CHHELD participated alongside partners under the Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform in a productive Peer Review Session focused on the Power of Voices Partnership – Fair for All Project (2021-2025). This initiative, funded by Oxfam in Nigeria, facilitated by Civil Society legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and implemented by Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform, provided a strategic space to reflect on progress made within the project cycle, review activities, share learnings, and sustain tax justice movement in Rivers State.
The session centered on reviewing the end-of-year activity report, highlighting achievements, challenges, and collective advocacy efforts that have contributed to promoting tax justice and good governance especially within the informal sector. Over the past years, the platform has played a key role in challenging multiple taxation, addressing tax injustice, promoting fair and progressive taxation.
During the discussions, participants shared valuable lessons learned from their engagements with the platform. These insights emphasized the importance of joint advocacy, consistent stakeholder engagement, strategies that prioritize the needs of business owners operating in the informal sector. Members also made technical and strategic contributions aimed at strengthening the final project report and ensuring that the documented results reflect the impacts of the project.
A notable recommendation from the session was for the Rivers State Internal Service (RIRS) to establish a dedicated desk officer or toll-free line to effectively handle complaints related to multiple taxation. This was seen as an important step toward improving accountability and creating an accessible channel for taxpayers to seek clarification and report harassment.
In addition, a representative of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria shared firsthand challenges faced by agents regarding recurring taxes from both state and local authorities. He noted that while some levies had been waived following advocacy engagements, cases of double taxation persist.
The State Coordinator of the Tax Justice Platform, Amaechi Kelechi Justin, encouraged members to mainstream taxation into their existing programs, especially with the new tax law scheduled to take effect in January 2026. He also commended the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) for their collaboration to the Tax Justice platform.
The purpose of the peer session is to bring together members of the Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform to collectively review, validate, and strengthen the Power of Voices Partnership – Fair for All Project (2021-2025) report. It also provided a platform to share experiences, identify gaps, and make recommendations towards building a fair tax system, particularly for the informal sector.
We had improved quality of the project report, strengthened collaboration and building a more inclusive fiscal system that works for everyone, especially the informal sector.
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