Non-Oil Tax Revenue on Economic Growth and Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Globally, government is experiencing difficulties in generating adequate revenue to finance their activities. In Nigeria, studies have shown that the recent sharp reduction in the revenue was as a result of decline in crude oil prices which inversely affected the financial ability of government towards growth and development of the nation. To this end, this paper therefore investigated the effect of non-oil taxes on economic growth and development of Nigeria. The study employed ex-post facto research design. Macro data for the period 1994Q1-2017Q4 representing seventy six (76) observations were obtained from CBN statistical bulletin and National Bureau of Statistics. The documents were already exposed to the scrutiny of the appropriate regulatory agencies. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics employing multiple regressions. The study discovered that non-oil taxes (custom and excise duties, capital gain tax, company income tax, tertiary education tax and value added tax) have significant effect on economic growth. (Adj. R2 = 0.75, F(5,71) = 213.43, p< .0.05). The individual effects are also positive and statistically significant: (VAT- β = 8.011, t(76)= 2.802, ρ<0.05, CIT- β = 2.560, t(76)= 2.383, ρ<0.05, CED - β = 1.767, t(76)=3.092, ρ<0.05, CGT- β = 4.162, t(76)= 3.509, ρ<0.05, and TET- β = 0.161, t(76)= 2.443, ρ<0.05). This study concluded that non-oil taxes significantly influenced both economic growth and economic development in Nigeria. The study recommended that government must strive to sustain the current unflinching commitment towards improving non-oil tax revenue, ensure Tertiary Education Tax collected translates into real development and also ensure efficient utilization of tax payers’ money to boost non-oil tax revenue collection which will then lead to economic growth and development.