By. Paul Williams
Tax advocacy groups in Rivers State have reaffirmed their commitment to promoting an inclusive, transparent, accountable and gender-sensitive tax system, alongside the protection of an open civic space.
The groups made this known during the public unveiling of the report on the Power of Voices Partnerships – Fair for All Project (2021–2025), held in Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the event, Coordinator of the Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform, kelechi Amaechi said the unveiling was part of a broader strategy to share and deepen “voices of impact,” ensuring that project evidence and policy insights reach wider audiences within and beyond the sustainable development space.
According to him, the Platform adopted a collective-impact advocacy model to build a broad-based tax movement that brings together key stakeholders across sectors, despite operating in a challenging political and civic environment.
The project was implemented by the Community Conciliation and Development Initiative (CCADI) in collaboration with the Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform, with support from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Oxfam in Nigeria.
The unveiling attracted stakeholders from the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), the University of Port Harcourt Students Tax Club, media organisations, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), civil society groups and policy advocates.
The report documents activities, outcomes and lessons from the project, which focused on promoting fair and progressive tax administration in Rivers State, particularly for actors in the informal sector. It highlights efforts to strengthen public awareness, civic participation and engagement in tax governance, while advancing transparency, accountability and inclusion.
Ameachi noted that project implementation was significantly disrupted by the state of emergency declared in Rivers State between March 18 and September 18, 2025, which limited engagement with state officials. Despite this, he said the Platform recorded reasonable progress in amplifying the voices of youth, women, girls and persons with disabilities in tax-related decision-making.
Key achievements outlined in the report include the Platform’s induction into the Rivers State MSMEs Council, mainstreaming taxation issues during the 2023 governorship debate, advocacy engagements with CITN, the repair of a market water facility through a Tax-for-Service initiative, and contributions to the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, including provisions abolishing road and haulage taxes.
As the project winds down, the Platform said it will prioritise domestic resource mobilisation and stronger partnerships to sustain advocacy and bridge social inequality gaps across the state.
