The Office of the Tax Ombud is moving to bring its free tax dispute services closer to market traders and rural taxpayers through a proposed partnership with the Nigerian Postal Service. Tax Ombud John Nwabueze announced the plan at a town hall in Abuja on Friday, 23 October, saying the office is close to formalising the arrangement.
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Taking the service to where traders are
The idea is to use NIPOST’s nationwide network as access points for people who would otherwise travel long distances to reach the Ombud’s offices. That group includes small-scale farmers, transport operators and market traders, many of whom operate informally and rarely have the time or money to challenge a disputed assessment.
The town hall drew representatives of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, market unions, road transport associations and domestic airline operators. Business groups used the session to push for simpler assessment procedures and clearer levies.
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What the Ombud can and cannot do
Nwabueze was careful to set limits. The office is an independent, non-judicial body that handles administrative, procedural and operational grievances in tax and revenue administration. It does not cancel legitimate tax liabilities, formulate policy or replace the courts.
Its services are free. The office began full operations in January, and in May it unveiled a website, a toll-free call centre and a case management system. Nwabueze has said the law provides a 14 to 30 day resolution window, although timelines depend on how quickly the agencies involved respond.
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Why this matters for small businesses
Multiple taxation and unclear assessments are among the most common complaints from small traders. Many cannot afford a lawyer or a tax consultant, so disputes often end in payment under pressure or in closure.
A complaint desk in a post office changes that calculation. If the NIPOST arrangement works, a trader in a rural market could lodge a complaint without leaving the community or paying anyone to represent them.
The plan is still a proposal, and execution will decide its value. Post office staff will need training on what the Ombud can handle, and complaints will need to be tracked and resolved on time. Without that, the arrangement risks becoming another access point that does not deliver results.
