The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) yesterday commenced the legal practitioners’ conversion training programme to equip legal practitioners with the requisite knowledge in tax administration to operate within the tax system in the country.

The 16th president of the CITN, Samuel Agbeluyi, explained that the programme was designed to bridge the knowledge gap for legal professionals seeking to specialise in taxation, “equipping them with the requisite skills and expertise to navigate the evolving tax landscape.”

“As legal practitioners, you already possess a strong foundation in Nigerian law. However, taxation extends beyond legal interpretation, it requires a firm grasp of financial principles, tax computations and policy applications.

“This programme has been carefully designed to complement your legal expertise by providing a practical understanding of tax administration, compliance and enforcement,” he said.

Agbeluyi explained that over the course of the training, participants will gain in-depth insights into critical tax areas, including Transfer Pricing, Taxation Law, Applied Taxation and Tax Audit and Investigation.

“The evolving global tax environment also necessitates that we stay abreast of international trends and this programme will expose you to contemporary tax issues shaping economies worldwide,” he said.

According to him, the programme does not only provide a pathway to CITN membership but also “an opportunity to integrate into a dynamic professional network committed to driving tax excellence in Nigeria.”

The Deputy Director, CITN Academy, Mrs Yetunde Suleiman, said the event signalled the transition of the legal converts into becoming certified tax professionals of the institute.

She said at the end of the training, they would be recognised “as having met all requirements under the law to be recognised as potential tax professionals.”

She disclosed that through the academy’s platform, over 1,500 professionals have transitioned into tax professionals as CITN members.

In his lecture, a member of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Chukwuemeka Eze, said the ongoing tax reforms by the federal government were aimed at overhauling the Nigerian fiscal framework “with a particular emphasis on revising income tax regulations to align with current economic realities.”

 

“The initiative aims to modernise the tax system to improve efficiency in tax collection and compliance, alongside addressing gaps within existing tax laws,” he said.