106
By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Senate on Wednesday screened Taiwo Oyedele following his nomination by Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Minister of State for Finance.
The screening comes days after President Tinubu nominated Oyedele in a minor cabinet reshuffle and subsequently forwarded his name to the Senate for confirmation.
During the exercise, Oyedele described his nomination as a call to serve the country at a critical moment in its economic history.
“With over two decades of experience working with national governments, multilateral institutions and global corporations, my journey across the private sector, academia and public policy has focused on fiscal governance and economic transformation,” he told lawmakers.
“However, this moment is not about personal accomplishments; it is a call to serve at a critical time when Nigeria faces significant fiscal challenges and remarkable opportunities.”
Before his nomination, Oyedele served as chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, where he led efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s tax framework.
His committee spearheaded the development of new tax laws aimed at transforming the country’s tax administration, boosting revenue generation, and improving the business environment to attract both domestic and foreign investment.
Although the reforms initially faced pushback, the new tax regime eventually came into effect on January 1, marking what government officials described as a new phase in Nigeria’s fiscal policy.
President Tinubu nominated Oyedele to replace Doris Uzoka-Anite, who has been redeployed to serve as Minister of State for Budget and National Planning.
Oyedele thanked the president for the confidence reposed in him and described his appearance before the Senate as an honour.
“I am deeply honoured to appear before this distinguished chamber today. I thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the confidence reposed in me through this nomination, and I thank the Senate for the opportunity to share my vision,” he said.