The Deputy Director General of the Defence Research and Development Bureau, Major General OM Bello, has urged staff to become ambassadors of accurate tax information, encouraging them to be bearers of good news and help curb misinformation about the tax reforms. He made this call on Friday, January 30th, following an enlightenment session conducted by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) on taxation and the impact of Nigeria's 2026 Tax Policy on employee earnings. The presentation, which held at the Bureau's headquarters, was delivered by a three-member team comprising Mr Olufemi Olarinde, Head of Fiscal Reform and Tax Implementation Division, Mrs Silifat Iyabode Ibrahim and Mr Bashir Sami.
The presentation is the first in the series of the Bureau's training programme for year 2026 and aimed to educate the Bureau's staff on taxation principles, provide clarity on the recently enacted tax reform act and address questions on various aspects of tax administration. The first presenter, Mr Bashir Sami spoke on understanding taxation, PAYE and salary deductions. He explained the objectives of taxation and provided an overview of taxable and personal income. It was highlighted that military personnel are exempted from tax obligations, while clarifying that civilian staff working in military units are not exempted, a point of particular relevance to the DRDB audience.
the DRDB audience. Mrs Silifat Iyabode Ibrahim followed with a session on employee responsibilities and practical financial awareness, emphasizing the importance of understanding tax reliefs and exemptions. She encouraged the audience to maintain accurate personal financial records and avoid misinformation and unofficial advice on tax matters. The team leader, Mr Olufemi Olarinde concluded the session by highlighting the significance of the new tax reforms, outlining exemptions introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration which he noted has an advantage over the old tax policy. Mr Olufemi further enlightened the audience on the tax exempted goods and explained zero-rate goods provisions. He demonstrated in a practical session how to use the Personal Income Tax Calculator portal to calculate the tax rates workers are liable to remit under the new tax act.
The presentation was followed by a robust interactive session where participants sought clarifications on various aspects of the new tax reforms. Key concerns raised included inquiries regarding the extent of government access to taxpayers' banking information, tax obligations on secondary income streams and auxiliary business ventures and the tangible benefits and public goods derived from tax remittances to the government. The NRS team provided comprehensive responses to all queries, offering detailed explanations on data privacy protocols, multiple income taxation frameworks, and the utilization of tax revenues for national development and public service delivery.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Bureau, Rear Admiral KJ Odubanjo mni, represented by Major General Bello, expressed appreciation to the NRS team for their comprehensive explanation of the tax act. He emphasized the importance of the enlightenment session and commended the NRS's willingness and camaraderie in honouring the Bureau's invitation on such short notice.