KADIRS Seeks CSOs’ Help to Tackle Taxpayer Apathy, Boost Revenue
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The Acting Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Dr. Lawal Muhammad, has called for stronger partnership with civil society organisations to deepen taxpayer education, improve service delivery and boost revenue generation in the state.
Muhammad made the call when the Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ&GP), Kaduna State Chapter, also known as Tax Justice Network, paid him a congratulatory visit following his appointment.
He said KADIRS could achieve more by working with civil society rather than operating in isolation, urging the platform to challenge the agency with bigger joint initiatives.
“Collaborative efforts consistently yield far better outcomes than working in isolation, and that remains our guiding philosophy,” Muhammad said.
The KADIRS boss, who previously worked in the civil society space, said he understood the challenges involved in driving reforms and assured stakeholders that the agency’s doors remained open to collaboration.
He specifically sought the platform’s intervention in sustaining radio programmes and other media engagements designed to educate taxpayers, describing the cost of such programmes as a major challenge for the agency.
“That’s the concern with radio programmes. Now, it’s a big headache for us because of so many issues. So, if you can come in with that initiative of supporting and making the payments so that we can continue, those are my thoughts. We’re going to do that,” he said.
Muhammad explained that despite huge investments in taxpayer education and sensitisation, reaching the wider population remained difficult because of varying levels of understanding and persistent misconceptions about taxation.
He, however, stressed that targeted engagement remained necessary because unresolved concerns among even small groups could eventually affect compliance and revenue.
The Acting Chairman also disclosed that the new tax law had been passed and signed by the Kaduna State Governor but was yet to be gazetted.
According to him, KADIRS is deliberately waiting for the official gazette before releasing materials or commencing wider implementation-related sensitisation.
He said once the gazette is released, KADIRS would partner with stakeholders to distribute copies, organise engagements, simplify the provisions and translate key aspects into local languages.
Muhammad said the caution was informed by previous experiences where materials were produced before gazetting and later had to be withdrawn.
He further warned that even a minor difference between a signed bill and its gazetted version could have serious legal consequences.
“Ultimately, the legality of any law rests entirely on the gazetted version. In court, only the official government gazette can be cited,” he said.
Earlier, TJ&GP State Coordinator, Simeon Olatunde, said the visit was not only to congratulate Muhammad but also to reaffirm the platform’s commitment to working with KADIRS to improve taxpayers’ experience.
Olatunde said the platform had already begun discussions with potential partners to support media awareness and sensitisation programmes, expressing optimism that positive feedback would soon emerge.
