The executive emphasized that the office's work is anchored on three core pillars: accessibility, neutrality, and systemic impact. He highlighted the complexity of Nigeria's fiscal environment and the wide range of tax-related complaints spanning sectors such as oil and gas, manufacturing, telecommunications, and the digital economy.
“As a young institution, we require targeted support to build robust operational systems, deepen technical expertise, and safeguard our functional independence,” he stated.
He called on the IMF to support the office through specialized training programs, technical assistance, knowledge exchange initiatives, and staff secondment. Such interventions, he said, would significantly improve the quality and timeliness of dispute resolution while strengthening taxpayer confidence and voluntary compliance.
Nwabueze reaffirmed the office's commitment to leveraging insights gained from the benchmarking visit to refine its operational framework and enhance institutional effectiveness.
