The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has issued a strong appeal to state governors and local government chairmen across the country to urgently implement the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF)’s directive on the dismantling of illegal roadblocks. The call is aimed at eliminating unauthorised levies that disrupt food supply chains, inflate food prices, and undermine public trust in tax administration.
CITN President, Innocent Ohagwa, made the appeal in a statement issued over the weekend. He urged the governors to coordinate closely with their State Internal Revenue Services (SIRS) and ensure the directive is not only adopted but enforced across all tiers of government.
“The illegal roadblocks and multiple levies on agricultural produce transportation are a direct threat to Nigeria’s food security and economic stability,” Ohagwa stated. “We commend the NGF’s resolution, which followed detailed briefings by the Office of the National Security Adviser and key federal ministries. If properly implemented, this will greatly reduce the cost of transporting food, ease inflationary pressure, and improve the ease of doing business across Nigeria.”
He also urged the Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Olusegun Philip Adesokan, to work in tandem with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure that law enforcement agents comply with the directive and dismantle all unauthorized checkpoints collecting levies along major trade routes.
Ohagwa noted that CITN, as the regulatory body for taxation practice in Nigeria, has consistently advocated for the elimination of tax multiplicity, especially on agricultural logistics. He stressed that uncoordinated and illegal tax collections discourage investment in the agricultural value chain, distort market prices, and lead to systemic inefficiencies that affect both rural and urban populations.
“The imposition of unregulated taxes by non-statutory actors creates unnecessary barriers to trade, discourages entrepreneurship, and ultimately leads to revenue leakage that harms the entire economy,” he said.
The CITN also reminded state governors of their statutory obligation to allocate the required percentage of their internally generated revenue (IGR) to local governments, as stipulated by law. According to Ohagwa, doing so would not only empower local councils to function effectively but would also reduce their reliance on illegal levy collections to generate income.
“Local governments must be adequately funded to carry out their mandates without resorting to unlawful taxation practices. This is critical for both governance accountability and economic development at the grassroots level,” he added.
The CITN chief described the NGF’s harmonisation directive on levies for agricultural produce as a significant policy shift with potential to reposition Nigeria’s food system and improve the country’s ranking on global ease-of-trade indices.
“The success of this directive depends on the political will of state actors and the operational efficiency of tax administrators. We must harmonise our efforts across all states if we truly want to build a sustainable tax framework that supports growth, attracts investment, and delivers shared prosperity,” Ohagwa said.
He concluded by reaffirming CITN’s readiness to work with government agencies, law enforcement, and the judiciary to promote ethical tax practices and public education on citizens’ rights and responsibilities in the tax system.
As Nigeria grapples with rising food inflation, worsening insecurity, and a weakened naira, experts say implementing coordinated fiscal policies—especially those that cut costs and simplify compliance—is essential to restoring economic stability and investor confidence.