The Federal Government (FG) has appointed John Nwabueze as the nation’s inaugural Tax Ombudsman.
The appointment, made in accordance with the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025, is a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to implementing significant reforms in the country’s tax and revenue administration framework.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development via a State House press release, noting that the move is designed to enhance fairness and accountability within the tax system.
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The newly established Office of the Tax Ombudsman is mandated to strengthen transparency and accountability within the tax system and enhance public confidence in tax administration.
Its core function is to provide a structured, impartial, and non-adversarial mechanism for resolving disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities.
The office will be responsible for: receiving, reviewing, and resolving complaints related to taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties, excise matters, and other related issues, ensuring that disputes are managed in an efficient, impartial, and non-adversarial manner and safeguarding the rights of taxpayers against the arbitrary or abusive exercise of authority by tax officials.
Nwabueze, who hails from the Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, brings a wealth of experience to the role.
His previous roles include serving as the Managing Partner of a reputable tax advisory firm, Technical Adviser to the Joint Senate Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Finance of the National Assembly, and Technical Adviser to the Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, among other significant public and private sector engagements.
Nwabueze holds a Doctor of Business Administration (Finance) from Walden University, Minneapolis, USA; a Master of Science in Accounting from Strayer University, Washington, D.C.; and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Mathematics from the University of Jos, Nigeria.
Tinubu congratulated Nwabueze on the appointment, expressing confidence in his capacity to discharge the responsibilities of his office with “integrity, diligence, and utmost professionalism.”
