ABUJA, NIGERIA – The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) and the West African Union of Tax Institutes (WAUTI) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional cooperation on tax administration, tax professionalism, and institutional capacity development following a high-level working meeting held at the WATAF Secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting, held Monday, July 6, marked another important step in deepening collaboration between the two regional institutions and advancing the implementation of their Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), signed in 2024. The MOC provides a strategic framework for promoting stronger tax administrations, enhancing professional excellence, and supporting domestic revenue mobilisation (DRM) across West Africa.
The renewed partnership reflects the growing importance of regional collaboration in equipping tax administrations with technical expertise, institutional capacity, and innovative approaches required to respond to rapidly evolving global tax challenges, accelerate digital transformation, and mobilise sustainable domestic revenues to finance national and regional development.
Welcoming the WAUTI delegation, WATAF Executive Secretary, Jules Tapsoba, described the visit as a significant milestone in strengthening the longstanding relationship between the two organizations.
“Our partnership with WAUTI reflects WATAF’s commitment to building stronger tax administrations through collaboration, knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity development. We are committed to translating our Memorandum of Cooperation into concrete actions that will strengthen the capacity of tax administrations across West Africa and contribute meaningfully to domestic revenue mobilisation and sustainable development,” Mr. Tapsoba said.
Leading the WAUTI delegation, President Samuel Agbeluyi emphasized that both organizations possess complementary mandates and comparative advantages that should be harnessed more strategically for the benefit of the region.
“We have a great deal in common. Our programmes, expertise, and objectives complement each other, and together we can achieve far more than we can individually. By leveraging our respective strengths, we can better serve tax administrations, tax professionals, and ultimately the people of West Africa,” he said.
Reflecting on the rapidly changing global tax environment, Mr. Agbeluyi observed that continuous investment in professional development has become more important than ever.
“The economy is now in the cloud. Commerce, trade, and taxation are increasingly driven by digital technologies. We must therefore build the capacity of our tax authorities to collect taxes in the cloud and equip tax professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively to this changing landscape,” he noted.
During the meeting, both institutions reaffirmed their shared commitment to implementing the provisions of the Memorandum of Cooperation through practical, results-oriented initiatives that strengthen tax administration and professional capacity throughout the region.
The MoC provides a comprehensive framework for collaboration in the areas of joint training and capacity-building programmes, research and knowledge sharing, the establishment and strengthening of national tax institutes, regional conferences and technical dialogue, joint advocacy on tax policy and administration, the exchange of experts, collaborative publications, and coordinated initiatives aimed at improving tax governance and professional standards across West Africa.
The WATAF Secretariat also presented its Strategic Direction 2026–2030 and ongoing programmes, highlighting initiatives in capacity development, taxpayer education, digital transformation, technical assistance, research, policy dialogue, and regional knowledge sharing. The presentation emphasized the critical role of strategic partnerships in strengthening member tax administrations, improving domestic revenue mobilisation, and supporting sustainable development across the region.
To facilitate effective implementation of the partnership, the Memorandum establishes a Joint Working Group (JWG) responsible for coordinating joint activities, monitoring implementation, reviewing progress, identifying emerging areas of cooperation, and strengthening institutional collaboration between the two organizations. English and French remain the official working languages of the partnership.
The meeting further agreed to accelerate the operationalisation of the Joint Working Group, develop a practical implementation roadmap for the Memorandum, identify priority joint training and professional development programmes, strengthen collaboration between national tax institutes and tax administrations, and expand opportunities for regional technical dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Both organizations concluded the meeting by reaffirming their shared vision of building stronger, more modern, and more resilient tax institutions capable of responding to emerging global challenges, enhancing tax professionalism, improving domestic revenue mobilisation, and contributing to sustainable economic growth and development across West Africa.
The renewed commitment underscores the determination of WATAF and WAUTI to transform their strategic partnership into measurable outcomes that will benefit tax administrations, tax professionals, governments, and citizens throughout the region.
About WATAF
The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) is a regional body that brings together tax administrations across West Africa to strengthen domestic resource mobilization through cooperation, capacity development, and knowledge sharing. WATAF plays a leading role in shaping regional tax policy dialogue and supporting the modernization and harmonization of tax systems in line with regional and international standards.
