According to him, the implementation date will only be determined by an official order from the Minister of Finance.
The Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has dismissed reports that Nigerians will begin paying a ₦500 fuel surcharge from January 2026, describing the claims as false and misleading.
Oyedele, in a fresh video released by the State House, explained that while the new tax law provides for a fuel surcharge under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Act, the provision has not yet taken effect.
“What we have is that there’s a law that was enacted some years back with a surcharge on fuel under the FEMA Act. This is a provision that is now in the new tax law, and it does not take effect as of January 2026,” he clarified.
According to him, the implementation date will only be determined by an official order from the Minister of Finance.
“I know some people have been giving wrong information about this. What is in the new tax law is that this surcharge will take effect on a date in the future, based on an order to be released by the Minister of Finance. And we do know that Mr Finance is responsible enough to determine when it’s appropriate to do so,” Oyedele said.
He added that the intended purpose of the surcharge is to channel revenues into transport infrastructure projects, which he claimed would eventually reduce the cost of logistics, ease the burden on commuters, and bring down inflation for ordinary Nigerians.
The clarification comes amid growing public anxiety that another round of hardship looms with the anticipated introduction of fresh fuel-related taxes under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
A legal expert, Dr. Misbau Alamu Lateef, also explained that the 5% levy on petroleum products has been in Nigeria’s laws since 2007 under the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Amendment Act, but was never enforced.
He said: “This is my most important message here, this re-enacted provision on 5% surcharge on fossil fuels is neither active yet nor set to become operative in January 2026, as it is being erroneously circulated in places. Its commencement is expressly conditional.
“The new law (Tax Administration Act 2025) states that the 5% levy shall be imposed ‘with effect from such date as the Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, appoint.’ This means the levy can only commence after the Minister of Finance conducts a review and issues a formal commencement order. To the best of my knowledge, no such order has been made or published.
“Therefore, the surcharge is not set to take effect in January 2026. Whilst the January 2026 date is the general commencement for the four tax laws, this specific 5% surcharge remains dormant until the required ministerial action.
“In that sense, and perhaps as it was under FERMA Act 2007, the re-enacted 5% surcharge appears to be a provision for future revenue prospecting, not an immediate fiscal measure.”
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