The Progressive Institute (TPI), in collaboration with the Amalgamated Forum of Former Councillors in Nigeria (AFFCN), has announced plans to hold a nationwide summit aimed at improving public understanding of Nigeria’s tax and electoral reforms.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Director-General of The Progressive Institute, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, said the South-South pilot edition of the summit will take place on August 13 and 14, 2026, at the Nelson Mandela Banquet Hall, Watbridge Hotels and Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
According to Adebayo, the summit is designed as a civic enlightenment programme to simplify the Federal Government’s tax and electoral reform initiatives and promote informed public participation in the reform process.
He explained that after the South-South edition, the programme would be extended to the remaining geopolitical zones to ensure wider grassroots engagement across the country.
The TPI Director-General noted that while both reforms have generated national debate, many Nigerians, particularly those at the grassroots, still lack adequate understanding of their objectives due to misinformation and the technical nature of policy discussions.
He said the summit would provide a platform for policymakers, lawmakers, experts, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, political leaders and community stakeholders to explain the reforms in simple and practical terms.
Adebayo said the collaboration with the Amalgamated Forum of Former Councillors in Nigeria was strategic because former councillors have extensive grassroots networks and remain influential voices within their communities.
He added that their involvement would help improve public awareness and encourage greater community participation in discussions surrounding the reforms.
The summit is expected to attract senior government officials, members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, tax and electoral policy experts, traditional rulers, youth and women groups, development partners, professional associations, private sector representatives and members of the media.
According to the organisers, the summit aims to:
Simplify Nigeria’s tax and electoral reforms through citizen-friendly presentations.
Address misinformation and misconceptions surrounding the reforms.
Build public confidence and encourage grassroots ownership of the reform agenda.
Promote civic participation in governance and democratic processes.
Strengthen collaboration among government institutions, political actors, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and community leaders.
Adebayo described the initiative as a policy education programme intended to make complex national reforms more understandable and accessible to Nigerians regardless of their educational or social background.
He also expressed concern over what he described as misinformation surrounding the reforms, saying some critics had misrepresented their objectives.
According to him, the summit will provide an opportunity for experts to explain the reforms and answer questions from the public using factual and non-technical presentations.
He called on federal and state governments, the National Assembly, revenue and electoral institutions, development partners, corporate organisations,
traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and the media to support the initiative.
Adebayo said such collaboration would help ensure that accurate information reaches communities across the country and encourage greater public participation in Nigeria’s reform process.
He expressed optimism that the Uyo summit would mark the beginning of a nationwide conversation aimed at strengthening democratic participation and promoting sustainable national development.
