The Federal Government of Nigeria has appointed Dr. John Nwabueze as the nation’s first Tax Ombudsman, under the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The appointment reinforces President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reforms to strengthen transparency, accountability, and fairness in Nigeria’s tax and revenue administration framework.
Dr. Nwabueze, from Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, brings decades of experience in taxation, finance, and governance. Before his appointment, he served as Managing Partner of a tax advisory firm, Technical Adviser to the Joint Senate Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Finance, and Technical Adviser to the Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He holds a Doctor of Business Administration (Finance) from Walden University, Minneapolis; a Master of Science in Accounting from Strayer University, Washington, D.C.; and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Mathematics from the University of Jos.
The newly established Office of the Tax Ombudsman is designed to promote public trust and ensure accountability across Nigeria’s tax system. It will handle complaints related to taxes, levies, customs duties, excise matters, and other regulatory issues in line with existing laws.
According to the Presidency, the office will operate as an independent dispute-resolution mechanism, tasked with protecting taxpayers from arbitrary actions while ensuring fairness in the conduct of tax officials.
President Tinubu congratulated Dr. Nwabueze and expressed confidence in his ability to serve with integrity and professionalism.
