Students from four secondary schools in Plateau State gathered in Jos on Monday for a spirited debate on taxation, corruption and national development during the second edition of the Secondary Schools Debate Competition organised by the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS).
The event, held at the PSIRS headquarters, formed part of activities marking the 2026 Taxpayers Month celebration aimed at promoting tax awareness and civic responsibility among young people.
Participating schools included Government Secondary School Anglo-Jos, Government Secondary School Kufang, Airforce Military School and St. Augustine College.
The students engaged in intellectually stimulating debates that examined key issues surrounding taxation and its impact on national development.One of the major debate motions focused on “The Equity of Universal Participation,” where students argued whether the 2025 tax reform exempting low-income earners from Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) violates the canon of equity by creating a social contract where only a minority funds government expenditure.
Another motion explored the theme “Tax Evasion vs Corruption,” with participants presenting arguments on whether tax evasion poses a greater threat to national development than corruption.
At the end of the competition, Government Secondary School Kufang emerged winner in the government schools category, while St. Augustine College clinched the top position in the non-government schools category. Airforce Military School and Government Secondary School Anglo-Jos finished as runners-up.
Chairman of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, Jim Pam Wayas, presented cash prizes of ₦1 million each to the winning schools, while the runners-up received ₦500,000 each.
Gift items were also distributed to participating students and their teachers.Wayas explained that the debate competition was designed to deepen students’ understanding of taxation and public finance beyond classroom theory.
According to him, the initiative provides students with an opportunity to interact with professionals in the taxation field and exchange ideas that could inspire future careers.
Secretary to the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, Rehila Olu-Sailas, said the debate forms part of activities marking the annual Taxpayers Month celebration.
She explained that the month-long programme was introduced to appreciate taxpayers for their contributions to internally generated revenue in the state.
According to her, activities lined up for the celebration include recognition of compliant taxpayers, community tax awareness campaigns and educational outreach programmes aimed at promoting tax education.
Some of the participating students also expressed excitement after the competition.A student of Government Secondary School Kufang, Mercy Ejembi, said the experience was inspiring.
“I feel really happy for what just happened. I want to thank God, my parents, my teachers and the organizers of this wonderful event. I also want to encourage other students that they can do even better than us. As long as God is with you, anyone can achieve anything,” she said.
Another participant, Ndam Jacob of St. Augustine College, said the debate helped broaden his academic interests.“I am very happy participating in this debate because it has exposed me to go beyond the classroom, to research and think critically about taxation. I initially wanted to study medicine, but this experience has made me develop interest in economics,” he said.
