The Nigerian Senate has moved the scheduled passage of four tax reform bills submitted by President Bola Tinubu to Wednesday, citing the need for further examination and deliberation.
The proposed legislation includes the Nigerian Tax Bill, Tax Administration Bill, Revenue Tax Board Bill, and the Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Bill.
These were forwarded to the National Assembly six months ago as part of the president’s tax reform agenda aimed at overhauling fiscal policies and improving government revenue.
While the House of Representatives approved the bills two weeks earlier, the Senate opted to delay its own approval to allow for more thorough scrutiny.
This delay has generated some public concern, with many urging the Senate to act swiftly.
In a separate move, lawmakers also resolved to organize a two-day national summit on security to address the rising violence and insecurity across the country, especially following deadly attacks in Plateau, Benue, and Zamfara States.
The decision followed a motion presented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) during Tuesday’s plenary.
He attributed the growing global and local insecurity to geopolitical tensions such as the war in Ukraine and deteriorating North-South international relations. Ibrahim warned that these developments were worsening hunger and threatening economic stability.
He also highlighted how economic rivalries and revised immigration policies across the globe signal a shift in world power dynamics and urged Nigeria to reposition its foreign and domestic strategies accordingly.
Senator Mohammed Dandutse (Katsina South) supported the motion, stressing that poor coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies remained a key obstacle.
He emphasized the importance of peace and the need for prudent management of allocated security funds.
However, not all lawmakers agreed with the idea. Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) raised doubts about the effectiveness of such a summit.
But other senators, including Titus Zam (Benue North-West) and Minority Leader Abba Moro, backed the proposal, stressing the urgency of finding lasting solutions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, after putting the motion to a vote, confirmed that the majority of senators were in support of the summit.
He suggested that the event run for two days instead of the originally proposed three.
An ad hoc committee was subsequently mandated to oversee the planning of the summit, which will involve stakeholders from all levels of government as well as traditional leaders.
The Senate also called on the federal government to use the summit’s outcomes to restructure and enhance its security strategies.
