Mr Muhammad Nami, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), has stressed the need for adequate investment in empowerment of women and girl child to promote tax administration in Nigeria.
Nami made the call at the 2020 Year-end and award ceremony, organised by the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
The FIRS boss, represented by Alhaji Adamu Kudu, Director, Special Taxes Department of FIRS, said that the role of women could never be undermined in accounting profession.
According to him, the role of SWAN is very important, as far as tax administration is concerned; FIRS as a body is responsible for assessing and accounting for taxes collected.
“These roles cannot be possible without the presence of SWAN in our midst; it is integral part of Nigeria tax system.
“It has been recognised and we will continue to recognise it, in as much as SWAN continues to play its role in supporting tax administration.
“All hands must be on deck to lift SWAN beyond expectations; today is important for all of us to flash back on what happened in 2020 and to prepare ourselves for 2021.
“Where we expect lots of challenges and we are bound to crash them as they come, we cannot move forward without the presence of SWAN in our midst,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the SWAN Chairperson of Abuja Chapter, Mrs Taiwo Ojo, promised to continue to work closely with the Federal Government and FIRS to promote growth in the tax administration system.
According to her, SWAN is not different from roles played by men in the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN).
“There is what the men are expected to do and there is what women are expected to do, which is exactly what we are doing in ICAN.
“The key objective of SWAN is to go out there and let the girl child know she can also be a Chartered Accountant.
“Both men and women can be Chartered Accountants; what we are trying to do is to enlighten them, to let them know they can become professionals, by starting from the soft aide of the ladder,” Ojo said.
In a separate interview, Hajia Kudirat Abdul-Hamid, Auditor-General for FCT Area Councils, Abuja, underscored the need for adequate investment in mentoring of the girl child, to achieve targets.
She noted that there was no discrimination between the male and female Accountant.
According to her, first, one becomes member of the institute having qualified, go through the professional exams and thereby enable the organisation reach the grassroots.
“To reach young people and encourage female participation in accounting profession; what we do cuts across coaching, mentoring and catching them young.
“By going to secondary schools to encourage them there, to take up the profession; it has been proven that women are the best managers of resources,” Abdul-Hamid said.
She explained that women proved to be outstanding in any industry they found themselves, adding that more should be done to empower a girl child.
NAN reports that the SWAN Abuja chapter consists of 300 Chartered Accountants.
High point of the event was citation and presentation of awards to distinguished personalities, cutting of SWAN cake and group photograph. (NAN)
