Osun Begins Sensitisation on New Transport Law, Moves to End Multiple Taxation
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Osun State Government has begun sensitising transport operators and other stakeholders on its new transport management law, which seeks to address multiple taxation, curb illegal roadside collections and improve transparency in revenue generation.
The sensitisation programme, organised by the Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday, brought together transport union leaders, park managers, commercial vehicle operators, vehicle owners, drivers, riders and government officials to explain the provisions of the Osun State Integrated Transport, Traffic and Park Management System Law, 2026.
The initiative follows complaints about multiple levies and unofficial payments imposed on commercial transport operators. The government said the new system would link revenue collection to verified commercial activities and provide operators with records of their payments.
Speaking at the programme, the Permanent Secretary and Accounting Officer of the Ministry of Transportation, Olumide Taiwo, said the exercise was necessary to help transport operators understand the law and what was expected of them.
“The purpose of this sensitisation is therefore not simply to announce a new law. It is to ensure that the people who will work with the law every day drivers, riders, vehicle owners, transport associations, park managers and other stakeholders — understand its provisions, their responsibilities and, equally importantly, the protections and benefits available to them,” Taiwo said.
The law provides for the registration and identification of commercial vehicles and their operators, the use of approved motor parks and loading points, proper display of number plates, roadworthiness checks and improved traffic management.
It also introduces digital measures, including electronic identification, QR codes, near field communication (NFC) credentials, digital payment records, cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems to improve monitoring and enforcement.
Under the new arrangement, the Daily Operation Levy will be tied to verified commercial activities.
This is expected to distinguish between vehicles operating commercially on a particular day and those that are not in operation, reducing arbitrary charges and repeated collections.
The government also hopes that the system will make revenue collection more accountable by allowing payments to be verified and irregularities identified.
The Acting Chairman of the Osun Internal Revenue Service, Solanke Hamzat, said the initiative was aimed at simplifying tax administration, improving transparency and eliminating multiple taxation.
“If you look at the 2025 NTA, that’s the Nigerian Tax Act, Tax Administration, you’ll see that what we are trying to do is to bring tax to be more open, transparent, and eradicate multiple taxation. So simplicity is the key word,” Hamzat said.
He said the digital system would help prevent revenue leakages by tackling ticket duplication and other irregularities in the collection of government revenue.
“Almost all the collections, the revenue of the government, go directly into government coffers. That’s number one. It will block all leakages, people duplicating tickets and all kinds of antics that people play in terms of collecting government revenue,” he said.
According to Hamzat, the introduction of digital receipts would also help protect transport operators from being asked to pay repeatedly after settling their dues.
“Once you have paid and you have your digital receipt, nobody can come and harass you again and say, ‘Bring money, and all these touts that harass people on the road will now be eradicated,” he said.
Hamzat further disclosed that the law was already in force and that commercial vehicle operators had 60 days from the date the governor signed it into law to complete their registration.
“The law is already in effect because in one of the provisions of the law it says that sixty days from the time the governor signs this law into an Act, all road users who are operating commercial vehicles must be duly registered So it’s already counting,” he said.
The sensitisation programme is expected to help transport operators and other stakeholders understand the new requirements as the state government moves to strengthen transport regulation, improve revenue collection and tackle illegal roadside levies.