Reform Natural Resource & Tax Governance
Because revenue without justice is a broken promise.
In extractive towns and oil-rich communities across Nigeria, wealth flows out faster than impact flows in.
Meanwhile, taxpayers in low-income neighborhoods wonder what exactly their payments have delivered.
At CISD, we believe tax and resource governance must begin with fairness—and end in visible, lived results.
People will pay taxes when they see what those taxes pay for. Communities will defend natural resources when they have a stake in how they’re managed. That’s why we work to bridge the gap between revenue collection and public trust.
✦ Approach
Our Approach⚡
We approach taxation and natural resource governance through the lens of justice and visibility. It’s not enough to increase internally generated revenue—if the process is extractive and the outcomes invisible, trust breaks down.
Our work links civic expectations to fiscal policy using behavioral nudges, storytelling, and bottom-up engagement.
We also take the conversation global, advocating for international cooperation to stop illicit financial flows that rob Nigerians of what is rightfully theirs.
+ Conversation
+ Advocacy
+ Civic Expectations
+ Storytelling
✦ Ongoing Initiatives
Ongoing Initiatives Tax for Service CampaignIFF AdvocacyLG Scorecards
We mobilize communities to connect taxes with tangible services.
From bus stops to boreholes, we work with tax authorities and local governments to showcase where tax money goes—and where it doesn’t.
Working with partners and coalitions, we push for stronger domestic frameworks and international pressure to curb revenue losses through loopholes, shell companies, and shady deals.
Our goal: keep Nigerian wealth within Nigerian borders.
We engage host communities, CSOs, and policymakers to push for greater equity in extractive sector revenues, land use decisions, and environmental protections.
Our lens is gendered, community-driven, and rooted in the rights of people living closest to the source of wealth.
Selected Publications & Knowledge Work
“Tax, Trust and Visibility""When the Oil Dries"“Illicit Financial Flows& AfricanFiscal Crisis"
- “Tax, Trust, and Visibility” A behavioral insight report on improving tax morale through service delivery narratives.
- “When the Oil Dries” A policy paper on post-extractive community resilience and equity in resource transitions.
- “Illicit Financial Flows and the African Fiscal Crisis” A joint research series in collaboration with regional partners.
Be Part of the Fiscal Justice Movement
Here’s how you can engage:
Contact Us
Contact Our Fiscal Justice Team
