Nigeria’s newly restructured Joint Revenue Board (JRB) has announced a sweeping nationwide ban on roadside tax collection, levies, and checkpoints, marking one of the most significant reforms in the country’s fiscal administration in recent years.

The decision, unveiled in a communiqué after the JRB’s 158th meeting at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, prohibits the issuance and enforcement of road stickers or similar instruments by both state and non-state actors.

The move is aimed at dismantling entrenched practices of extortion, multiple taxation, and arbitrary fees that have long burdened transporters, businesses, and motorists. For decades, truckers and logistics firms have complained of hundreds of illegal checkpoints across Nigeria’s highways, where payments were extracted under the guise of road taxes, adding delays, inflating costs, and fueling corruption.

The JRB resolution calls on the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to urgently dismantle unauthorized checkpoints used for revenue collection, particularly at sub-national levels. Nigerians are encouraged to resist such payments and report offenders to security authorities for sanctions. The communiqué also reaffirmed the exclusion of non-state actors such as touts and transport unions—including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)—from the revenue value chain, underscoring the government’s determination to restore order and transparency.

The meeting, themed “Managing Transition: Driving Transformation, Building the Future of Tax Administration in Nigeria,” also celebrated the JRB’s formal transition under the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025. This legislative shift enhances coordination between federal, state, and local revenue authorities, promotes data sharing and analytics, and lays the groundwork for uniform tax practices ahead of the 2026 tax reforms.

Stakeholders have hailed the ban as a major relief for interstate commerce, with potential to lower transportation costs that contribute significantly to inflation. Informed observers note that by eliminating illegal levies and roadblocks, the reform could improve Nigeria’s ease of doing business rankings, boost competitiveness, and encourage investment in logistics and trade.

The board praised ongoing national tax changes for strengthening revenue mobilisation while urging states to expedite passage of the Harmonised Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Bill, which would provide nationwide consistency and prevent arbitrary charges. Implementation of the ban begins immediately, with security agencies expected to act swiftly to enforce compliance.

The JRB’s decision signals a broader reform trajectory: moving Nigeria away from fragmented, exploitative practices toward a modern, transparent tax system that supports growth, fairness, and accountability.