Premium Times reported that Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, asserted that Nigeria’s new tax legislation mandates a 25 per cent levy on all citizen earnings. The opposition African Democratic Congress member made these remarks during a gathering in Abuja, where she encouraged her base to reject the governing All Progressives Congress. A video of her speech, delivered in pidgin English, circulated widely on social media, prompting the newsroom to investigate the accuracy of her statements regarding the recently enacted tax reforms.
The publication examined the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, specifically Section 58 and the Fourth Schedule, to verify the claim. The analysis found that the statute avoids a uniform 25 per cent charge on total earnings. Instead, it establishes a tiered system where the initial N800,000 of annual taxable income incurs no tax. Higher rates apply to subsequent income brackets, with the top 25 per cent rate reserved for annual taxable income exceeding N50 million. Premium Times noted that the law also includes exemptions for individuals earning the national minimum wage, further differentiating the actual liability from the senator’s description.
Premium Times contacted Kingibe, who maintained that the 25 per cent provision was a public document that the government had not yet activated due to fear of public backlash ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, the newsroom highlighted that the tax laws were gazetted in September 2025 and officially commenced on 1 January 2026. This timeline suggests the legislation had been in effect for ten months by the time of the fact-check, contradicting the assertion that implementation was pending.
To provide expert context, Premium Times consulted Okey Udo, a chartered tax practitioner at Vog Global Consult. Udo described the senator’s claim as politically guided and noted that the 25 per cent figure often conflates personal income tax with a prospective corporate income tax reduction. He explained that the Act allows corporate tax to fall from 30 per cent to 25 per cent as the economy stabilises, a relief for companies rather than a new levy on individuals. Udo concluded that the viral claim missed the legislative nuance of the progressive bands and the specific exemptions available to lower-income earners under the new framework.