Nigeria, Jan. 19 -- I've read the many reactions to my last post and I'm encouraged by the level of engagement and the quality of some of the arguments. This is a serious issue and it deserves serious thinking.

One pushback keeps recurring: "Igbos are everywhere; they make money everywhere; so VAT data is unfair."

Let's clarify this important, valid but inapplicable point:

Even if a SouthEasterner creates value in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, or Port Harcourt, VAT is recorded where the transaction is formalised and remitted and VAT allocation is paid to STATES, not ethnic groups.

VAT does not measure origin, ethnicity, or ownership of capital. It measures where value is booked, captured, and taxed.

So the real question is not who hustles wh...