Former Cross River State Governor and PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke has sharply criticised the Nigerian government’s current economic approach, arguing that the country cannot tax its way into prosperity while millions of citizens struggle to survive.
Speaking on ARISE News, Duke, who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, insisted that the government must focus on growing the economy rather than claiming status as Africa’s largest. Nigeria currently ranks among the top economies on the continent by size but lags behind others in productivity and living standards.
Duke expressed strong disappointment after listening to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele. He said he was embarrassed by the minister’s emphasis and had to research his background, describing him as a tax man who concentrates mainly on tax collection in a manner reminiscent of the biblical figure Zacchaeus. The comparison, drawn from the well known story of the tax collector in Jericho, drew laughter but highlighted a deeper debate.
The core question is what should come first for a country facing weak household purchasing power, high unemployment, large infrastructure deficits and rising costs of doing business: expanding the economy or expanding the government’s ability to collect revenue. Both are necessary, yet growth cannot be ignored. Every functioning government requires tax revenue to fund schools, hospitals, roads, security and essential services. However a tax system cannot generate lasting prosperity if the businesses and households that support it are not becoming more productive.
A small business dealing with unreliable electricity, expensive transport, costly credit and weak consumer demand will not succeed simply because tax collection improves. A farmer who cannot safely reach the farm, transport produce or obtain affordable inputs needs practical support beyond discussions of revenue targets. A graduate looking for work needs an economy that creates real opportunities, not only a more advanced system for gathering taxes.
Economic success must therefore be judged by more than government receipts. Key measures include whether businesses are expanding, manufacturers are producing more, farmers can get goods to market, real wages are rising, new jobs are being created, and families can afford decent housing, food and healthcare. These are the outcomes that matter most to ordinary Nigerians.
Tax reform can help when it simplifies compliance, cuts arbitrary charges, brings more of the formal economy into the system fairly and makes public revenue more transparent. Yet when reform receives attention without equal focus on production, investment and living standards, citizens rightly question whether the priority is what government can collect rather than what people can earn.
There is also a clear difference between growing an economy and holding the title of Africa’s largest. Rankings shift with exchange rates and measurement methods. Sustained gains in productivity, employment and living standards count for more. The government should therefore explain how its revenue policies support a wider strategy covering industrial development, agricultural productivity, reliable energy, affordable financing and job creation. It must also demonstrate what citizens’ taxes are actually delivering in services and infrastructure.
Duke’s remarks, including the Zacchaeus reference, may amuse, but the underlying challenge is serious. Nigeria needs a government that collects revenue fairly, spends it responsibly and helps its people create more wealth. A prosperous country is not simply one where the government collects more money. It is one where citizens have greater opportunities to earn, produce, invest and live with dignity.
