President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. John Nwabueze as the Tax Ombudsman of Nigeria, in line with the provisions of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025.
In a statement signed on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu congratulated Dr. Nwabueze and expressed confidence in his ability to serve “with integrity, diligence, and utmost professionalism.”
Onanuga said the appointment reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to deepening reforms in Nigeria’s tax and revenue administration system.
Dr. Nwabueze, a native of Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, brings a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors. Before his appointment, he served as Managing Partner of a leading 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, USA; an M.Sc. 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 expected to promote transparency, accountability, and fairness within Nigeria’s tax system. It will handle complaints and disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities, covering areas such as taxes, levies, customs duties, and excise matters.
According to the statement, the office will also ensure that tax-related disputes are managed efficiently, impartially, and non-adversarially, protecting taxpayers from the arbitrary or abusive exercise of authority by tax officials.
