President Bola Tinubu has said Nigerians cannot expect quality infrastructure and public services without fulfilling their tax obligations, stressing that development must be financed collectively.
He made the remarks on Friday, May 15, at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, where he argued that citizens often demand better hospitals and roads while resisting the financial responsibilities required to deliver them.
“Nobody wants to pay taxes. Taxation is not friendly to the wealthy, middle class, and to the poor.
“Every human being expects development, but the question they don’t answer is how do you pay for it. You want a good highway, but you don’t want it to go through your land.
“You want good and well-equipped hospital, and you don’t want to pay taxes, how do we care for the vulnerable, and how do you protect the future of the children?
“How do you even research and develop? The pharmaceutical industry, we remember COVID-19; we remember what happened to the world at large.
“So in the world where you can’t predict what exactly you are doing, you must think from where the source and application of funds should be engineered.
“Tax is a priority. A citizen who pays tax is a citizen, whether corporate or individual. If you are not a taxpayer and not exempted, then you are not a citizen,” he said.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Arrives Kigali Ahead Of Africa CEO Forum
Tinubu also used the platform to defend his administration’s economic reforms, describing them as difficult but necessary measures aimed at stabilising the economy.
“It was very necessary to reset, recalibrate and reform the economy. It is a fake life to think you can, in a global economy, continue the subsidy that is wasteful, it is an encouragement for falsification of papers, (and) smuggling,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria was facing severe fiscal strain at the time the reforms were introduced, including difficulties in salary payments across states.
“And that is a very critical situation for the country. When you look at the economic problem of the country, and you see that you are almost going bankrupt. Of the 36 states, 27 of them were unable to pay the salaries of the workers. Where is the money?
“You are an oil producer, you are earning, you are giving fuel, you have no refinery that is functional. It is not possible to continue that trend.
“It is difficult, it is painful, but just like a woman reproduction process, a woman carries the pregnancy, endures the pain of labour and will have a very big smile when you see the live child,” Tinubu said.
The president said he deliberately avoided media commentary during the early phase of the reforms in order to stay focused despite criticism.
He added that the policies, including subsidy removal and currency unification, were beginning to show positive results, with improved stability in the naira and expanded social support programmes for vulnerable Nigerians and students.