Joint Revenue Board Abolishes Road Stickers, Cracks Down on Illegal Roadblocks

The Joint Revenue Board (JRB) has announced the outright abolition of all road stickers across the country and called for an immediate end to illegal roadblocks and unauthorised revenue collection by non-state actors.

The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Board’s 158th meeting held on December 9 and 10 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, where the JRB outlined sweeping measures aimed at sanitising Nigeria’s revenue administration system and supporting ongoing national tax reforms.

The Board commended the Federal Government for what it described as far-reaching fiscal policy and tax reforms, noting that the initiatives have the potential to significantly enhance revenue mobilisation, promote economic competitiveness, improve the ease of doing business and deepen fiscal sustainability across the federation.

The JRB also lauded the transition of the Joint Tax Board into the Joint Revenue Board, describing it as a bold step toward a more coordinated, efficient and coherent national revenue administration framework. According to the Board, the new structure is expected to strengthen collaboration among revenue authorities, enhance information sharing and improve tax compliance nationwide.

Emphasising the importance of data in modern tax administration, the Board affirmed that the future of revenue collection depends on accurate, comprehensive and interoperable data. It was resolved that strengthening data-sharing frameworks and deploying analytics tools would help streamline processes and harmonise revenue practices across the country.

In a communique on Monday, the JRB reiterated its commitment to eradicating the involvement of non-state actors in the nation’s revenue administration value chain. It called on the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to take immediate action to dismantle illegal roadblocks mounted along transport corridors for the collection of taxes, levies, rates and charges.

The Board stressed that such actions were necessary to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s tax administration process, particularly at the sub-national level.

The JRB further re-emphasised the outright abolition of the design, production, issuance and enforcement of all forms of road stickers and related instruments by both state and non-state actors. It encouraged Nigerians to resist the use of such stickers and to report individuals or groups promoting them to security agencies for appropriate sanctions.

Additionally, the Board called on all states to fast-track the passage of the Harmonised Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Bill into law. It said the move would ensure uniform application of taxes, rates and levies at the sub-national level, in line with the national objectives of the ongoing tax reforms.