CITN canvasses tax-paying culture in Nigeria

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, at its 20th Annual Tax Conference held in Abuja, has called for the institutionalisation of tax payments in the country.

This year’s conference, according to a statement by the institute, was the largest gathering themed, “Institutionalising Tax-Paying Culture in a Developing Economy”.

Over 1500 tax professionals, notable past presidents of the Institute, top government functionaries and foreign delegates from Ghana and Burkina Faso gathered for three days to share the latest information related to taxation and the development of Nigeria’s economy.

The conference was organised around lectures, creative and enlightening presentations and networking activities. Subject matters and challenges related to tax payment in Nigeria were covered from different perspectives.

The meeting provided an opportunity for all members to network and participate in the district presentations. The cultural troupe of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) was also on hand to welcome and entertain guests at the Hospitality Night.

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, opened the conference by assuring all that the Federal Government was determined to restore the social contract to the citizenry while calling for a reform in the tax system and a need to adopt the recommendations of the Nigerian Tax Policy Implementation Committee.

The main theme of the conference was presented by the Executive Chairman FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler. The presentations from experienced resource persons were robust and rich in content, and the delivery and participation at all sessions (in small groups and in groups) were impressive.

The presentations by district societies of the CITN from different states within the nation were very interesting and enlightening. At the end of the presentations, the Lagos and District Society emerged as first, Abuja District came second while the Society of Women in Taxation (SWIT) came third.

The 2018 annual tax quiz competition for tertiary institutions was also a high point at the conference as it was held to cover six geographical zones via the newly introduced Computer-Based Test (CBT) for elimination of students at the preliminary stage of the competition. Out of the 12 students that took the test, five were eliminated through this process while seven students made it to the conference for the second and final rounds of the competition.

Mr. Chinaza Ofobike of the University of Jos emerged as the winner with a cash prize of N300, 000, two desktop computers and CITN books worth N14, 000 for his institution. Miss Omanukwe Odinaka, who represented Nnamdi Azikwe University, emerged as the first runner-up with a cash prize of N200, 000, two desktop computers and CITN books worth N14, 000 for her institution. Mr. Orimijupa Olukunle David, a representative of the University of Lagos, emerged as the second runner-up with a cash prize of N100, 000, two desktop computers and CITN books worth N14, 000 for his institution.