Experts To Lead Key Discussions At 2025 DOPF Annual Lecture On Nigeria’s New Tax Law

SOME of Delta State’s leading voices in finance, law, economic planning, business, and academia will headline the 2025 Convention and Annual Lecture of the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF). The event will hold on Thursday, November 27, 2025, at David’s Event Centre in Asaba, with the theme: “Nigeria’s New Tax Law: Implications and Opportunities for Businesses and Society.”

The lecture will be chaired by Chief Edward Obiefuna Martyns (Nnanyelugo), FCA, MBA, MSc, who serves as Director of Local Government Accounts in the Office of the Accountant General of Delta State. Chief Martyns is a respected Chartered Accountant and public finance expert with decades of professional experience across both the private and public sectors.

A rich panel of discussants drawn from government institutions, academia, the legal community, and the organised private sector will join the conversation. They include:

• Mr. Sonny Ekedayen – Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Fellow of ICAN and CITN.

• Mr. Victor Fegor Origho – Accounting lecturer at Dennis Osadebay University, and consultant in taxation, auditing, and corporate governance.

• Mr. Martins Oyem Aghaobodo, Esq. – Veteran legal practitioner and Head of Chambers, Oyem M. Aghaobodo & Associates.

• Barr. Ikpesu Gideon Jade – Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Effurun Branch, expected to offer insights on the legal and regulatory implications of the new tax framework.

• Engr. Tony Okoh – President of the Delta State Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA), who will present private sector perspectives on business competitiveness under the new tax regime.

The keynote address will be delivered by Associate Professor Ochuko Benedict Emudainohwo, PhD, FCA, of Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba. A highly regarded scholar in taxation and public finance, he will lead an in-depth analysis of the new tax legislation coming into effect on January 1, 2026.

This year’s convention is timely, as Nigeria prepares to roll out one of its most far-reaching tax reforms since independence. Historically, Nigeria’s fiscal laws have evolved through key milestones such as the Petroleum Profits Tax Act of 1959, the Companies Income Tax Act of 1961, and the introduction of VAT in 1993. The upcoming reforms aim to simplify tax compliance, block revenue leakages, and promote transparency in public finance.

The 2025 DOPF Annual Lecture will serve as a crucial platform for examining how the new tax law may reshape governance, business operations, fiscal accountability, and economic growth.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is expected as Special Guest of Honour, alongside top government officials, business leaders, civil society representatives, and media practitioners.

Now in its sixth year, the DOPF Convention and Annual Lecture has become one of Delta State’s most credible platforms for civic engagement and policy dialogue. This year’s session is expected to broaden public understanding of the new tax law and foster meaningful discussions on economic reforms and sustainable national development.