The Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has pledged to deepen its collaboration with the Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency (BEQA) in order to boost revenue generation and enforce quality standards in the education sector.
This was made known during a strategic engagement meeting held on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at the BIRS Headquarters in Makurdi, where the management of BEQA met with the Chairman of BIRS.
In his remarks, the Director-General of BEQA, Dr. Terna Francis, congratulated the BIRS Chairman, Hon. Joseph Kwaghgba, on his recent appointment. He explained that BEQA has a mandate to ensure quality assurance across both private and public schools below the tertiary level in Benue State. Dr. Francis recalled that earlier joint enforcement operations in Zones A and B had yielded significant revenue for the government.
He emphasized the importance of extending the exercise to Zone C as schools prepare to resume in September 2025, adding that this would improve compliance and strengthen the education system.
Responding, the BIRS Chairman, Hon. Joseph Kwaghgba, assured that his administration is committed to the partnership. He disclosed that a joint taskforce will be constituted immediately to carry out enforcement operations across the state.
According to him, the collaboration would focus not only on revenue defaulters but also on identifying and shutting down substandard schools operating outside approved regulatory frameworks.
He noted that effective tax compliance and quality education standards remain vital for sustainable development in Benue State.