he federal government is considering imposing sanctions on government agencies that refuse to share data with sister agencies upon request, signalling a move toward greater transparency and efficiency in data management across government bodies.
This was revealed by Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, during the first-ever Revenue Assurance Summit held in Abuja on Tuesday, October 15. The summit brought together representatives from Internal Revenue Services across all states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Oyedele’s remarks followed concerns raised by the Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Olusegun Phillip Adesokan, who highlighted a major setback in revenue generation efforts due to a government agency’s refusal to share vital data. According to Adesokan, the agency in question demanded payment for the data, complicating the JTB’s attempts to improve revenue collection and enforcement.
Addressing the issue, Oyedele underscored the critical role of data sharing in boosting the country’s revenue. “We are talking about revenue assurance. We need to bear in mind that even the revenue itself is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It must make a meaningful impact on the lives, livelihood, and well-being of the people for it to make sense,” he stated.
He further called for stronger collaboration between various government entities to ensure that policies aimed at improving economic growth are aligned. “Let’s not be pulling in different directions—states versus federal, or even within federal agencies,” Oyedele emphasized, stressing the need for a unified approach.
Expressing disbelief at the situation described by Adesokan, Oyedele questioned why a government agency would request payment for sharing data within the public sector, especially at a time when revenue shortages are a persistent challenge. “A particular agency asked JTB to pay for data. I couldn’t believe it. In the same Nigeria? The government has data, and the government is selling data, and we say the government does not have revenue,” Oyedele said.
To tackle this, Oyedele disclosed that the government is working on a legal framework that would criminalize data hoarding by government agencies. “We are developing a protocol to ensure integrity, data protection, and other safeguards. We will give you a deadline of 48 hours; if you don’t release the data, there will be consequences,” he warned.