Business
VAT Rate May Increase
The Value Added Tax (VAT) may be increased in an attempt by the Federal Government to harmonise Nigeria’s Value Added Tax (VAT) Act with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) directives.
At the moment, Nigeria’s VAT rate is less than one per cent to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The initiative to adjust the VAT came to the fore, Tuesday, in Abuja at a three-day workshop on Nigeria’s VAT Law, organised by the ECOWAS Commission under the context of implementation of the Support Programme for Tax Transition in West Africa (PATF).
At the parley, the government said the country’s VAT performance was the lowest in the West African region, describing the development as worrisome.
PATF is geared towards improving the management of domestic taxation and ensuring better coordination in ECOWAS and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) regions.
Director, Tax Policy, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Basheer Abdulkadir, said exemptions of VAT in Nigeria were not aligned with those of ECOWAS.
In the meantime, companies that were unable to file their Companies Income Tax returns for this Year of Assessment (YOA) that fell due on June 30, 2023 have been given up to August 31 to submit their returns to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The FIRS, in a statement signed by Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola, Special Assistant (Media and Communication) to the Executive Chairman, stated that it had “received numerous calls from companies requesting for the extension of time to submit their Companies Income Tax (CIT) returns as they were unable to meet up with the deadline due on June 30, 2023”.
The FIRS noted that it agreed to extend the deadline for submission of CIT returns to companies “as a measure of goodwill and in line with relevant provisions of the Companies Income Tax Act.
“All companies whose CIT returns for 2023 year of assessment that fall due between June 30 and August 31, 2023 (both days inclusive) are given up to August 31 to submit the returns to the FIRS”.
On the VAT, Abdulkadir called for the exemption of few products, goods and services so that poor households could benefit from the policy.
He also called for the need to allow for tax input credit for intermediate and capital expenditure.
“Our VAT performance or rate is still one of the lowest. Nigeria has a VAT of less than one per cent to the GDP and this is worrisome.
“Also, we have the lowest VAT within the sub-region with an average of 16 per cent, while VAT rate in Nigeria is 7.5 per cent. So we need a lot of policy changes on tax administration as we also need to come up with strategies to address some of these issues”, he stated.
He said the exemptions of VAT in Nigeria are not aligned with those of the ECOWAS and we know that these exemptions are some of the issues that have to do with revenue mobilisation under the VAT.
Also speaking, Director of VAT, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Lovette Onanuga, stated that VAT has the potential to raise a significant amount of revenue for the government.
Onanuga, while reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring the success of the PATF programme, described the workshop as timely.
“These three days’ workshop is very important. For example the study of the Harmonisation of Nigeria’s VAT Act with ECOWAS Directives will contribute to establishing coherence in the domestic systems of taxation and the realisation of the attainment of a common market and the Evaluation of VAT Performance will enable us to look more deeply into issues that will help improve VAT revenue collections”, she said.
ECOWAS Director of Customs Union and Taxation, Salifou Tiemtore, called on the government to put in place an appropriate institutional framework before the commencement of the implementation of the initiative.
Tiemtore, who was represented by Felix Kwakye, stressed the need for the evaluation of VAT performance, adding that the measure will outline issues that need to be addressed by the government of Nigeria to improve VAT revenue collections.
Oluwatobi Wojuola also assured companies that “the relevant Companies Income Tax returns will not attract late filing penalties or interests if payments were made on or before 31st August 2023.
He, however, warned that “where companies fail to file by the extended date, the penalty and interest for late payment will be computed from the original due date”.
According to Wojuola, “the relevant CIT returns shall, therefore, not attract Late Filing Penalty or interest for late payment if submitted to the Service on or before 31st August 2023.
“Where relevant CIT returns are not filed by the extended date, penalty and interest for late payment shall be computed from the original due date and not the extended date”.
The Service added that the grace period extended to companies to file their CIT returns does not cover “returns for withholding tax, value added tax, personal income tax (PAYE), among others.
Wojuola appealed to companies “to take the opportunity afforded by this extension to submit their CIT returns within the specified time, pay the taxes due and avoid payment of penalty and interest”.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos