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Northern Women Advocate for Consultation on Tax Reform Bills
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) Women Wing hosted a one-day National Women Conference in Jos, Plateau State, on January 16, 2025. Themed “The Position of the Nigerian Women on the Controversial Tax Reform Bills,” the event brought together women leaders, activists, and stakeholders to discuss the impact of the proposed tax reforms on women.
President Bola Tinubu transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly onOctober 3, 2024. The bills aim to overhaul tax administration and revenue generation in Nigeria. However, the Northern group expressed concerns about the bills, citing gray areas that need clarification, particularly the VAT derivation formula and stakeholder involvement from the North.
Speaking at the event, Comrade Nankling Pamela Nanle, National Director of Women Affairs (CNG), highlighted the need for sensitization and awareness about the tax reform bills among grassroots citizens.
“We realized that people at the grassroots do not even know what the bill is about, yet it will affect them significantly. We urge the President to hear our concerns and for the grafters of the bill to revisit the gray areas, especially those that impact northern women dominating the informal market sector,” she stated.
The event featured other notable speakers, including Hon. Caroline Panglang Dafur, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Development, Plateau State, represented by Sunday Dumbil, who encouraged women to engage in meaningful dialogue about the bill.
She noted that “Northern women should not completely write off the bill but consider how it can address issues like multiple taxation and support small-scale business owners.”
Hon. Barr. Olivia Dazyam, Acting Chairperson of the Gender and Equal Rights Commission, emphasized the broader implications of the reforms.
“The bills aim to harmonize tax laws, reducing the burden on small-scale businesses and informal traders. However, we must ensure their implementation addresses critical issues such as insecurity, gender-based violence, and illegal taxation,” she stated.
Barr Dazyam also recommended forming committees to break down the bills for better understanding and advocating for adjustments to address regional and gender-specific concerns.
In his keynote presentation, Dr. Dagwom Dang of ANAN University Kwall, Jos, described the tax reforms as “pro-poor, pro-women, and pro-business” but noted disparities in revenue allocation among regions.
“If implemented correctly, the reforms could grow Nigeria’s GDP and reduce the tax burden on low-income earners. However, there must be clarity on revenue allocation and fairness in implementation,” he explained.
Participants identified several issues with the bill, including lack of awareness, unclear tax and revenue structures, multiple taxation, and ineffective implementation. The conference urged stakeholders to engage in robust discussions to address these concerns and ensure the bill benefits all regions and stakeholders.
Former presidential aide Laolu Akande has criticised the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar's reported position on power returning to the North, describing the argument as an insult to Nigerians from the region.
Akande, a former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, made the remarks while speaking on Symfoni TV on Friday.
Speaking on the readiness and viability of presidential candidates ahead of the coming election, Akande argued that the country must maintain the principle of rotational presidency to promote a sense of belonging among its various regions.
“Atiku is just basically saying that, okay, the North is angry; we want power back. And that idea, with due respect to our brothers in the North, is an insult. It’s an insult. This country, we must maintain rotational presidency for purposes of building a sense of belonging,” he said.
Speaking on the ADC's choice of presidential candidate, he said, “If they were serious, they should have picked Amaechi, or they should have prevented Obi from leaving, and then Atiku would have been a star.”
‘Atiku’s push for return of power to North is insult’ — Laolu Akande
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has confirmed that the Ebola virus detected in Nigeria is highly similar to the virus identified in Kenya’s first imported case.
Mr Pate disclosed this on Friday during a briefing at the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, saying genomic sequencing showed that the viruses differed by only one mutation.
He said the analysis was conducted by sequencing teams at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Institute of Genomics and Global Health at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, with the team led by virologist Christian Happi.
However, he cautioned that the finding does not establish how the Nigerian first case acquired the infection.
“Based on the genomic analysis, there is no evidence of travel of that index case in Kenya that links it to Nigeria, but the viruses are appearing to be related,” he said.
He added that the finding could change the understanding of the route of transmission as further investigations and testing continue.
Kenya has so far recorded nine confirmed Ebola cases caused by Bundibugyo virus, including one death, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Eight of the cases were linked to the country’s first imported case from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including four healthcare workers.
Africa CDC probes link
The genomic finding came on the same day the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said it is investigating a possible connection between Nigeria’s case and Kenya’s first imported case.
The agency said both patients had travelled through Entebbe International Airport in Uganda on 3 October, prompting investigations into whether they had shared equipment or had other contact. Africa CDC, however, stressed that no connection had been established between the infections.
The Kenyan patient travelled from the DRC through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi. He later died, becoming the first recorded Ebola death in Kenya’s current outbreak.
The Nigerian patient also passed through Uganda, but Ugandan authorities had earlier rejected suggestions that this established the country as the source of her infection.
Uganda denies active case
On 21 October, Uganda’s Ministry of Health said it had no confirmed active Ebola case and that the Nigerian patient’s transit through the country did not establish that she contracted the virus there.
The ministry said preliminary information indicated that the Nigerian woman had travelled to eastern DRC for business and passed through Uganda in early October without showing symptoms. It said the location of her exposure remained under investigation.
The new genomic finding now provides evidence of similarity between the Nigerian and Kenyan infections, although Nigerian authorities have not established that the patient was infected in Kenya.
One confirmed case
Mr Pate said Nigeria still has only one confirmed Ebola case and that authorities were continuing contact tracing, quarantine and additional testing of contacts.
Some tests have returned negative results, while others are pending, he said.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant but calm, saying there is no need for panic.
“We will continue to work diligently to ensure that we contain this virus as much as possible, and that we avoid a situation that spills over to the communities,” he said.
READ ALSO: Ebola: Atiku demands details of FG’s N10bn emergency fund
The minister said the government is also strengthening infection prevention and control measures in health facilities and would train health workers on how to identify and manage suspected cases.
He urged hospitals to notify public health authorities of suspected cases and encouraged Nigerians to observe basic preventive measures, including regular handwashing and hygiene.
Mr Pate also said Ebola is not currently known to be transmitted through the air but through close contact with infected body fluids.
He urged Nigerians to rely on information from public health authorities, including the NCDC, Federal Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation and Africa CDC, rather than unverified information on social media.
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