The Secretariat of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), led by its Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba, on Monday, July 13, paid a courtesy working visit to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of Nigeria, Taiwo Oyedele in Abuja.
The visit, according to a dispatch, formed part of WATAF’s continuing engagement with strategic partners to strengthen tax administration, domestic revenue mobilization and regional cooperation in West Africa.
Mr. Tapsoba congratulated the Minister on his appointment, and wished him success in the discharge of his responsibilities.
He also acknowledged the critical role of the Ministry and Nigeria in supporting the establishment, growth and continued work of WATAF.
During a presentation delivered by WATAF’s Manager for Communication and IT, Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh, the delegation highlighted Nigeria’s longstanding contribution to the Organization.
Since WATAF was established in 2011, Nigeria, it has served as an institutional backbone of the Forum, providing leadership, financial support, technical expertise, human resources and strategic partnerships that have contributed to position WATAF as West Africa’s leading platform for tax administration cooperation.
The presentation reaffirmed that WATAF regards Nigeria, not only as its host country, but also as a strategic partner in advancing domestic revenue mobilization and strengthening tax administration in the region.
It further emphasized WATAF’s readiness to deepen collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance and Coordinating Ministry of the Economy.
It noted that by combining the Ministry’s policy leadership with WATAF’s regional technical expertise and convening power, both institutions can support Nigeria’s fiscal reform agenda while promoting more resilient, harmonized and effective tax systems throughout the ECOWAS region.
The delegation also highlighted WATAF’s growing impact in the region. Between 2025, and early 2026, the Forum trained nearly 2,000 tax officials from member administrations in key areas, including VAT harmonization, the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT), international taxation, digital economy taxation, and other emerging tax policy issues, further strengthening institutional capacity and domestic revenue mobilization in West Africa.
Mr. Oyedele, who welcomed earlier welcomed the guests, expressed pride in the work of WATAF as a regional institution promoting integration and the harmonization of tax policies.
Oyedele recommended the Forum for its progress since its establishment in 2011, and acknowledged its contribution to build stronger and more resilient tax administrations in the region.
While acknowledging the domestic revenue mobilization challenges facing many countries in the region, the Minister said, these also present opportunities for stronger cooperation, innovation and reform.
Oyedele challenged WATAF to take a more active role in monitoring the implementation of regional tax agreements by developing practical benchmarking tools, and performance dashboards to assess member states’ compliance with ECOWAS tax directives.
Such tools, he said, would promote accountability, encourage peer learning and help raise tax administration standards in West Africa.
Oyedele also encouraged WATAF to expand its benchmarking initiatives by identifying, documenting and showcasing best practices in key areas of tax administration.
He named those areas as digitalization, taxation of the informal sector, and broader tax policy reforms.
Oyedele noted that greater peer learning and the adoption of proven practices would enable member countries to learn from one another, and accelerate reforms across the region.
Officials of the Ministry also emphasized the importance of advancing regional tax harmonization through common operational standards, closer alignment of value-added tax and customs regulations, accelerated digital transformation, knowledge transfer and continuous capacity development to support the implementation of emerging tax reforms in West Africa.
The discussions further reaffirmed the shared commitment of WATAF and the Federal Ministry of Finance and Coordinating Ministry of the Economy to strengthen cooperation in support of domestic revenue mobilization, regional tax integration, institutional capacity development and more effective tax administration in the ECOWAS region.
Mr. Tapsoba thanked the Minister for receiving the WATAF delegation and for the constructive discussions. He subsequently presented the Minister with an official invitation to the 8th WATAF High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD).
Held under the theme: “Building Stronger Tax Administrations for Revenue Mobilization and Sustainable Development,” the dialogue will take place from 15–19 September, 2026, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The event will be held alongside WATAF’s 23rd General Assembly and the celebration of the Organization’s 15th Anniversary, marking 15 years of advancing tax administration and domestic revenue mobilization in West Africa. It is expected to convene more than 300 participants, including Ministers of Finance, Heads of Tax Administrations, senior policymakers, development partners and tax experts to discuss regional solutions to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization, tax administration and sustainable development.
Other members of the WATAF delegation included Mr. Francis Ezeji, Administration Manager; Ms. Oluchi A. Okolo, Program Manager; Ms. Azibator D. Obudah, Finance, Manager and Mr. Usman Ibrahim, Training and Capacity Development Manager.
