President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr John Nwabueze as the Tax Ombudsman.
The appointment is said to be in line with the provisions of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025,
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, saying it was part of Tinubu’s ongoing tax and revenue reforms.
“The appointment aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to implementing far-reaching and sustainable reforms in the tax and revenue administration framework,” the statement read.
Nwabueze, from Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, has held several key positions in the public and private sectors.
He previously served as Managing Partner of a tax advisory firm, Technical Adviser to the Joint Senate Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Finance, and Technical Adviser to the Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Onanuga said Nwabueze “brings extensive professional and public service experience to the new job.”
The new Tax Ombudsman holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Finance from Walden University, Minneapolis; a Master’s degree in Accounting from Strayer University, Washington D.C.; and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Mathematics from the University of Jos.
Tinubu congratulated Nwabueze on the appointment and expressed confidence in his ability to deliver.
“President Tinubu congratulates Nwabueze on this appointment and expresses confidence in his capacity to discharge the responsibilities of his office with integrity, diligence, and utmost professionalism,” Onanuga said.
According to him, the Office of the Tax Ombudsman was established “to strengthen transparency and accountability within the tax system, enhance confidence in tax administration, and provide a structured mechanism for the fair and impartial resolution of disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities.
“The Office shall be responsible for receiving, reviewing, and resolving complaints relating to taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties, excise matters, and other related issues, in accordance with extant laws and regulations.”
Before now, tax-related complaints were largely managed by agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service and state revenue boards.
The statement added that the move was aimed at safeguarding the rights of taxpayers.
“The Tax Ombudsman is further mandated to ensure that disputes are managed in an efficient, impartial, and non-adversarial manner, thereby safeguarding the rights of taxpayers against the arbitrary or abusive exercise of authority by tax officials,” it added.
The creation of the Office of the Tax Ombudsman marks a continuation of Tinubu’s fiscal and tax reform agenda, which has been driven by the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee chaired by Taiwo Oyedele.
The committee, inaugurated in August 2023, was mandated to harmonise Nigeria’s tax system, reduce multiple taxation, improve revenue generation, and raise the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio. It also aims to simplify tax compliance and strengthen public confidence in revenue administration.
The establishment of a Tax Ombudsman through the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025, is part of the Federal Government’s plan to improve accountability and fairness in tax administration.
