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Twenty-three civil society organisations (CSOs) have suspended a planned nationwide protest against the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, throwing their weight behind his revenue mobilisation reforms.
The organisations, which held an emergency meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, said their review of the reforms had convinced them that the NRS was playing a significant role in strengthening government revenue and supporting Nigeria’s economic recovery.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Mallam Musa Bello of the Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability, and Chief Mrs Ngozi Okafor of the Women’s Rights Advocacy Network, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, described Adedeji’s revenue drive as a major intervention in addressing the country’s economic challenges.
The groups said the reforms had contributed to a substantial rise in revenue available to the three tiers of government, with monthly allocations increasing from about N700 billion in 2023 to approximately N4.5 trillion.
According to the coalition, the increased revenue has improved the financial capacity of state governments, enabling them to meet recurrent obligations and undertake more infrastructure and development projects.
The CSOs also commended the NRS for initiatives they said had helped improve confidence in the business environment.
They linked reforms in the foreign exchange market to a reduction in the gap between official and parallel exchange rates, saying the development had provided greater predictability for businesses and investors.
The coalition argued that a more stable economic environment would enable investors and businesses to plan effectively, expand operations and repatriate returns with greater confidence.
The organisations also highlighted other economic reforms of the Federal Government, particularly measures affecting the banking sector and Nigerian youths.
They noted that Nigerian banks had raised about N4.6 trillion following the recapitalisation directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria, with domestic investors accounting for about 75 per cent of the funds.
The CSOs further cited the student loan scheme and the establishment of the Credit Corps as significant interventions designed to expand access to education and finance.
According to the coalition, more than one million students in about 300 higher institutions had benefited from the student loan scheme, while over N303 billion had reportedly been disbursed within the first three years of the administration.
The groups said their decision to suspend the protest followed a fresh assessment of the government’s economic policies and the role of the NRS under Adedeji.
While acknowledging that the benefits of the reforms were yet to be fully felt by households, the CSOs expressed confidence that the gains would become more visible as the policies mature.
They pledged to support public enlightenment campaigns aimed at helping Nigerians understand the reforms and their expected long-term benefits.
The coalition said it had become convinced that the revenue reforms were necessary to strengthen government finances and prevent the country from falling into deeper economic difficulties.
It therefore urged Nigerians to give the reforms sufficient time to produce sustainable results, stressing that economic recovery required policy consistency, patience and collective support.
The participating organisations are the Leadership Centre for Peace Intercity and Transformation Initiative; Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Economic Advancement; Global Youths Awareness Development; Advocacy Centre for Professional Ethics Values; Anti-corruption Network for Peace Initiative; Centre for Agri-Business Support in Nigeria; Initiative for Transformation of the Under Privileged in Nigeria; Environmental Preservation and Sustainable Agriculture Development; Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability; and African Leadership Strategy and Transparency Development Initiative.
Others include Pan-African Society for Social and Economic Change; Network of Advocacy for Positive Impact Initiative; Northern Initiative of Transparency and Social Justice; Community Peace Building and Environmental Sustainability Initiative; Public Accountability Network Initiative; Youth Initiative for Accountability and Integrity; Nigeria Youth Advocacy for Good Governance Initiative; Ambassador of Sustainable Development Goals and Eco-System Development Initiative; Sustainable Leadership and Empowerment Initiative; Network for Accountability Integrity and Transparency; The Committed Advocates for Positive Change and Impact Initiative; Poverty Alleviation for the Poor Initiative; and African Centre for Gender Values and Culture.