Nigerian journalist, policy analyst and strategic communications practitioner Arabinrin Aderonke is set to present research examining how communication can influence tax compliance and domestic revenue mobilisation across Africa at a continental tax conference in Rwanda.
Aderonke will present a paper titled “Impact of Communication on Taxation in Africa” at the 11th African Tax Research Network (ATRN) Annual Congress, scheduled for September 22 to 24, 2026, at the Kigali Convention Centre in Kigali.
The congress, hosted by the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), will bring together researchers, tax administrators, policymakers and development partners to discuss emerging challenges facing taxation on the continent.
This year’s event is themed “Contemporary Taxation Issues in Africa: Shaping the Continent’s Fiscal Space — Past, Present, Future.”
Aderonke’s research will focus on the relationship between communication and taxation, particularly how tax authorities can improve public understanding of tax policies, strengthen trust and encourage voluntary compliance.
“The Impact of Communication on Taxation in Africa will explore how strategic communication can strengthen taxpayer awareness, build trust, improve voluntary compliance and support domestic revenue mobilisation across the continent,” she said.
Her focus on communication builds on a career spanning journalism, public policy, advocacy and strategic communications. Aderonke is a former investigative journalist who won the 2013 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting in the Sports Category and was later named a finalist for the 2016 CNN African Journalist Award, recognitions that established her credentials in public-interest reporting and evidence-based storytelling.
Her professional experience has also extended beyond journalism into development advocacy and public-sector communications where she has led initiatives focused on women and girls’ empowerment, social inclusion, education and sports development. Her work has earned international recognition, including the 2024 Sport Positive Awards Regional Leader – Africa honour and the 2025 International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA) Role Model — Citizens’ Choice Award.
The breadth of that experience is particularly relevant to her current research, which examines communication not simply as a tool for disseminating tax information but as a potential component of the relationship between governments and citizens.
The subject comes as African governments continue efforts to expand domestic revenue collection to finance development while confronting challenges including large informal economies, limited tax bases and public concerns over accountability and the use of tax revenues.
Beyond revenue collection, the research is expected to consider whether clearer information about tax obligations, reforms and government policies can improve citizens’ understanding of taxation and potentially influence voluntary compliance.
Aderonke has also worked in public-sector communication and policy roles, including assignments involving government institutions and revenue administration. Her experience across media, advocacy and public communication places her research at the intersection of taxation and the broader question of how governments communicate policies that directly affect citizens.
Aderonke described the congress as an opportunity to contribute to discussions about making taxation better understood and more effective across the continent.
The three-day congress is expected to provide a platform for research and policy discussions on contemporary taxation and the future of Africa’s fiscal space, with Aderonke’s presentation adding a communication perspective to debates that have traditionally focused largely on revenue policy, administration and compliance.
