ACCRA, GHANA – The 23rd Council Meeting of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) has opened in Accra, Ghana, setting the stage for a week of high-level engagements focused on strengthening tax administrations, accelerating domestic revenue mobilisation and advancing sustainable development across West Africa.
The Council Meeting precedes WATAF’s 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) and 23rd General Assembly, being hosted by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The HLPD officially opens on Wednesday, 16 September, with about 300 delegates expected to participate in the broader gathering.
Opening the Council Meeting, WATAF Council Chairperson Talato Eliane Djiguemdé-Ouédraogo, Director General of the Burkina Faso Revenue Authority, welcomed Council members to Accra and underscored the importance of the gathering in providing strategic leadership for stronger and more effective tax administrations across West Africa.
She said this year’s gathering comes at an important moment for taxation in the region, with the 2026 HLPD expected to provide rich and substantive discussions on the progress being made as well as the challenges confronting domestic revenue mobilisation.
According to the Chairperson, discussions will examine the challenges affecting Domestic Revenue Mobilisation (DRM) and explore practical approaches for addressing them, including how WATAF can further empower and support tax administrations across West Africa to respond to a rapidly changing tax environment.
WATAF Executive Secretary Jules Tapsoba also welcomed Council members, noting the significance of the meeting in considering critical governance and institutional matters relating to the Secretariat and the implementation of WATAF’s programmes.
The WATAF Council Meeting serves as a key governance and oversight platform of the Forum. It brings together the heads of six-member tax administrations to provide strategic direction, review the implementation of WATAF programmes, consider plans and budgets, and guide the work of the Secretariat.
As an important link between decisions of the General Assembly and their practical implementation, the Council contributes to strengthening accountability, regional cooperation and coordinated action to improve tax administration and domestic revenue mobilisation across West Africa.
The Council Meeting forms part of WATAF’s 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue and 23rd General Assembly, taking place in Accra from 15–19 September 2026 under the theme: “Building Stronger Tax Administrations for Revenue Mobilisation and Sustainable Development.”
The gathering, hosted by the Ghana Revenue Authority, brings together Commissioners-General and Directors-General of tax administrations, policymakers, development partners, academics, private-sector representatives and regional and international tax experts.
This year’s gathering also coincides with WATAF’s 15th anniversary, providing an opportunity to reflect on the Forum’s contribution to tax administration and regional cooperation since its establishment in 2011, while charting priorities for the years ahead.
The 2026 HLPD will examine some of the most pressing issues shaping taxation in West Africa, including domestic revenue mobilisation, digital transformation, taxpayer compliance, environmental fiscal policy, innovation, regional cooperation, partnerships, inclusive tax systems and emerging international tax reforms.
The discussions come as West African countries seek to mobilise greater and more sustainable domestic resources to finance infrastructure, education, healthcare, social protection and other development priorities, while adapting their tax systems to digitalisation, changing business models and an evolving international tax architecture.
A major focus of the dialogue will therefore be on moving beyond identifying challenges to developing practical and actionable approaches that tax administrations can adapt and implement within their respective jurisdictions.
WATAF has continued to invest significantly in institutional and human capacity across the region. Over its 15-year journey, the Forum has trained more than 5,000 tax officials, Commissioners-General, Directors-General and senior tax executives. Between 2024 and mid-2026 alone, WATAF delivered 26 regional training programmes reaching more than 2,365 tax officials, alongside extensive knowledge-sharing and peer-learning initiatives among member administrations.
Members of the WATAF Council
The Council comprises:
- Talato Eliane Djiguemdé-Ouédraogo — Chairperson; Director General, Burkina Faso Revenue Authority
- Uffé Vieira Gomes Da Silva — Vice Chairperson; Director General, Guinea-Bissau Revenue Authority
- Dr. Zacch Adedeji — Council Member; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria
- Madame Fatoumata Foula Diallo — Council Member; Director General, Guinea Revenue Authority
- Yankuba Darboe — Council Member; Commissioner General, Gambia Revenue Authority
- Jean Koné — Council Member; Director General, Senegal Revenue Authority
- Jules Tapsoba — Secretary to the Council and Executive Secretary, WATAF
The Council’s deliberations will feed into the broader engagements in Accra as WATAF member administrations and partners consider measures to deepen regional cooperation and build modern, resilient and effective tax administrations capable of supporting West Africa’s development ambitions.
About WATAF
The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) is a regional body that brings together tax administrations across West Africa to strengthen domestic resource mobilization through cooperation, capacity development, and knowledge sharing. WATAF plays a leading role in shaping regional tax policy dialogue and supporting the modernization and harmonization of tax systems in line with regional and international standards.
