LAGOS — Twenty companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange paid N3.04 trillion in income tax in the first half of 2026, up 79.5 per cent from N1.69 trillion a year earlier, according to an analysis of their results by ThisDay. The period is the first under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, which took effect on 1 January and kept the corporate tax rate at 30 per cent while adding a 4 per cent development levy that replaces several older levies. Seplat paid the most at N564.94 billion, followed by Aradel at N561.7 billion, MTN Nigeria at N384.05 billion and Dangote Cement at N342.85 billion. Nine banks paid a combined N845.79 billion. Zenith Bank's tax bill more than doubled to N206.84 billion although its profit fell 19 per cent. David Adonri of Highcap Securities said tax-exempt income from treasury bills, bonds and farm loans reduces the effective tax rate of banks.