President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Festus Osifo, has strongly condemned the Federal Government’s proposed tax bills, asserting that they unfairly burden Nigerian workers while protecting the wealthy and corporate elites.
Speaking at the 2025 May Day celebration held in Abuja, Osifo voiced the organised labour’s firm opposition to the new tax measures, describing them as “anti-worker” and lacking inclusivity. According to him, the bills were introduced without the input or consultation of the labour force, leading to policies that disproportionately affect the working class.
“The proposed taxes place a heavy financial load on the already meager allowances of workers — including housing, transportation, and even medical benefits,” he stated. “Yet, they fail to introduce a fair and progressive taxation system that ensures the affluent and large corporations contribute their due share.”
Osifo specifically criticised the plan to set the minimum taxable income at N800,000 per annum, which is barely below the recently approved National Minimum Wage of N840,000 annually (N70,000 monthly). He questioned the logic behind taxing workers earning such low incomes, likening it to taxing the value of merely eight bags of 50kg rice per year.
“This policy reflects a deep insensitivity to the harsh economic realities facing Nigerian workers, especially in the midst of rising inflation and economic hardship,” he said.
He further lambasted the proposed expansion of the Value Added Tax (VAT) to include essential goods and the introduction of new levies. Osifo warned that these measures would drastically increase the cost of living and disproportionately impact the poor.
In addition, he expressed concern for the informal sector, arguing that small-scale traders and artisans would suffer under presumptive taxation models and the high cost of compliance.
The TUC president concluded by demanding the immediate withdrawal of the proposed tax bills, insisting that any future tax reforms must be fair, inclusive, and considerate of the economic conditions facing the average Nigerian worker.
