ActionAid Nigeria’s General Assembly and Board of Directors has called on the federal government and National Assembly to review the tax’s impact on small businesses.
They also called on them to provide relief or phased timelines where needed, and ensure that the revenue it generates is clearly tracked and spent specifically on primary healthcare in underserved communities, rather than absorbed into general government spending.
The Board of Directors noted this on Saturday at it Annual General Meeting.
They said Nigeria’s external reserves had grown to about $51.5 billion as reported, but that total public debt has also increased to N156.28 trillion.
They said with $11.6 billion set aside for debt servicing in 2026 alone, more than Nigeria spends on education, health, and agriculture combined.
ActionAid said most recently, the World Bank warned that despite recent reforms, 79% of Nigerians remain poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty.
They said the National Bureau of Statistics also reported a June headline inflation rate of 15.91%, as food prices continue to rise, petrol sells above N1,100 per litre, transport remained high, and the N70,000 minimum wage cannot stain a family anywhere in the country.
They said the recent reductions in the ex-depot price of petrol by the Dangote Refinery have not provided sufficient relief, as petrol still sells above N1,100 per litre, increasing transport and food costs.
“The refinery’s move to price local fuel sales in dollars also raises concerns about exchange-rate exposure and future pump prices, as this could further increase petrol, transport, and food prices, placing a heavier burden on poor households already struggling with the high cost of living.
“The Federal Government must ensure that lower ex-depot prices reach consumers.
“The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) should monitor retail stations, while the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) should work with the NMDPRA to prevent anti-competitive practices, market manipulation, and exploitative pricing,” they said.
They called on civil society organisations, the media, faith mmunities, and all Nigerians to continue to speak up.
They urged them to hold government accountable, and stand with the families whose children are still waiting to come home.
“ActionAid Nigeria remains committed to standing with people living in poverty and exclusion, to pursuing social justice and gender equality, and to ensuring that Nigeria’s development does not leave the most vulnerable behind,” they said.
