President Bola Tinubu has stated that genuine citizenship is inseparable from the responsibility of paying taxes, arguing that individuals who do not contribute to government revenue and are not legally exempted cannot fully claim the status of citizens.
He made the remarks on Friday at the Africa CEO Forum in Rwanda, where he delivered a strong message on taxation as a key driver of national development.
According to the President, while paying taxes is often not a popular obligation, it remains essential because citizens still expect government to provide infrastructure, healthcare, security, and other essential services funded through public revenue.
Tinubu questioned how governments could deliver quality roads, equip hospitals, support vulnerable populations, protect future generations, and finance critical sectors such as pharmaceutical research without a strong and reliable tax base.
He also referenced lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the global health crisis exposed the vulnerability of governments when confronted with unexpected emergencies requiring massive financial resources.
The President stressed that in an increasingly uncertain global environment, governments must adopt deliberate strategies for revenue generation and management, with taxation at the centre of national planning.
He further drew a distinction between taxpayers and non-taxpayers, stating that individuals or corporate entities who contribute to public revenue—regardless of income level—can be regarded as full citizens, while those who neither pay taxes nor fall under legal exemption cannot be classified as such.