A serious overhaul of Nigeria’s tax legal guidelines will take impact on January 1, 2026. Viral posts circulating on social media declare that, as a part of these modifications, Nigerians will begin paying a brand new 5 % surcharge on petrol from that date. Nonetheless, that is deceptive: whereas the surcharge is included within the revamped tax act, authorities have stated no date has been scheduled to introduce the levy. On the similar time, they’ve dominated out January 2026 for implementation.
“BREAKING NEWS: Nigerians will now pay 5% tax on petrol consumption beginning January 2026 underneath the brand new tax regulation!!,” reads the heading of an Instagram put up shared on September 3, 2025.
Screenshot of the deceptive put up, taken on September 15, 2025
The declare has garnered 1000’s of shares and feedback in numerous posts on social media, together with right here on X and Fb.
Some media retailers have additionally reported on the declare as a truth, as seen right here, right here, and right here.
Nonetheless, the declare is deceptive.
Outdated proposal
In June 2025, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu signed 4 payments to overtake the nation’s tax system (archived right here).
The reforms are based mostly on suggestions from the Presidential Fiscal Coverage and Tax Reforms Committee arrange in July 2023 and led by Taiwo Oyedele, former Africa Tax Chief at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (archived right here).
Implementation of the brand new tax legal guidelines begins in January 2026 (archived right here)
Part 159 of the 2025 Nigerian Tax Act lists a 5 % surcharge to be imposed on fossil gasoline merchandise (archived right here).
Screenshot of the fossil gasoline surcharge part of the Nigeria Tax Act, taken on September 18, 2025
Nonetheless, in an explainer video, Oyedele stated the thought of a petroleum surcharge was not a brand new one and that it could not be carried out in January 2026 (archived right here).
“There’s a regulation that was enacted some years again with a surcharge on gasoline underneath the FERMA Act. That is now a provision within the new tax regulation, and it doesn’t take impact in January 2026,” Oyedele stated.
A 2007 modification to the Federal Roads Upkeep Company (FERMA) act offered for a “5% consumer’s cost on pump worth of petrol, diesel and of which 40% will accrue to FERMA and 60% to be utilised by the established State Roads Upkeep Businesses” (archived right here). Nonetheless, this surcharge was not put into observe.
Finance Minister Wale Edun additionally stated that the 5 % surcharge is not going to robotically take impact in January 2026 with the brand new tax legal guidelines (archived right here).
“Its inclusion within the new regulation is merely for harmonisation and transparency. There isn’t a rapid plan to implement any surcharge, and as of in the present day, no graduation order has been issued or is being ready,” Edun informed journalists on September 10, 2025.
AFP Reality Test has beforehand debunked claims about Nigeria’s new tax legal guidelines right here and right here.
