Tinubu taps Taiwo Oyedele for deputy finance minister role to deepen revenue reforms

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has forwarded the name of Taiwo Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation as minister of state for finance, in a move that signals a fresh push on fiscal and tax reforms within his administration. Oyedele is set to replace Doris Anite-Uzoka in the role.

Ms Anite-Uzoka will now serve as Minister of State in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, marking her third ministerial assignment since the inception of the Tinubu administration.

The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the nomination has been formally transmitted to the Senate in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio for legislative screening and confirmation.

Before his nomination, Oyedele chaired the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, a body established by the current administration to redesign Nigeria’s tax architecture, widen the revenue base, and improve compliance. Under his leadership, the committee proposed far-reaching reforms aimed at simplifying tax laws, eliminating multiple taxation, and enhancing coordination between federal and subnational tax authorities.

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A native of Ikaram in Akoko, Ondo State, Oyedele, 50, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading fiscal policy experts. He combines expertise in economics, accounting, and public policy, with over two decades of experience spanning advisory, academia, and public sector reform.

He began his academic journey at Yaba College of Technology, where he earned a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy and Finance. He later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.

Mr Oyedele further sharpened his policy and leadership skills through executive education programmes at globally renowned institutions including the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Professionally, Mr Oyedele spent 22 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), joining the firm in 2001 and rising to become Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader. In that role, he advised governments and multinational corporations on tax strategy, fiscal design, and regulatory frameworks across several African countries.

Beyond consulting and public policy work, Oyedele is also an academic. He serves as a professor at Babcock University and is a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School, where he contributes to research and executive training in taxation and economic policy.

His nomination is expected to reinforce the administration’s reform agenda in revenue mobilisation and fiscal sustainability, as Nigeria continues efforts to strengthen public finances and reduce reliance on borrowing. The Senate is expected to schedule his screening in the coming days.