The Federal Government, through the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, has opened the Students Tax Reform Challenge — a nationwide competition aimed at engaging young Nigerians on the country’s new tax reform laws.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to participate and everything to know about the initiative.

Purpose of the Challenge

The competition is designed to raise awareness and deepen understanding of Nigeria’s ongoing tax reform.

According to the committee, it aims to:

Promote tax education and inspire public dialogue among young Nigerians.

Encourage balanced, fact-based analysis of tax issues.

Build a network of youth ambassadors for constructive public engagement.

Reinforce the social contract by promoting civic duty and government accountability.

Who Can Apply

The challenge is open to:

Undergraduate students in Nigerian tertiary institutions — universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Graduates currently serving in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or awaiting mobilisation.

Applicants may enter individually or through student associations such as tax clubs, economics, accounting, or journalism societies.

What to Submit

Participants are required to create original published work on Nigeria’s new tax reform.

Accepted formats include:

Articles (print or online)

Videos

Podcasts

Radio features

Social media posts

Entries may be produced in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba, but those submitted in local languages must include English translations.

For audio and video entries, submissions must not exceed 10 minutes.

Publication Period

According to the tax reforms committee, only works published between July 1 and December 31, 2025, will be eligible.

What Makes a Strong Entry

The committee emphasised that entries must be:

Educative, engaging, and fact-based.

Objective and balanced, avoiding propaganda.

Ex-World Bank adviser urges Nigerians to support 2026 tax reform

Technically correct, explaining tax concepts accurately.

Accessible to the public, using simple, clear language.

Impactful, generating engagement through views, shares, or discussion.

Entries critical of the reforms are also welcome, provided they are factually grounded and constructive.

How the Competition Works

The contest will unfold in three stages:

Stage 1 – Screening:

All eligible applicants will take an online assessment on basic tax reform principles. The two top-performing students (male and female) from each institution will advance.

Stage 2 – Zonal Competitions:

Qualified candidates will make presentations before a panel of academics, journalists, tax officials, and professionals. One male and one female winner will emerge from each geopolitical zone.

Stage 3 – National Finals:

Zonal winners will compete in a televised and digitally streamed national event. A panel of judges will assess their presentations and select the overall winners.

Prizes and Recognition

The top three winners will receive cash prizes of:

N5 million – First prize

N3 million – Second prize

N2 million – Third prize

According to the committee, other finalists will receive gadgets, scholarships, internships, or employment opportunities.

In addition, each finalist’s student club or association will receive a ?2 million grant to host a tax education event within their institution.

All finalists will also be honoured as Tax Reform Youth Ambassadors, with opportunities to participate in national policy events.

How to Apply

Applications will open by the end of December 2025 via the official portal, fiscalreforms.ng.

To enter, students are expected to:

Publish their article, video, or podcast within the eligible period.

Ensure the work is educative, factual, and properly referenced.

Prepare an English translation if the content is in a local language.

Register and complete the online assessment when the portal opens.

Upload details of their published work (including links or evidence of engagement).

Follow Updates

Participants are encouraged to follow updates and announcements on social media using the hashtag #NGTaxReformChallenge.

The committee said the competition would not only reward creativity but also strengthen the culture of tax awareness among young Nigerians.

“All finalists will be named Tax Reform Youth Ambassadors and will have the opportunity to participate in national events,” it stated. (The PUNCH)