By Adesikeola Ajiboye
The Kwara State Tax Reform Committee on Tuesday, 25th November, 2025, held a workshop on the new tax reform for stakeholders in governance, at the Innovation Hub, Ilorin, to familiarise them with the new tax framework set to take effect in January 2026.
The workshop, tagged “Understanding the New Legal and Administrative Landscape,” brought together Honourable Commissioners; Members of the House of Assembly; Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies; Heads of Tertiary Institutions; and Local Government Chairmen across the State, with the aim of adequately preparing them for the upcoming reforms.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Kwara State Tax Reform Committee, Barrister Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, who is also the Attorney General and Honourable Commissioner for Justice, noted that it had become necessary to sensitise stakeholders on the new reforms, consequently, the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, constituted the State Tax Reform Committee to ensure proper education, understanding, and compliance with the new laws by major stakeholders in governance and revenue administration.
He further explained that the Committee painstakingly organised the workshop and carefully selected highly qualified resource persons to facilitate the sessions.
He commended the Governor for his proactive leadership and commitment to the reforms.
In her opening remarks, the Vice Chairman of the Kwara State Tax Reform Committee and Executive Chairman, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), Shade Omoniyi, warmly welcomed participants to the high-level sensitisation workshop and outlined its objectives.
She stressed that the gathering was not a routine meeting or training session, but a strategic engagement on the collective responsibility of stakeholders in shaping the future of public finance and sustaining the long-term fiscal stability of Kwara State.
She stated, “In recognition of the importance of proactive alignment with national direction, His Excellency, the Governor, set up the Kwara State Tax Reforms Committee earlier this month. This reflects his commitment to ensuring that Kwara State remains ahead of evolving policies and continues to support the prosperity of its people and businesses.”
Omoniyi emphasised that the success of the reforms rests beyond the Committee, adding that every institution and individual represented at the workshop has a responsibility to drive understanding, implementation, and compliance within their respective jurisdictions.
Two seasoned facilitators who are members of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform delivered lectures at the workshop.
Professor Abiola Sanni (SAN), a renowned expert in fiscal and taxation law, and Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos gave a presentation titled “Overview of the New Tax Laws: Scope, Objectives and Structure”, while Mr. Tolulope Adegbie, a former Executive Chairman, Ondo State Internal Revenue Service, delivered a paper on “Operational Implications of the New Tax Reform: Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations.”
Questions and answers were entertained at the end of each presentation.
The Secretary of the State Tax Reform Committee, Shehu Abdullahi, highlighted the achievements of the Committee, and outlined specific expectations from each category of the stakeholders.
He expressed appreciation to the Governor for the initiative and also thanked the facilitators and participants for contributing to the success of the workshop.
