By Chris Ndibe
Mr Niyi Akinsanya, a financial expert has urged governments at all levels to embark on aggressive tax education to sensitise Nigerians with a view to improve tax collection.
Akinsanya gave the advice in Abuja on Monday and said tax expert spoke on measures to be taken to boost non-oil revenue as the country marks its 60th anniversary.
He explained that tax education was an effective way to improve willingness of citizens to pay their taxes.
Adesanya said the revenue generated from taxes could be boosted if the government could increase or improve the level of compliance among taxpayers.
According to him, this compliance can be improved from various angles, especially through tax education.
The expert noted that effective utilisation of tax revenue and improvement of data tax database to aid tax collection would also help to boost revenue.
“The serious decline in oil prices in recent time is cause for the focus of the Nigerian government to gradually shift from oil to tax.
“It shouldn’t stop at that, government must do everything possible to block necessary leakages, check corruption and misappropriation in the tax administration.
“Corruption and mismanagement can be said to be the core reason for the non realisation of all forecasted activities” he said.