The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has called for stronger regional collaboration to advance tax administration reforms, improve compliance with ECOWAS tax directives and enhance domestic revenue mobilisation across West Africa.
Oyedele made the call during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), led by its Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, to the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Mary-Ann Duke Okon.
During the meeting, the minister commended WATAF for its contributions since its establishment in 2011, describing the organisation as a key institution driving stronger and more resilient tax administration systems across the sub-region.
He urged the forum to take a more proactive role in ensuring the effective implementation of regional tax agreements by developing practical tools to monitor compliance among member states.
Oyedele said WATAF should develop “practical benchmarking tools and performance dashboards that assess member states’ compliance with ECOWAS tax directives.”
According to him, such mechanisms would “promote accountability, encourage peer learning, and help raise tax administration standards across West Africa.”
The minister also encouraged the forum to expand its benchmarking initiatives by identifying and promoting best practices in key areas of tax administration, including digitalisation, taxation of the informal sector and tax policy reforms.
He noted that sharing successful models among member countries would accelerate reforms and strengthen tax systems across the region.
Earlier, WATAF Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, congratulated Oyedele on his appointment and reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to supporting Nigeria and other member states in strengthening their tax administration systems.