Tax Justice Pushes Fiscal Boundaries with Gender-Responsive Tax and Budget Dialogue
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
In a move to deepen equity and inclusion in public finance, stakeholders from government, civil society, and the development sector gathered in Kaduna for a one-day Policy Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Budgeting and Taxation.
The event was convened by the Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ&GP) in collaboration with the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), with support from Christian Aid Nigeria and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
Held against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing national tax law review, the dialogue aimed to explore how taxation and budgeting can work hand-in-hand to address gender inequality, especially in access to services and the burden on the informal sector.
Delivering the keynote address, Idris Suleiman, Director of Budget at the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, commended the organizers for hosting the event at a time when fiscal policies are under intense national review.
“We are all aware of the ongoing tax reform process at the federal level. This event couldn’t have come at a better time,” Suleiman said.
He noted that Kaduna has made significant progress in aligning revenue generation with inclusive governance.
“Institutions like the Bureau of Statistics and Kaduna State Residents Identity Management Agency (KADRIMA) were established to provide reliable data for equitable resource allocation,” he added.
Suleiman revealed that, based on 2025 population projections, Kaduna State is home to 11 million people, 5.6 million men and 5.4 million women, information that is now being used to guide spending priorities.
To further promote inclusion, he said, the state created a Financial Inclusion Register to identify citizens, particularly those excluded from formal financial systems, who should benefit from targeted support, especially women, girls, and out-of-school children.
“Governance is about service delivery. If there’s no revenue to fund the budget, governance loses its essence,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Richard Bature, Director of Local Government Revenue at KADIRS, emphasized the evolution of the revenue agency from an enforcement-driven entity to one that embraces transparency, dialogue, and partnership.
“We’ve moved from harsh, top-down tax collection to a model that encourages voluntary compliance and mutual respect.
“We are not a closed-off agency. We’re open to dialogue and continuous improvement,” Bature explained.
He praised the tax justice policy dialogue as critical spaces for public learning and institutional reflection, noting that many past recommendations from similar engagements have been incorporated into KADIRS’ current strategy.
Earlier, Simeon Olatunde, the Kaduna State Coordinator of TJ&GP, while setting the tone for the event, highlighted the significance of mainstreaming gender into public finance.
“It’s not enough to generate revenue, we must ensure it is spent equitably and with a clear understanding of who benefits and who is left behind,” he said.
Olatunde referenced a recent TJ&GP gender analysis of the informal sector, which uncovered structural barriers affecting women’s access to services and income opportunities.
The study underscored the importance of adopting gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) frameworks that do not only focus on women, but also address the needs of men, boys, girls, the elderly, and other vulnerable populations.
He further emphasized the need to bridge the gap between revenue collection and budget implementation, especially now that Nigeria’s new tax law is in place.
“States like Kaduna must now ask: What aspects of the new law apply to us? How do we implement it equitably? And how do we mitigate challenges that may arise along the way?
Participants also reflected on Kaduna’s emergence as a model for progressive fiscal governance.
“We’re proud that others are learning from us, but it also puts a responsibility on us to keep improving,” Olatunde said.
