By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin

The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), in collaboration with the Kwara State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, has concluded the preliminary stage of the 2026 Tax Club Quiz Competition, with 12 secondary schools qualifying for the semi-finals.

A statement issued by the Corporate Affairs Department of the KW-IRS said the preliminary rounds ended on June 26 after commencing on June 23 with an online Computer-Based Test (CBT).

According to the statement, the competition was preceded by a virtual mock test organised by the KW-IRS Tax Club Advocacy Committee (TACAC) to familiarise participating schools with the online CBT format introduced in 2024.

It stated that 90 schools registered for the competition, while 87 participated in the preliminary rounds conducted online.

Following the first stage, 36 schools progressed to the second round, from which 12 schools emerged as semi-finalists.

The qualified schools comprise four from each of the state’s three senatorial districts.

Kwara Central: Government Day Secondary School, Oja Gboro; Saint Anthony’s Senior Secondary School; Ebenezer High School; and Ar-Raheem International College.

Kwara South: Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Offa; Oro Grammar School, Oro; Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo; and Hubbullah Islamic Model School, Omu-Aran.

Kwara North: Government Secondary School, Lafiagi; Baptist Model High School, Kaiama; Government Secondary School, Ilesha-Baruba; and Lafiagi Senior Secondary School.

Speaking on behalf of the Executive Chairman of KW-IRS, Mrs. Shade Omoniyi, the Convener of the KW-IRS Tax Club Advocacy Committee, Funmilola Oguntunbi, commended the successful completion of the preliminary rounds.

She said the Service had further upgraded the Tax Club online platform to strengthen the administration of the competition and improve the experience of participating schools.

According to her, the initiative aligns with the Service’s commitment to leveraging technology to promote seamless participation, transparency and efficiency in the annual Tax Club Quiz Competition.

Omoniyi congratulated the 12 schools that qualified for the semi-finals, commending their dedication, resilience and outstanding performance throughout the preliminary stages.

She also appreciated school principals, teachers and Local Government Area coordinators for their guidance, commitment and mentorship, which she said contributed significantly to the success of the participating schools.

Representatives of the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Roseline Ayansola and Mr. Imam Toyin Olanrewaju, who monitored the exercise and participated in the result analysis, also commended the participating schools for their commitment and enthusiasm.

The semi-final stage of the competition is scheduled to hold virtually in October 2026, while the top six schools will advance to the grand finale in November to compete for the overall prize of ₦2.5 million.