The National Revenue Service (NRS) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) have begun a nationwide campaign to encourage more Nigerians to pay their taxes willingly, saying public understanding of the tax system is essential to the country’s economic growth.
The renewed drive was announced during the maiden National Tax Awareness Day organised by the two organisations to improve tax education and encourage citizens and businesses to comply with tax laws without enforcement.
The awareness campaign took place simultaneously across the country through the Institute’s District Societies, with activities extending to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as its international branches in the United Kingdom and North America.
Markets, schools and communities became centres of public enlightenment as tax professionals engaged traders, students, business owners and other members of the public on the benefits of paying taxes and the role tax revenue plays in national development. The campaign also featured media programmes, stakeholder meetings, tax advisory clinics and public outreach designed to improve tax knowledge among Nigerians.
The event came one year after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the country’s Tax Reform Acts into law, reforms aimed at modernising tax administration, improving transparency and making tax services more efficient through technology.
As part of the programme, the President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Mr. Innocent C. Ohagwa, led the institute’s Governing Council on a visit to the headquarters of the National Revenue Service in Abuja, where they met with the management of the Service to review developments since the implementation of the reforms.
The Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services at the NRS, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, who received the delegation on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, said creating public awareness remains one of the strongest ways of improving tax compliance.
He said, ‘Tax awareness is the foundation of voluntary compliance, and voluntary compliance remains essential to building a sustainable tax system that supports national growth and shared prosperity’.
Abubakar explained that the ongoing reforms are focused on building public confidence in the tax system by making it more transparent, technology-driven and easier for taxpayers to use.
Ohagwa thanked the leadership of the National Revenue Service for maintaining a strong working relationship with the Institute in advancing tax administration in Nigeria.
According to him, ‘National Tax Awareness Day represents a coordinated nationwide effort to deepen tax awareness, strengthen taxpayer education and support the successful implementation of Nigeria’s tax reform agenda’.
He also praised the Service for deploying digital solutions to improve taxpayer services, particularly the recently introduced Rev 360 platform, which he said would improve efficiency, increase transparency and make tax administration more convenient for Nigerians.
Both organisations said closer cooperation between tax authorities, tax professionals and other stakeholders would help build a stronger culture of voluntary tax payment. They expressed confidence that sustained public education and improved taxpayer services would strengthen compliance, increase government revenue and contribute to Nigeria’s long-term economic development.
