NANS Mobilises Nationwide Protest, Faults Tinubu’s Tax Reforms

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has fixed January 14, 2026, for a nationwide protest against the Federal Government’s newly introduced tax reform laws, warning that the policy could deepen economic hardship for students and millions of Nigerians.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday, NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, accused the Federal Government of mishandling the reform process and failing to carry key stakeholders along before rolling out the policy.

Oladoja blamed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s advisers for what he described as misguided counsel capable of inflaming national tension, while also criticising the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, over alleged lapses in stakeholder engagement and consultation.

He argued that the implementation strategy, scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, violates democratic norms and participatory governance, stressing that far-reaching policies should not be imposed without broad public input.

According to him, the absence of adequate consultation could erode gains recorded in other sectors of the economy and fuel public resentment, especially amid reports that the National Assembly has raised concerns over discrepancies in the gazetted version of the law.

The NANS president noted that several civil society organisations, youth groups and student bodies have already called for the suspension of the tax reform law, demanding greater transparency and public sensitisation before enforcement.

Declaring January 14, 2026, a National Day of Action, NANS directed all its chapters, state councils and zonal coordinators to mobilise students for peaceful protests across the country, including planned marches to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“There can be no government without the governed,” Oladoja said, insisting that the will of the people must prevail over unilateral policy decisions in a constitutional democracy.