The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said it is considering pushing for the inclusion of tax education in both primary and secondary school curricula in the country.

The FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr Zacch Adedeji, who spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the official public presentation of the book: “Taxation: Essential Knowledge for Nigerian Children”, as part of the 2025 Children’s Day celebrations, he stressed the need to create awareness to upcoming generation of Nigerians to become tax compliant.

Represented by his Special Assistant on Research and Statistics, Dr. Aisha Mahmoud Hamman, he said it is unfortunate that less than 19 percent of Nigerians pay taxes based on studies conducted by his outfit.

The FIRS chief described the figure as abysmally low compared to other countries even in Africa like Egypt and South Africa.

Underlining the essence of inculcating the knowledge on taxation in pupils, he noted: “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.

Former FIRS Executive Chairman, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, who graced the occasion, applauded the initiative, adding there was a need for openness and accountability in the collection and usage of proceeds of taxes in the country.

Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, who authored the book alongside Ejiura Blessing Haruna, explained 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, disclosed that over 50,000 copies of the book have already been printed for onward distribution free of charge to schools, libraries, and universities spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country.