Ahead of the January 1, 2026 commencement of the Federal Government’s new taxation policy, the Enugu State Government and the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA, have sensitized the business community in the state.
The sensitization, which was tagged “Interactive Forum on the New Federal Government Tax Regime” was organised by ECCIMA in Collaboration with the Enugu State Internal Revenue (ESIRS) on Wednesday in Enugu.
Participants were drawn from market leaders, business and professional association leaders, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of companies and the entire Enugu business community.
Speaking at the event, Chairman ESIRS, Mr Emmanuel Nnamani, described the gathering as unique and strategically targeted at educating business owners on things they need to know about the new tax policy, how it affects their business and action they need to take.
According to him, people need to know that they were supposed to pay their taxes when making income that’s above the required threshold.
“So we gained a lot in this meeting, because they now heard it firsthand and asked their questions personally and received explanations that appealed to them.
“The government needs to know how much income you have made to help them know our GDP and areas or sectors that require support. So it is important that in 2026 that we get ourselves prepared.
“However, in general terms, 2026 is not going to be different from the way we live our lives as nothing much is changing, especially in the informal sector,” he said.
He highlighted that the poor would benefit more because the exemption threshold eliminates them from paying taxes as people who were making taxable income of N800,000 and income bracket around N1.3 million naira in a year would no longer pay taxes.
“So civil servants, from level 9 and 10 depending on their contribution to statutory authority, may not be able to pay tax to the government because their income bracket will come lower than the threshold.
“This is how the poor are going to benefit from the new tax law,” he explained.
Advising residents not to panic about the tax, Nnamani stressed that the higher one’s income, the higher the tax the individual would pay, emphasizing the need for income earners to get tax Identification Numbers.
“Businesses should also file their assessment and comply with the tax directives,” Nnamani advised.
In his remarks, Chairman of the event and CEO, Roban Group, Sir Rob Anwatu, said the forum would allow participants to listen to tax experts to clear the confusion and doubt many people were having about the new tax regime.
Anwatu, who is also Chairman Board of Trustee, ECCIMA, urged the beneficiaries to listen attentively and ask the necessary questions.
Earlier in a welcome address, President of ECCIMA, Sir Odeiga Jideonwo, said the gathering aimed to identify areas and incentives that would support the growth of businesses.
According to him, the programme is designed to be interactive and will be based on the theme: “The New Tax Policy Reform Issues: Leveraging Tax Incentives for Business in a Strict Compliance Regime”.
Jideonwo, represented by ECCIMA first Vice President, Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, noted that the government can reduce borrowing if Internally Generated Revenue increases significantly.
“Interestingly, just on Tuesday, the Enugu State Government presented a N1.62 trillion budget for 2026, without any deficit. This is because the State is targeting increased internally generated revenue in 2026. with the new tax law expected to be the major backbone.
“This policy will certainly assist a focused government in developing the State, and we trust that the Enugu State Government will take full advantage of this opportunity to make our State the investment destination of choice in Nigeria.
“As we interact with government representatives, we must be fair, sincere, intentional, objective, and committed to the prosperity and economic advancement of our dear State and nation – without endangering existing businesses.
“Doing so would negatively affect the decisions of potential investors. I am hopeful that this forum will provide a clear pathway for growing our businesses in spite of all odds,’ Jideonwo said.
A tax law expert and ECCIMA legal adviser, Mr Gabriel Onovo, expressed the need for tax authority to train their personnel to be civil when collecting the tax and continue to engage the people of the state on the new tax.
DAILY POST recalls that President Bola Tinubu had earlier in June this year signed four tax reform bills into law.
The new law would come into effect by January, 2026.