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FG Invests N30bn On National ID Scheme

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The Federal Government has approved N30.066 billion for a new national identity management system, Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Chris Onyemenam, has said.

Onyemenam disclosed this at an interview with newsmen, yesterday in Abuja.

“What government approved is N30.066 billion and the approval is intended to accelerate the rollout of the backend of the national identity management system.

“About five billion naira of that amount is already part of the 2011 appropriation act.”

Onyemenam said the remaining part of the money would be part of the 2012 and 2013 fiscal year budget proposal.

This, he said, would be subject to review, adding that it was a laudable project that would go a long way to sanitise the identification system.

He added that government’s approval of fund could be well taken to mean an interest in helping to implement a project that had transformational potential.

“President Goodluck Jonathan’s position as you know is transformation of the national economy for the citizenry both in terms of attitudinal disposition, employment creation, creation of economic opportunities and also creation of conducive environment,” he said.

Explaining the new strategies of the commission, he said that the new cards to be issued would have facilities that could be verifiable unlike the former one that had no verification facility.

He added that the expected identity card would be like a smart card with a database that would be readable when slotted into any card acceptable device or reader.

“We are saying that this is a new way of confirming the identity of individuals that has not happened in the past.

“It is in this sense that we are saying there’s a shift away from the old way of doing things to the new way of doing things.

“The new way of doing things is the new paradigm and that is what we mean when we say we are moving from a focus on identity card issuance to identity management system.”

Onyemenam assured of the commission’s commitment to ensuring effective identity management system in the country.

In a related development, the NIMC has said that it would complete the National Identity Management system by 2013.

The NIMC boss who made this known on Sunday in Abuja said that the system was designed in such a way that all government and non-governmental organisations with intention of building mini identification systems would tap into.

He said that the cards as well as the database would be designed such that updates could be made as required by government agencies desirous of taking advantage of the system.

Onyemenam said that it had become pertinent that all government databases spoke the same language and that was why the harmonisation of all identities became necessary.

“That is why we have a three-year plan period that by December 2013, we would have completed the harmonisation and integration process.

“We would make sure that all existing government databases speak the same language. As we say in our popular comments – we should all be singing from the same page of the hymn book.

“If this had been in place, it would then become unnecessary for most government establishments to begin to try to build their own mini databases, verification infrastructure, identity card and so on and so forth.”

Onyemenam decried what he termed the proliferation of identity management platforms, stressing that it was because the emphasis had always been on card issuance, rather than identity management.

he director-general said that after the harmonization of identity management, it would become easy for a bank teller or anybody to know the identity of the person before him or her and assist in minimising the risk of identity theft.

He said that it would be possible to authenticate and verify a person’s identity as the database would be web-based and if the person already had his entry in the database; it would be easy to authenticate.

Onyemenam added that information on the card was digitally and electronically stored and as such one could assert his identity wherever he went and in any transactional relationship.

“It’s digitally electronically stored and this is a simple business rule that will be extended across other agencies and private institutions as well.

He said that what was in use in the past was a 2-D barcode that did not have extensive application because it was not intended to.

He stressed that the commission would have a database that could be exploited either through web services or through the use of the card.

“The card which has a chip on it has provision for other government agencies to upload their data.

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FAAC Disburses N2.225trn For August, Highest In Nigeria

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The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.

This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.

The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.

The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.

From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.

From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.

Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.

From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.

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Tinubu Orders Fresh Push To Crash Food Prices

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President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.

 

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.

 

According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.

 

“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.

 

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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.

 

Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.

 

The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.

 

To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.

 

“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.

 

The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.

 

 

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Umahi Threatens Defaulting Contractors With EFCC Arrest

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The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.

The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.

Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.

On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.

“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”

He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance

“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.

Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.

“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.

The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.

He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.

Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.

He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.

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