The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Lagos State Government to pioneer the publication of a harmonized tax code aligned with the country's new tax laws, a strategy aimed at lowering compliance costs and easing operations for industrial producers. Speaking at the 55th Annual General Meeting of MAN’s Apapa Branch, President Francis Meshioye emphasized the urgency of instituting a single assessment authority and a centralized payment portal to eliminate duplicate tax demands across different tiers of administration.
To further streamline operations along critical trade corridors like Apapa, Amuwo, and Kirikiri, Meshioye advocated for a strict "No-Tout Zone" policy to protect freight routes from illegal levy collections by non-state actors. He also urged state officials to collaborate with the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to establish a single-billing structure for port-related charges, ensuring manufacturers receive clear, unified invoices when moving cargo to factory gates.
Echoing these operational concerns, MAN Apapa Branch Chairman Raphael Danilola noted that local producers continue to face severe headwinds from high interest rates, rising energy costs, and overlapping environmental regulations. Addressing these systemic burdens, Olusegun Adesokan, Executive Secretary of the Joint Revenue Board, explained that the new sub-national framework consolidates over 100 disparate taxes down to nine unified revenue heads covering essentials such as income, property, and haulage while strictly prohibiting cash collections and transportation roadblocks. MAN Director-General Segun Ajayi-Kadir highlighted that 16 states have already domesticated the updated laws, expressing optimism that widespread adoption across all sub-nationals will ultimately spur business expansion, attract investment, and drive job creation.
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