Tinubu Appoints First Tax Ombudsman Ahead Of January Tax Law Implementation

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. John Nwabueze as the Tax Ombudsman in line with the provisions of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025.

Nwabueze, from Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, has extensive professional and public service experience.

Announcing the appointment, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said Nwabueze had “served as Managing Partner of a reputable tax advisory firm, Technical Adviser to the Joint Senate Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Finance of the National Assembly, and Technical Adviser to the Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, among other significant engagements in both the public and private sectors.

“Nwabueze holds a Doctor of Business Administration (Finance) from Walden University, Minneapolis, USA; a Master of Science in Accounting from Strayer University, Washington, D.C.; and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Mathematics from the University of Jos, Nigeria.”

Tinubu congratulated Nwabueze on this appointment and expressed confidence in his capacity to discharge the responsibilities of his office with integrity, diligence, and utmost professionalism.

Onanuga recalled that the Office of the Tax Ombudsman was established to strengthen transparency and accountability within the tax system, enhance confidence in tax administration, and provide a structured mechanism for the fair and impartial resolution of disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

“The office shall be responsible for receiving, reviewing, and resolving complaints relating to taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties, excise matters, and other related issues, in accordance with extant laws and regulations.

“The Tax Ombudsman is further mandated to ensure that disputes are managed in an efficient, impartial, and non-adversarial manner, thereby safeguarding the rights of taxpayers against the arbitrary or abusive exercise of authority by tax officials,” the presidential aide added.

From January 1, 2026, the Federal Government will begin implementing the new tax laws recently signed by President Tinubu on June 26.

The laws are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (NTA), the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025 (NTAA), the Nigeria Revenue Service (establishment) Act, 2025 (NRSEA), and the Joint Revenue Board (establishment) Act, 2025 (JRBEA).