In a bid to demystify taxation and foster awareness among the youth, Tax Trybe, a tax club initiative by Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS), was recently launched in public secondary schools.
Collaborating with the organization DKK, LIRS took the campaign to schools, aiming to make taxation engaging for students and create future tax ambassadors. At the initiative’s kickoff at Lagos City High School, Sabo, Yaba, Dr. Folashade Coker, Director of Informal Sector and Special Duties at LIRS, emphasized the importance of educating young minds about tax. She stated, “This is the launch, and after now, all the public schools in the 65 districts will be covered, and over time, the knowledge base will continue to grow.”
Coker highlighted the strategic choice of starting the initiative in schools, noting that educated students could effectively enlighten their families, stating, “When you feed them with the right information, they hold on to it, they remember it and they apply it.”
The students praised the initiative, with Olusanjo Daniel, a Senior Secondary School 3 student, expressing newfound insights, “Through this programme, I have learnt so much on why adults and the working class must pay tax.”
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In her message to parents and students, Coker emphasized that knowledge is wealth and urged students to “mop up knowledge” to become advocates for responsible tax culture.
As part of the wider impact, the tax initiative aims to add new taxpayers to the state’s tax net and create additional jobs, aligning with the government’s commitment to utilizing tax revenue for essential services and infrastructure. #Lagos