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2016 Budget:FG Sure Of Meeting Revenue Targets

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9 years ago

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United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR), Head of Field Unit in Makurdi, Mr Sam Agwa (left), with the UNHCR representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mrs Angele Dikongue, during an inspection visit to the UNHCR 200 Room-Shelter Support Project for internally displaced persons in Guma Local Government Area of Benue, recently.

United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR), Head of Field Unit in Makurdi, Mr Sam Agwa (left), with the UNHCR representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mrs Angele Dikongue, during an inspection visit to the UNHCR 200 Room-Shelter Support Project for internally displaced persons in Guma Local Government Area of Benue, recently.

The Minister of State for
Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, yesterday said that the Federal Government would achieve its revenue projections to finance the 2016 budget.
Ahmed gave the assurance in Kaduna at a Town Hall Meeting, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture to commemorate one-year in office of the President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration.
“We know there is a lot of pessimism about the very ambitious revenue projection in the 2016 budget, planned on oil bench-mark of 38 dollar per barrel.
“However, with the current oil price of 46 dollars per barrel, the Federal Government is very much optimistic that the revenue target will be largely achieved, “she said.
The minister said that the ministry had put in place several measures to ensure cost efficiency in management of government resources.
“We have a unit that scrutinises government expenditure to make sure that there is no wastage.
“We equally have a very robust implementation plan that interacts with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on monthly basis to find out capital development projects that they need resources to implement.
“We allocate the resources only on the assurance that the projects will be actually undertaken.
“We also hope to intensify the implementation of the public financial management reform in various MDAs to boost revenue and cut wastage, “she added.
Ahmed said that the current administration’s zero budgeting was facing some challenges, adding that efforts are on to address problems and harness the full benefits of the system.
She said that the Federal Executive Council had approved 34 priority projects and programmes in six sectors which would be delivered unfailingly.
The minister also said that the administration had taken measures to ensure that Nigeria achieved stable and predictable foreign exchange regime in the next one year.
“We also have a target to ensure a single digit interest rate for lending to the productive sector of the economy.
“The ministry of agriculture is also leading a process to attain sufficiency in rice production by 2018, and equally revamp and expand agro-allied processing to boost production of cash crops.
“Similarly, a road map is being developed to increase private sector investment in tourism, entertainment and sports which would be rolled out in the next 12 months”.
Ahmed also said that the Ministry of Trade and Investment had made a commitment to move the country 20 places up on the ease of doing businesses index, to attract more foreign direct investment into the country.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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6 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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6 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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6 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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