Omowunmi Mabel Adewusi, AXA Mansard Insurance Plc’s General Counsel and Human Resource Director, has urged employers across Nigeria to adopt structured change-management strategies as the country transitions into a new tax regime, stressing that organisations must go beyond regulatory compliance to successfully navigate the evolving fiscal environment.
Speaking during an “Advocacy Round Table” webinar organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), Adewusi said businesses must deliberately manage the internal adjustments required by the new tax framework to ensure operational stability and sustained growth.
The session brought together industry leaders and policy stakeholders to examine the implications of the emerging tax framework on businesses, particularly its impact on the cost of doing business in Nigeria.
According to Adewusi, major policy shifts such as tax reforms often come with operational complexities that require proactive leadership and well-structured transition planning within organisations.
“There needs to be a serious change-management strategy that every employer must embark upon,” she said. “The transition to a new tax framework goes beyond regulatory compliance. Organisations must ensure that their internal systems, policies and people are aligned to adapt effectively to the new environment.”
She stressed that clear and transparent communication would be critical to maintaining stability within organisations during the transition period, noting that employees and other stakeholders must be properly engaged as companies adjust to the new regulatory realities.
“Employers need to be more open with communication, more transparent and more understanding as they move towards adopting the new tax act,” she added.
Adewusi noted that such engagement would help reduce uncertainty among employees and support smoother implementation of the reforms within organisations.
Despite the adjustment challenges, she expressed optimism about the long-term prospects of the reforms, describing the new tax framework as a potential catalyst for improving Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.
She also encouraged startups and emerging businesses to see the reforms as an opportunity to strengthen their operational structures and build sustainable enterprises within a more transparent regulatory system.
According to her, businesses that proactively align their internal processes and governance frameworks with the new tax environment will be better positioned to thrive in the evolving economic landscape.
Her remarks, she said, reflect the commitment of AXA Mansard Insurance Plc to contributing expert insights to policy discussions shaping Nigeria’s business environment, particularly in areas relating to governance, regulatory compliance and economic reforms.
Through such engagements, the company aims to support broader efforts aimed at building a more transparent, resilient and investment-friendly economy.
