Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has revealed that only 19% of Nigerians pay taxes, according to findings from multiple studies conducted by the agency.
Adedeji made this known on Tuesday during the launch of a new book titled ‘Taxation: Essential Knowledge for Nigerian Children’, published with full support from the FIRS. He was represented at the event by Aisha Mahmoud, his Special Adviser on Research and Statistics.
The book, authored by Aderonke Atoyebi and Ejura Haruna, aims to educate young Nigerians about the significance of tax payment from an early age.
“First of all, I want to say that we have run a couple of studies and we have found out that tax compliance is positively correlated with tax education,” Adedeji said.
“When children are educated, they grow up to become responsible people, pay their taxes and do what is right. We have carried out studies and we have found out that only 19 percent of Nigerians pay taxes.”
He added that while some reports indicate 19 percent compliance, others suggest the figure could be as low as 10 to 15 percent.
“We think that this is decimally low compared to other countries, even in Africa. We have come up with the initiative to ensure that we partner with other government institutions, individuals, like this one, to propagate, encourage, educate, and create awareness for our younger ones,” he said.
“Why? Because it is easier to make younger children to become tax compliant when they grow up than reform tax-dodging adults. That is why we support anywhere that there are initiatives to publish books like we have done today.”
Adedeji emphasised that building a generation of tax-compliant citizens would foster greater demand for accountability and ensure public funds are used more transparently and responsibly.
“When they are taught and they are subjects on taxation from the primary level, especially, and the secondary school level, when they reach the university, they have already known about that civil duty,” he said.
“It is not only the students of accounting that should know about taxation, a lot of people are not aware of tax issues, and that is why they dodge and that is why they evade paying taxes.”
He stressed that incorporating tax education into primary and secondary school curricula would shape children’s attitudes towards responsible citizenship and improve long-term tax compliance.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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