Hamzat Promises to Stop Multiple Tax Payments in Lagos

(Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat. Photo by BusinessDay)

Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, the APC candidate for governor in 2027, has unveiled plans to bring Lagos's taxes together and end multiple taxation.

He announced the plan on Friday at a town hall.

Hamzat also said that the state will work with local governments to set up one unified tax schedule, so residents and businesses are not asked to pay again after they have settled their dues.

He said the Federal Government has cut the number of taxes from 63 to nine under its reforms, and Lagos is aligning its system with that framework.

He said the plan will respect the independence of local governments, which he described as a separate tier of government under the Constitution and a Supreme Court ruling.

Hamzat said many residents and business owners struggle to know which taxes they owe.

He recalled a woman who asked him for a clear list of what she needed to pay so she could settle it and be left alone.

Obafemi said he intends to meet that request.

He promised a single schedule that anyone can check.

"If it's not on the list, you are not paying it," he said.

He also pledged a complaint centre where residents can report multiple taxation and misconduct by tax officials.

He said complaints will get a response within 48 hours, and that this commitment is in his manifesto.

On food, he said Lagos produces only about five per cent of the food it eats.

Traders bringing goods from other states often face several levies along the way, though Lagos has no power over charges set outside its borders.

He said the new system would let local governments confirm a payment made in Lagos and avoid asking for it again.

He also said Lagos already has laws on issues such as rent, but residents need a way to report violations and the government must act on them.