Some of Delta State’s most respected figures in accounting, economic planning, law, business leadership, and academia will take centre stage at the 2025 Convention and Annual Lecture of the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF), scheduled for Thursday, November 27, 2025, at David’s Event Centre, Asaba. The intellectual gathering will interrogate the theme: “Nigeria’s New Tax Law: Implications and Opportunities for Businesses and Society.”
Chairing the event is Chief Edward Obiefuna Martyns (Nnanyelugo), FCA, MBA, MSc, Director of Local Government Accounts in the Office of the Accountant General of Delta State. An accomplished Chartered Accountant, philanthropist, Rotarian, and seasoned public finance professional, Chief Martyns brings vast experience spanning both the private and public sectors of financial management.
Joining the session as discussants are distinguished professionals drawn from government, academia, business and the legal sector. They include Mr Sonny Ekedayen, Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN); Mr Victor Fegor Origho, a seasoned Accounting lecturer at Dennis Osadebay University and consultant in taxation, audit and corporate governance; and Mr Martins Oyem Aghaobodo, Esq., veteran legal practitioner, retired administrator, and Head of Chambers, Oyem M. Aghaobodo & Associates.
Also on the panel is Barr. Ikpesu Gideon Jade, Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Effurun Branch, whose expertise in legal and economic matters is expected to add critical perspectives on the regulatory and constitutional implications of Nigeria’s new tax regime. Completing the panel is Engr. Tony Okoh, President of the Delta State Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA), will provide insights from the private sector and speak on business competitiveness under the new tax framework.
The keynote address will be delivered by Associate Prof. Ochuko Benedict Emudainohwo, PhD, FCA, Associate Professor of Accounting at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba. A Fellow of ICAN and respected scholar in public finance and taxation, he is expected to lead participants through an in-depth examination of the new tax legislation that takes effect on January 1, 2026.
This year’s lecture is particularly significant as Nigeria prepares to implement what has been described as one of its most transformative tax reforms since independence. With a long history of fiscal legislation—from the Petroleum Profits Tax Act of 1959 to the Companies Income Tax Act of 1961 and the introduction of VAT in 1993—Nigeria has consistently sought to modernise its tax system. The new regime aims to simplify compliance, close leakages, and strengthen transparency in public revenue management. The DOPF platform will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to dissect its potential impact on governance, business operations, fiscal accountability, and national development.
His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State, is expected as Special Guest of Honour, alongside senior government functionaries, industry leaders, civil society groups, and media practitioners from across the state.
The DOPF Convention and Annual Lecture, now in its sixth edition, has evolved into one of Delta State’s most credible civic and policy dialogue platforms. This year’s event is expected to deepen public understanding of Nigeria’s new tax law while bringing together diverse voices committed to economic reform, responsible governance, and sustainable development.
