News Release: ActionAid Organizes Twitter Conference On Tax Justice In Nigeria

Activista, Nigeria Youth mobilization programme of ActionAid will on Tuesday, 2 July 2013 convene a twitter conference to harness citizens’ views on tax justice and administration in Nigeria.

David Haba, Activista Nigeria Coordinator said “governments across Nigeria as everywhere else are faced with limited resources to drive development”.

Haba stated that “in Nigeria the situation is made worse by challenges faced as a result of weak and under-resourced revenue institutions, unnecessary offer of tax breaks to multinationals, and lack of trust in the Governance systems by especially the poor to even comply with taxation responsibilities as often tax systems are heavily skewed against their interest”. 

“He further stated, “we hope to use this platform to inform, educate and mobilize people to call for effective and efficient tax structures that create incentives to improve governance, strengthen channels of political representation, redistribute wealth, provide essential services and infrastructure, as well as reduce corruption.

Haba said it is imperative for the government to facilitate and use effective tax structures and systems to mobilize domestic resources, re-distribute wealth and provide essential services and infrastructure. This way, they will create incentives that will improve governance, strengthen channels of political representation and curb corruption, there by eradicating poverty, he said.

According to the Coordinator, the official conference hash tag is #TaxJusticeNG #Taxpaysfor and key discussant are:

Esther Agbarakwe (Esther climate) a former Activista core volunteer, a member of the ActionAid Nigeria General Assembly and a renowned climate activist globally

Egghead Odewale: Research fellow, The Berkman Center for Internet Security in Harvard University and Personal Assistant to the Governor of Ekiti State, South West Nigeria.

Ken Henshaw: Former President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Programs Manager, Social action

Chris Jordan: AAUK Campaign Manager, have an extensive experience campaigning on Tax Issues

ActionAid Nigeria is a non-governmental organisation working with the poor and excluded; promoting values and commitment in civil society, institutions and governments with the aim of achieving structural changes in order to eradicate injustices and poverty in the world. ActionAid is registered with the Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission as a national organisation, and an affiliate of ActionAid International.

For further information contact: Kenneth Okoineme, Policy and Campaign Officer, ActionAid Nigeria, +234 803 5939 033,Kenneth.Okoineme@actionaid.org

Signed:

Tunde Aremu 

ActionAid Nigeria Policy Advocacy And Campaigns Manager.

Tel:+234 (0) 812 8888 825-7 | Mob: +234 (0) 802 318 0493. E: tunde.aremu@actionaid.org. Skype: taremu. www.actionaid.org/nigeria | www.twitter.com/ActionAidNG | www.facebook.com/ActionAidNigeria