Celebrity fashion designer Seyi Vodi has urged Nigerians, particularly business owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to embrace prompt tax payment as a catalyst for national development and the full realisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Vodi made the call on Friday during a visit to the headquarters of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service, where he voluntarily filed his Annual Tax Return.
He said taxes remain a major driver of sustainable development, urging entrepreneurs across the FCT and beyond to see compliance as a civic duty that fuels infrastructure and public services.
“It is noble to pay taxes because that is what government uses to develop infrastructure and serve the people. I urge my fellow business owners, especially tailors, to willingly discharge this responsibility for the progress of the FCT and Nigeria,” he said.
Vodi also praised the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as unprecedented infrastructural transformation in Abuja, particularly in road construction and security.
“I have lived in Abuja for 25 years. I know what the city used to be and what it is today. The transformation is visible—only the blind would fail to see it,” he stated.
In his remarks, the Acting Executive Chairman of FCT-IRS, Michael Ango, commended Vodi for voluntarily filing his tax return, describing the move as exemplary.
Ango revealed that the fashion designer is the first High Net-Worth Individual to file his Annual Tax Return this year, urging other wealthy individuals and business owners to follow suit.
He added that sustained development in Abuja depends on citizens meeting their civic obligations, assuring that the Service would present Vodi with a letter of commendation for leading by example.
