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Barau: Five stages Tax Reform Bills must pass through before passage

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By Ismail Mudashir

For bills, including the contentious Tax Reform Bills, to be passed at the National Assembly, they must pass through the following stages:

A bill is a draft of a proposed law presented before the Senate and House of Representatives for deliberation. Such a bill can be given by the executive or members of the National Assembly (Senators or House of Representatives).

The four Tax Reform Bills are executive bills from the executive arm of government.

1: First Reading:

The Tax Reform Bills, like all other executive bills, scaled through the first reading when the letter by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to that effect, was read on the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly ( Senate and House of Representatives).

At the first reading, the bills are introduced to senators and members of the House of Representatives.

2: Second Reading:

In the second reading, the general principles of the bills are discussed at the chambers. The bill’s sponsors will present their lead debate; other lawmakers will be allowed to speak on it afterwards.

Since the tax reform bills are from the executive branch, the Senate Leader, Michael Opayemi Bamidele, presented the lead debate last Thursday during the plenary presided over by the president of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON.

When a bill scales through a second reading, it is referred to relevant committees for further legislative actions.

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The Tax Reform Bills were on Thursday referred to the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger State). It has six weeks to scrutinise the bills with stakeholders.

3: Committee Level

At this level, the bill would be subjected to thorough legislative scrutiny, and stakeholders would be given opportunities to contribute to shaping the draft laws.

The committee will organise a public hearing where all stakeholders, ulamas, pastors, socio-cultural, political, religious groups, experts, technocrats and other stakeholders would make input to the bills.

Before the public hearing, advertisements would be placed in newspapers while commercials would be aired on radio and television stations, requesting the submission of memoranda by stakeholders.

The committee Secretariat would aggregate the input of the stakeholders during the public hearing in addition to the memoranda submitted. This will form the committee’s report.

The input of the stakeholders is always the fulcrum of the committee’s report.
This is the level at which the Tax Reform Bills are now.

4: Third Reading.

At this point, the committee’s report would be presented and considered during the plenary in the chamber.

The chairman of the committee would present or lay the report. The chairman would read it.

After the reading, the clause-by-clause analysis of the bills will be done by a committee of the whole. All senators would vote on each clause of the bills.

If most senators vote in support of the bills, it would be passed for a third reading. If it is the other way around, it would be rejected.

The Tax Reform bills can be killed if the lawmakers vote against them.

But if the bill is passed, it would be sent to the Senate or House for concurrence, depending on its origin.

5 a: Signing of the Bill

After the bill is passed, the clerk will print and sign a final copy. The bill is issued after the appropriate presiding officer appends his signature.

5 b: President’s Assent/Signature

The final copy, as approved by both chambers, is presented to the president for his signature. The president’s signature is required to convert a bill into law, and section 58(4) of the Constitution requires the president to append his signature to the bill within 30 days of receipt.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, only presided over the plenary on Wednesday, during which the tax experts were allowed to educate the senators and indeed all Nigerians on tax reform bills.

During the sitting, Senator Barau neither supported nor kicked against the bill; instead, he emphasised an urgent need for all to be educated on the proposed laws. Nothing more.

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Mahanga TV appoints former AREWA24 staff Zuwairiyah Girei as MD

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Mahanga TV, a Kano-based television station, has appointed former AREWA24 staff member Zuwairiyah Adamu Girei as its new Managing Director, bringing her more than 14 years of experience in Hausa-language television production and broadcasting to the organisation.

Girei was formally welcomed into her new role during a reception held at Mahanga TV’s premises in Kano on Monday, November 2, 2026, marking a new phase in the organisation’s growthe barely three months after its launch.

Speaking at the reception, Girei expressed excitement over her appointment, describing her experience at AREWA24 as a significant milestone in her professional journey.

She said she would draw on the knowledge and experience acquired during her time at the television station to strengthen Mahanga TV and drive it towards greater achievements.

“All the experience I have at AREWA24, I will bring here, and I think I will do extraordinary because I know what I have learnt there. I pray that we will see success beyond our expectations,” she said.

Outlining her vision for Mahanga TV, the new Managing Director said the organisation would look beyond Northern Nigeria and target audiences across Africa and the rest of the world.

She identified the large Hausa-speaking population as a major opportunity for the industry, noting that despite the challenges facing Hausa-language broadcasting, the sector has a substantial audience.

“We have over 60 million Hausa speakers in Nigeria, so I think we have a target audience we have to try to reach,” she said.

Girei said her leadership would focus on understanding audience expectations, introducing improvements and positioning Hausa productions for international recognition.

“Our thinking is pan-African; our thinking is the world. Our thinking is now how can Hausa film reach the Oscars. That is the thinking,” she said.

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Looking ahead to the next decade, she expressed her ambition to see Mahanga TV secure three to four Academy Awards, earn international recognition and become a household name among viewers across different age groups.

She said she envisioned a future where Mahanga TV would be the preferred television platform in homes, with both adults and children identifying with its programmes.

The Chief Executive Officer of Mahanga TV, Nuhu Abdullahi Balarabe, said Girei’s appointment was informed by the organisation’s rapid growth and the need for experienced leadership to sustain its progress.

Balarabe explained that he initially served as both Managing Director and CEO but decided to appoint a dedicated Managing Director to oversee the organisation’s daily operations and provide the leadership required to sustain its expanding activities.

He said the organisation needed someone who could provide consistent leadership and maintain its momentum as it continued to grow.

“She is well experienced, and I’m sure she will use that experience to take the organisation further from where it is,” he said.

Balarabe disclosed that Mahanga TV had recorded progress beyond its initial expectations within three months of launching, attributing the achievement to the dedication of its staff, consultants and advisers.

He said the organisation was expanding its content offerings through original productions and partnerships with independent producers to provide audiences with engaging programmes.

He also urged viewers to continue supporting the station and sharing feedback through its social media platforms and WhatsApp channel, assuring them that the organisation remained open to suggestions as it worked to improve its services.

Reaffirming the organisation’s broader ambition, Balarabe said Mahanga TV was committed to ensuring that Hausa stories, culture and experiences reached audiences across the world.

“We have a beautiful tale happening in Northern Nigeria, and I believe it is only we that can tell our own story. We want to make sure all our stories are told and they reach every part of the world,” he said.

Also speaking, Mahanga TV’s Creative Director and Brand Manager, Abdulbasit Abanikanda, described Girei’s appointment as a timely development that would strengthen the organisation’s management structure and provide better direction for its expanding workforce.

Abanikanda recalled that Mahanga TV started with a team of just three people but had since grown considerably, making the appointment of an experienced manager necessary to coordinate its activities.

He expressed confidence in Girei’s ability to advance the station’s creative vision, noting that her ambition of taking Hausa stories to audiences across the world aligned with the organisation’s objectives.

With Girei’s appointment, Mahanga TV aims to consolidate its early progress, strengthen its content production and expand the reach of Hausa storytelling, creating opportunities for Northern Nigeria’s stories, culture and creative talent to gain wider national and international recognition.

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Kano Governor Nominates Ex- Speaker, Spokesperson as Commissioners

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Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has nominated his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, and a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Balarabe Sa’idu Gani, for appointment as commissioners.

The governor has forwarded their names to the Kano State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

The Assembly is expected to screen the nominees on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

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In a statement issued on Monday, the Assembly’s spokesperson, Kamaluddeen Sani Shawai, said the legislature had received a formal communication from Governor Yusuf requesting the screening of the two nominees.

He added that the exercise would be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Gani served as Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2007, while Bature currently serves as the governor’s spokesperson.

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2027: Rep Abubakar Kabir Bichi holds strategic meeting with Kano lawmakers

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The Chairman, House of representatives committee on appropriations Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, has convened a meeting of all APC State Assembly Members and 40 Candidates in the upcoming 2027 General elections, led by the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jibril Ismail Falgore.

Crucial issues were discussed on how best to coordinate their campaigns programs to deliver the APC, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

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The meeting was held at his Bichi office, Sunday evening 1st November 2026.

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