Babatunde Fowler has just received a strange petition from the Nigerian presidency. The letter received by the complainant on August 8, questioned the decline in revenue recorded between 2015 and 2018. Summoned to respond as soon as possible, the director should explain why domestic tax revenues, constantly rising under the Goodluck Jonathan era, have been falling since the arrival of President Muhmmadu Buhari to power.
In 2015, the collection amounted to 3,740 billion naira (9.9 billion dollars) against a target turnover of 4,570 billion naira. The following year, FIRS lowered the bar and set a target of N4,200 billion, but only managed to reach N3,300 billion. In 2017, the target was N4,890 billion for N4 collection. .020 billion. Revenue collected in 2018 increased significantly to N $ 5,322 billion, but remained NZ $ 1,433 billion lower than the original target of N $ 6,755 billion ($ 18 billion).
These differences are likely to cost Babatunde Fowler his job, even though the Presidency has been quick to point out that the request for an explanation addressed to this senior official does not mean that an investigation has to be opened. As a reminder, the tax burden represents 6% of Nigerian GDP against 24% in South Africa.