(Nyesom Wike. Photo Credit: Daily Post)
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike made these remarks on Tuesday while inspecting a number of ongoing projects, including the Karsana estate access roads and the Dei-Dei to Life Camp road.
During the tour, he drew attention to the financial constraints facing the FCT, noting that federal allocations are insufficient to even cover salary obligations, making internally generated revenue through taxation an absolute necessity.
Wike commended contractors for the pace of work recorded under the Tinubu administration but expressed concern over what he described as a poor tax compliance culture among residents, even as the FCT achieved a record tax collection figure of ₦262 billion in 2024.
His comments, however, met with considerable pushback from Nigerians online, with many arguing that citizens already bear a significant indirect tax burden through levies such as Value Added Tax (VAT), yet have little to show for it in terms of improved electricity supply, accessible healthcare, or quality road infrastructure.
While the majority of responses were critical, a smaller number of commentators acknowledged the underlying issue of Nigeria’s low tax-to-GDP ratio as a genuine structural challenge that needs to be addressed for the country to fund its development needs more sustainably.
“Nigerians Want Good Infrastructure But Don’t Want To Pay Tax. They Want Everything Free In This Country.” ~ FCT Minister Nyesom Wike pic.twitter.com/8MatMnPnBT
— Somto Okonkwo (@General_Somto) May 13, 2026
