As Nigeria intensifies efforts to build a stronger tax culture, a clear message is emerging from traders, artisans and business owners in Kwara State: citizens are willing to pay their taxes, but government must be more transparent about how the money is spent.
That demand for accountability echoed across markets, streets and public spaces in Ilorin during the 2026 Annual Tax Week, organised by the Ilorin and District Society of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), where tax professionals, government officials, and revenue administrators took tax education directly to the people.
Chairman of CITN Ilorin and District Society, Mr. Taofiq Alabi, explained that the outreach was designed not only to educate residents but also to provide practical solutions to tax-related challenges through on-the-spot advisory services.
Alabi observed that although Nigeria’s comprehensive tax reforms came into effect in June 2025, many traders and operators within the informal sector still knew so little about the changes. He said interactions also revealed widespread concern over the management of funds generated through taxation. He assured participants that observations gathered during the campaign would be forwarded to relevant tax authorities to improve future engagement with taxpayers.
Kwara State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, commended CITN for taking tax education beyond conference halls into communities. She urged residents to see tax payment as both a legal obligation and a civic duty.
As the week-long campaign came to an end, one conclusion resonated among participants: the success of Nigeria’s tax reforms will depend not only on stronger compliance, but also on government’s ability to earn public trust through transparency, accountability and visible delivery of development projects financed by taxpayers’ money.
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