The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), in collaboration with Arojah Concepts and Sprezzatura Publishing Limited is set to educate children on the relevance of taxation.
The Technical Assistant to the Executive Chairman on Broadcast, Aderonke Bello, said this during an interview on Thursday in Abuja.
Ms Bello said that the sensitisation was part of the activities to mark the 2025 Children’s Day for May 27.
She said that at the secondary school level, it was important for pupils to have some knowledge about different subject matters, including taxation and society framework on tax.
She said, “We want to use the medium of the children’s day to educate these young ones on taxation, how the government funds certain projects, and what age one is expected to pay tax. Our children should be able to know that government uses education tax to fund the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), schools’ infrastructure, among other school projects.’’
She said that despite the awareness on proper tax expected to be paid by Nigerians, people still evaded tax payments, adding that it was contributing to stalling government projects.
She urged citizens to stop evading tax, falsifying profit declarations and rather trust the government to channel their tax for the right purposes.
Ms Bello added that most people were unaware that taxes contributed considerably to the Gross Domestic Product of the country, and national development.
She said that the children’s day celebration would comprise a public presentation of taxation book for Nigerian children titled “Taxation: Essential Knowledge for Nigerian Children.’’
The book, authored by Ms Bello and Blessing Haruna, is aimed at introducing Nigerian children to basic concepts of taxation, encouraging financial literacy and civic responsibility from an early age.
Other activities for the day included book review, readings by participating schools, fun games, dance and drama, all geared towards laying the foundation for more responsible and informed citizenry.
Children’s Day, usually commemorated on May 27, would have its theme as “Our Children, Our Future.”
(NAN)
