WATAF, Nigeria Strengthen Push for Regional Tax Reforms and Revenue Growth

ABUJA, Nigeria – The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) is deepening collaboration with Nigeria to advance tax reforms, improve domestic revenue mobilisation, and promote stronger tax systems across the ECOWAS region.
The move followed a high-level engagement between WATAF Executive Secretary, Mr. Jules Tapsoba, and Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, during a working visit in Abuja on Monday, July 13.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between WATAF and Nigeria, which the Forum described as a key partner in promoting regional tax administration since WATAF’s establishment in 2011.
During the engagement, WATAF highlighted Nigeria’s contributions to the growth of the organisation through technical support, financial assistance, leadership, and expertise that have helped position the Forum as a major platform for tax cooperation in West Africa.
WATAF’s Manager for Communication and Information Technology, Mr. Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh, said the organisation remains committed to working with Nigeria’s Finance Ministry to support fiscal reforms and build more effective and harmonised tax systems across the region.
He noted that between 2025 and early 2026, WATAF trained nearly 2,000 tax officials from member countries in areas including value-added tax harmonisation, international taxation, digital economy taxation, and tax administration assessment.
For his part, Minister Oyedele praised WATAF’s progress and described the organisation as an important driver of regional integration and tax policy coordination.
He encouraged WATAF to strengthen its role by developing practical tools to measure countries’ implementation of regional tax agreements, including performance dashboards and benchmarking systems.
According to the Minister, such initiatives would promote accountability, encourage knowledge sharing, and help countries adopt successful tax administration practices.
He also called for greater focus on areas such as digital taxation, informal sector taxation, and policy reforms, stressing the need for countries to learn from one another as they address revenue challenges.
Officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance also stressed the importance of closer regional cooperation through common tax standards, improved VAT and customs coordination, digital transformation, and continuous capacity building.
The meeting ended with both sides reaffirming their commitment to improving domestic revenue mobilisation and strengthening tax administration throughout West Africa.
Mr. Tapsoba later presented Minister Oyedele with an invitation to WATAF’s 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue scheduled for September 15–19, 2026, in Accra, Ghana.
The event, which will coincide with WATAF’s 23rd General Assembly and 15th anniversary celebration, is expected to bring together more than 300 participants, including finance ministers, tax commissioners, policymakers, development partners, and tax experts to discuss strategies for stronger revenue systems and sustainable development in the region.