Government Secondary School, Lafiagi, has emerged winner of the 2026 Kwara State Tax Club Quiz Competition, organised by the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.
The competition, held on Wednesday, November 4, at the Ilorin Innovation Hub, featured six secondary schools competing for prizes, including a N2.5 million award for the winning school’s project.
Government Secondary School, Lafiagi, secured the first position after answering all questions correctly in both rounds of the final. The school received N2.5 million for its project, while the participating students and their teacher received N400,000 and N150,000 respectively.
Saint Anthony’s Secondary School, Ilorin, finished second, winning N1.5 million for its school project, N300,000 for its students and N100,000 for its teacher. Ebenezer High School, Ilorin, came third, receiving N1 million for its project, N200,000 for its students and N50,000 for its teacher.
Ansar-U-Deen College, Offa; Government Secondary School, Ilesha-Baruba; and Oro Grammar School, Oro, finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Speaking at the event, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olorungbebe, commended KWIRS and the ministry for sustaining the initiative.
The governor said the competition was helping students understand their civic responsibilities and the relationship between taxation, public revenue, accountability and infrastructural development.
He added that introducing young people to the principles of taxation would encourage responsible citizenship and prepare them to contribute to the state’s development.
In her remarks, the Executive Chairman of KWIRS, Shade Omoniyi, said the competition was designed to educate students on the importance of tax payment as a civic responsibility and its role in funding public infrastructure and essential services.
She also noted that the initiative helps students develop confidence, critical-thinking abilities and a healthy competitive spirit. Omoniyi appreciated the state government, the Ministry of Education, the Tax Club Advocacy Committee and other stakeholders for their support, disclosing that 90 schools registered for this year’s competition.
Goodwill messages were delivered by government officials, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, including the Commissioners for Youth Development, Shehu Ndanusa Usman, and Finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, as well as the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, and the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Kawu.
The Director of Income Tax at KWIRS, Mohammed Usman, commended the participating schools and thanked the dignitaries, traditional rulers and other stakeholders for supporting the competition.
