Trailblazer Who Shaped Nigeria’s Modern Tax Profession: CITN Mourns Founder, Chief David Olorunleke
The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has paid glowing tribute to its founding President, Chief David Olorunleke, FCTI, describing him as an exceptional professional and a pathfinder whose contributions laid the foundation for modern taxation practice in Nigeria.
Chief Olorunleke passed on peacefully on Friday, October 24, 2025.
Speaking at his funeral service held at All Souls’ Church, Lekki, Lagos, on Friday, the 17th President of CITN, Mr Innocent Ohagwa, said the late Olorunleke’s death was a monumental loss not only to the Institute but to the nation, given the indelible role he played in shaping Nigeria’s tax system.
According to Ohagwa, Olorunleke’s vision and pioneering efforts united tax professionals from diverse backgrounds and gave structure to tax practice and administration in the country.
“He brought professionals together — those who desired to practise tax, to administer tax, and to advocate for tax compliance. Today, the Institute boasts of over 33,000 members, a testament to his enduring legacy,” he said.
Ohagwa described the late doyen as a father figure, a mentor, an employer and a trailblazer whose impact will never be forgotten.
“We have lost our pathfinder, our Founder, our Father, our Grandfather and an exceptional professional. His legacy will remain permanent in our hearts and in the history of our great Institute. No great man lives in vain, and our Doyen certainly did not live in vain,” he stated.
He recalled that only a month before his passing, the leadership of the Institute had visited Chief Olorunleke and found him strong and lively.
“He never moved in a wheelchair. He stood to the very end. We thank God for granting him longevity, excellence and success in all his endeavours. We will continue to honour him and immortalise his name,” Ohagwa added.
As part of efforts to preserve his legacy, the CITN President disclosed that the Institute’s Abuja office has been named after Chief Olorunleke, while documentation of his life and achievements is currently underway and will soon be published.
Also speaking at the service, a former Accountant-General of the Federation and past President of CITN, Dr Kayode Naiyeju, said Chief Olorunleke’s influence on taxation extended beyond Nigeria to other parts of Africa.
He explained that the late tax icon worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between tax administrators and practitioners, which eventually led to the formal establishment of the Chartered Institute of Taxation under an Act of Parliament.
“He left behind a resilient and formidable Institute. In every country, taxation is not just a revenue tool, but a powerful economic instrument used to promote fairness and stability between the rich and the poor,” Naiyeju said.
He urged taxpayers and tax practitioners to uphold Olorunleke’s values by ensuring prompt and honest tax compliance.
“Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and unto God what belongs to God. Practitioners must adhere to ethics and the rule of law, while administrators must apply the law with fairness and integrity. These are the values Chief Olorunleke left for us,” he added.
In his remarks, a past President of CITN and current Board Secretary of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Prof Teju Somorin, also known as “Teju Tax”, recounted Chief Olorunleke’s immense contributions to the growth of the country’s tax administration system.
He described him as a humble leader whose tenure as Chairman of the Federal Board of Inland Revenue (now FIRS) was marked by landmark reforms.
“I documented his contributions to the Nigerian tax system, especially to the Federal Inland Revenue Department. Under his leadership, we witnessed the 1978 tax reform, which expanded the scope of Withholding Tax. He also played critical roles in the study groups on Nigeria’s direct and indirect tax systems,” Somorin said.
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He added that Chief Olorunleke was instrumental in the processes that eventually led to the introduction of Value-Added Tax (VAT) in Nigeria, a legacy that continues to shape the country’s revenue structure.
“He will be remembered as a humble boss, a visionary leader and an architect of Nigeria’s modern tax reforms. His contributions will never be forgotten,” Somorin concluded.
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