Finance Minister seeks stronger regional tax cooperation in West Africa

… as WATAF pushes deeper partnership

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has called for stronger regional collaboration to deepen tax administration reforms, improve compliance with ECOWAS tax directives and boost domestic revenue mobilisation across West Africa.

Oyedele made the call 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.

Speaking during the meeting, the minister commended WATAF for its achievements since its establishment in 2011, noting that the organisation has played a significant role in strengthening tax administrations across the region.

He urged the forum to take a more proactive role in monitoring the implementation of regional tax agreements by developing practical benchmarking tools and performance dashboards to assess member states’ compliance with ECOWAS tax directives.

According to him, such mechanisms would enhance accountability, encourage peer learning among countries and contribute to raising tax administration standards across West Africa.

Oyedele also challenged WATAF to broaden its benchmarking initiatives by identifying and promoting best practices in critical areas of tax administration, including digitalisation, taxation of the informal sector and tax policy reforms.

He said sharing successful experiences among member countries would accelerate reforms and improve the efficiency of 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 systems.

Sulio said WATAF would continue to provide capacity building, technical assistance, research support, digital transformation initiatives and platforms for regional cooperation aimed at improving tax administration.

He also expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s longstanding support for the forum, describing the country as a key contributor to WATAF’s growth through its financial, institutional and technical assistance.

According to him, Nigeria’s leadership has been instrumental in advancing the forum’s objectives and strengthening collaboration among tax authorities in the region.

Both parties also explored opportunities for deeper collaboration in domestic revenue mobilisation, regional tax harmonisation, digital transformation and capacity development to support sustainable economic growth across West Africa.