President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina, has frowned on the situation where Nigerians do not have basic infrastructure despite paying taxes.
Adesina spoke on Thursday at the first national tax dialogue organized by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).
According to him, Nigerians werere among top implicit tax payers in the world. He explained that Implicit taxes are levies that are borne but are neither seen nor recorded.
Adesina noted that in Nigeria, citizens provide electricity, road, security, water, among others, for themselves.
“Truth be told, Nigerians pay one of the highest implicit tax rates in the world — way higher than developed countries,” he said.
“Think of it: they provide electricity for themselves via generators; they repair roads to their neighborhoods, if they can afford to; there are no social security systems; they provide security for their own safety; and they provide boreholes for drinking water with their own monies,” he added.
AfDB boss further described the borehole system as ridiculous, noting that boreholes are not the way to provide water in the 21st century, insisting that every household should have pipe borne water.
He lamented that Governments, over time, have simply shifted their responsibility to citizens.
Nigerians pay high taxes, provide water, electricity, others for themselves – Adesina
