NANS Joins NBA in Demanding Immediate Suspension of 2025 Tax Laws, Citing ‘Legislative Forgery’ and Lack of Public Awareness

With less than 72 hours remaining until the commencement of Nigeria’s most ambitious fiscal overhaul, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has thrown its weight behind calls to halt the 2025 Tax Reform Acts.

In a press conference held, at the National Press Centre in Abuja, NANS President Comrade Lucky Emonefe declared that the Nigerian student body would not accept a “surveillance-heavy” tax regime that was purportedly altered after leaving the floors of the National Assembly.

“We are not against reform, but we are against ‘taxation by ambush’,” Emonefe stated. “The 2025 Tax Act, as it stands, is a mystery to the very people it aims to tax. To implement this on January 1st without a week of public sensitization is a recipe for social chaos.”

The student body’s grievances center on three major pillars:

The Alleged Alterations: NANS echoed the “grave concerns” of the NBA, citing reports that key accountability provisions were deleted from the final gazetted version of the law. “If the law signed is not the law passed, then we are witnessing a constitutional crisis,” the NANS President added.
Financial Exclusion: Under the new Nigeria Tax Administration Act, a TIN is required for almost all financial transactions. NANS fears this will complicate the disbursement of student loans and bursaries for millions of undergraduates who are currently struggling with the rising cost of campus living.
The “Digital Trap”: The mandatory use of the Electronic Fiscal System (EFS) for small businesses is viewed by NANS as a premature move, given the current internet penetration challenges in rural campus communities.

“You cannot tax a population that does not understand the law, especially when that law is under a cloud of forgery allegations. We demand a six-month suspension for education and verification.”

NANS Official Statement

The demand comes at a sensitive time for the presidency. While Finance Minister Wale Edun recently assured investors that the country is stable and “not at war,” the internal friction over tax policy is creating a different kind of frontline. The House of Representatives has already constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the discrepancies between the harmonized bills and the published versions, but NANS argues that this investigation must be concluded before any money is collected from citizens.

As the clock ticks toward the 2026 fiscal year, the NANS leadership has directed its structures across the six geopolitical zones to remain on standby. The association warned that if the government does not announce a postponement by midnight on December 31, the first week of January will be marked by “peaceful but firm” demonstrations at FIRS and NRS offices nationwide.

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