The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has urged West African countries to strengthen regional cooperation in tax administration to boost domestic revenue generation, improve compliance with ECOWAS tax directives and accelerate tax reforms across the region.
The appeal was made during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), led by its Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba Sulio, at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.
The discussions come as governments across West Africa continue efforts to broaden their tax bases, increase internally generated revenue and reduce reliance on borrowing and fluctuating commodity earnings. They also reflect ongoing regional initiatives aimed at harmonising tax policies, strengthening institutions and embracing digital technology to improve tax administration.
During the meeting, Oyedele commended WATAF for its role in supporting tax administrations across West Africa since its establishment in 2011. He encouraged the organisation to take a more active role in monitoring how member states implement regional tax agreements.
The minister proposed the development of practical benchmarking tools and performance dashboards that would assess compliance with ECOWAS tax directives. According to him, such measures would promote accountability, encourage peer learning and raise tax administration standards throughout the region.
He also urged WATAF to expand its benchmarking efforts by identifying and promoting successful tax administration models, particularly in areas such as digital transformation, taxation of the informal sector and wider tax policy reforms. He noted that sharing best practices would help member countries accelerate their reform programmes.
In response, WATAF Executive Secretary Jules Tapsoba Sulio congratulated Oyedele on his appointment and reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to supporting member countries through technical assistance, research, digital transformation, capacity building and regional collaboration.
Sulio also acknowledged Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to the organisation, noting that the country’s financial, technical and institutional support has played a significant role in WATAF’s growth and development.
Both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation in advancing domestic revenue mobilisation, promoting regional tax harmonisation, supporting digital transformation and enhancing institutional capacity across West Africa.
Nigeria has continued to pursue tax reforms in recent years through digitalisation, policy changes and institutional improvements aimed at expanding the tax base, increasing compliance and boosting non-oil revenue to support economic growth and fiscal sustainability.
Established in 2011, WATAF promotes collaboration among tax authorities across West Africa by providing technical support, encouraging knowledge sharing and strengthening tax administration systems within member countries.
