The Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) has called for the inculcation of taxation culture in the nation’s young populations to foster early financial literacy and civic responsibility among the youths.
Executive Chairman of FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, made the call during the Public Presentation of the Book ‘Taxation: Essential Knowledge for Nigerian Children’ as part of activities commemorating the 2025 Children’s Day celebration.
The educational book authored by Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, Ejura Blessing Haruna and edited by Dr. M. S. Abubakar, was designed as a simple and accessible guide to taxation for secondary school students, and aims to demystify tax concepts while emphasizing the role of taxation in funding public services and nation-building.
Adedeji said the harmonization of recent tax reforms is expected to significantly boost tax collections, with projections exceeding N25 trillion in revenue.
Adedeji, represented by his Special Assistant on Research and Statistics, Dr. Aisha Mahmoud Hamman, noted the need to create awareness to upcoming generation of Nigerians to become tax compliant.
He said it is unfortunate that less than 19 per cent of Nigerians pay taxes based on studies conducted by his outfit, describing the figure as abysmally low compared to other countries even in Africa like Egypt and South Africa.
“We have given our utmost support for this book publication because we have run a couple of studies and have found out that tax compliance is positively correlated with tax education. So when children are educated, they grow up to become responsible citizens. They pay their taxes and do what is right.
“We need to create awareness among our younger ones because it is easier for younger children to become tax compliant when they grow up than reform tax-dodging adults. When you raise children that are tax compliant, of course you expect them to hold those in government accountable.
“When they are taught and there are subjects on taxation at primary and secondary school levels, by the time they reach the universities, they have already known about that civic duty. So it would not be students of accounting who will know a lot about taxation,” he said.
Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, who authored the book alongside Ejiura Blessing Haruna, said that the event marks a bold step in introducing Nigerian children to the fundamentals of taxation, to promote early financial literacy and civic responsibility.
Atoyebi, the technical adviser for broadcast media to the FIRS chief, said that over 50,000 copies of the book have already been printed for onward distribution free of charge to schools, libraries, and universities across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Also speaking at the event, former FIRS Executive Chairman, Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, commended the initiative, saying there was a need for openness and accountability in the collection and usage of proceeds of taxes in the country.
