The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria has said the enactment of new tax reform laws has significantly increased the importance of certified tax professionals in the country’s fiscal system.
The President of the institute, Innocent Ohagwa, made this known at the opening of the 2026 Legal Practitioners’ Conversion Training Programme, held virtually on Tuesday.
Represented by council member Funsho Abidakun, he said only accredited professionals can now act on behalf of taxpayers under the new legal framework, citing provisions of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act.
According to him, the tax reform laws enacted in June 2025 have strategically and ethically elevated the role of tax professionals by redefining who can represent taxpayers.
He explained that Section 33(1) of the law provides that a taxpayer may either represent itself or be represented by a tax agent accredited by the relevant tax authority.
He added that Section 147 defines a tax agent as any person acknowledged and duly certified by a professional body in Nigeria to represent a taxable person.
Ohagwa said the development directly reinforces the institute’s mandate to regulate tax practice in Nigeria and highlights the importance of proper certification.
He noted that the conversion training programme provides a structured pathway for legal practitioners to acquire the specialised knowledge required for admission into the institute.
He further explained that taxation has become increasingly complex and multidisciplinary, requiring more than legal knowledge alone.
According to him, taxation operates at the intersection of law, economics, business, and accounting, and becoming an effective tax professional requires not only understanding statutes but also interpreting them within the context of finance and business realities.
He said participants in the programme would be exposed to key aspects of the newly enacted tax laws and other specialised areas, urging them to take full advantage of the training and continue building their professional capacity beyond the programme.
He also encouraged legal practitioners to broaden their expertise in response to Nigeria’s changing fiscal landscape, saying taxation has become critical to fiscal policy and national development.
Earlier, the Chairman of the CITN Tax Academy Committee, Titilayo Enitan-Fowokan, said Nigeria’s evolving tax framework highlights the increasing need for professionals with expertise in both law and taxation.
She noted that recent tax reforms have made cross-disciplinary knowledge even more essential.
Enitan-Fowokan said the programme was designed to equip legal practitioners with the knowledge needed to navigate Nigeria’s changing fiscal environment.
She described the training as a valuable pathway to deeper competence, enhanced professional capacity, and formal recognition within the country’s evolving tax system.
She stressed that legal practitioners have an important role to play in promoting governance and compliance, especially under the new tax regime.
According to her, by expanding their expertise to include taxation, legal practitioners position themselves as more strategic contributors to national development and fiscal governance.
She added that the training would be handled by experienced professionals to ensure both practical and theoretical relevance.
She also urged participants to take an active part throughout the programme and uphold the institute’s core values in their professional journey.
The tax reforms signed into law on June 26, 2025, include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act.
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