CITN explains importance of Tax Awareness Day

…Takes sensitisation campaign to schools, markets in Rivers

The Chartered Institute of Taxation in Nigeria (CITN) took tax sensitisation campaigns to schools and markets in Rivers State as part of activities marking the 2026 Tax Awareness Day in the state.

The Port Harcourt District of CITN told BusinessDay that it organised the Tax Week to drive tax awareness and dismantle long held misinformation and misconceptions about the new tax regime in the country.

As part of the activities, CITN embarked on a road walk from the headquarters of the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) in Trans Amadi Layout to Garrison Junction and Ikwere Road in Port Harcourt.

The institute also took the tax awareness campaign to the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Woji, near Port Harcourt.

Speaking on the awareness campaign, Kennedy Ikechukwu, chairman, Chartered Institute of Taxation, Port Harcourt District, said the Tax Awareness Day is to mark the positive impact of taxation on the Nigerian economy and also educate people about tax and tax matters.

Ikechukwu said most people cannot distinguish levies from taxes hence the need for the sensitization efforts by distributing fliers, talking to them and encouraging them to pay tax.

On the current impact of the reforms, he explained that usually when new reforms are introduced, there is always a gap where people have to pay the price for the reforms before the benefits begin to show.

According to him, the new tax reforms actually favour the poor rather than the rich because the tax is progressive and there is a lot of relief for the low-income earners.

Ikechukwu said CITN wants tax awareness to be high in Nigeria because if everybody is aware of the tax laws and the benefits, they would voluntarily comply with the tax laws.

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He said: “Tax Awareness Day is the 25th of June every year. But there are other activities before the day. We will walk round, sensitize people about tax and taxation.

“So, the essence of the Tax Day is to mark the positive impact of taxation on the Nigerian economy and equally use it to educate people about tax and tax matters.

“They misconstrue levied for taxes, that’s why we are going out today to give them fliers, talk to them, educate them to be civil Nigerians.

“When there’s reform, there’s always a gap, a price it pays. This moment, we’re paying the price of the tax reforms, but very soon the benefits will show.

“The tax regime is actually for the poor because the tax reform encourages the poor ones not to pay tax because there’s a lot of reliefs for them.

“For us, it is to make sure that the level of tax education, tax awareness, tax knowledge in Nigeria is high because if everybody is aware of the tax laws, the benefits of the tax laws, many people will voluntarily be paying tax.”

Peace Wills Ebo, Chairperson, Tax Week Committee, also emphasised on the importance of sensitization for the formal and informal sectors as well as students and everyone who is liable to pay tax.

She said one target area is market traders especially women hence the need to take the sensitization campaign to Mile 1 Market, saying many of them are confused wondering the new tax laws are all about.

Ebo noted that many market women have much false information, so they want to let them know it is for their own good and that the burden is on high income earners.

She rated the week high particularly the virtual campaign with the formal sector, the awareness efforts for students in the two universities and the feedback they have so far received.

“We went to the campuses, RSU and Ignatius University where we sensitized the students and told them about taxation and tax clubs, and some of them already have tax clubs, so it was wonderful,” she stated.

Samson Duka, a commercial driver, said: “This is what is expected of government to put us through so that we can really understand what is going on around the tax reforms.”