Stepping Stone College, Agbabiaka, Ilorin, has won the grand prize of N2.5 million in the just concluded 2023 Tax Club Quiz Competition in Kwara.

The event, organised by the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, was held at the State Banquet Government Hall, Ilorin.

The college defeated five other schools that competed in the final stage of the competition.

A strong competitor and winner of last year's edition of the annual tax quiz competition, Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Ilorin emerged as the first runner-up and won a cash prize of N1.5 million. The Government Secondary School, Lafiagi, clinched the third spot and got N1 million for schools' projects.

Students in the first, second and third positions got prizes of N400,000, N300,000 and N200,000, respectively, while rewards for the teachers' category were N150,000, N100,000 and N50,000.

Eighteen secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of the state qualified for the semi-final round of the competition and after rounds of contested computer-based tests (CBT), six schools advanced to the final rounds of the competition.

The six schools were Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Egosi-Ile; Baptist Model High School, Kaiama; Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Ilorin; Government Secondary School, Lafiagi; Stepping Stone College, Ilorin; and UMCA Secondary School, Share.

Speaking at the grand finale ceremony, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji AbdulKadir Mahe Aliyu, congratulated the participants for their dedication since the commencement of the competition and also commended KW-IRS and the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development for initiating the programme, aimed at fostering tax education, awareness and compliance.

He said the programme was crucial to the socio-economic advancement, promotion of needed taxation skills and understanding among the younger generation in the state.

The governor said that his administration is devoted to the advancement of the state education sector and will not relent in empowering the youth and creating an enabling environment to learn and compete at various levels.

The Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Sa'adatu Modibbo-Kawu, stated that the Tax Club Quiz Competition is a programme that has continuously impacted the lives of secondary students in the state since its commencement.

Modibbo-Kawu described the initiative as a quality catch-them-young-top tax education program that will continue to bring about improvement in the promotion of civic responsibility.

She, therefore, expressed the ministry's keenness to continue to support KW-IRS in all needed areas and commended AbdulRazaq for his interest and investment in the education of Kwara since he assumed office.

The Chairman of the KW-IRS, Mrs. Shade Omoniyi, explained that the motive behind the Tax Club Quiz Competition is to nurture a generation of tax-compliant citizens and create notable taxation awareness in the growing population.

She congratulated all schools that expressed interest in this year's edition, adding that all participants are winners.