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Revenue Underpayment: Four Littoral States Demand N118 bn

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16 years ago

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Four littoral states of the federation, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Delta and Edo have called on the federal government to pay them N118 billion 13 per cent derivation revenues of between November 2006 and December 2008, claiming that they were underpaid for the period.

In a petition to the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the states noted that the implementation of the principle which was based on production average rather than actual production figures resulted in the underpayment to these states and overpayment to others.

According to a letter signed by Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, it noted that it is unfortunate that contrary to normal practice of reconciliation between production and   disbursements by the commission, it however failed to do same within the period.

According to Akpabio, details of the underpayments showed Abia State, N11,589, 736, 747.84; Akwa Ibom State, N42,292,251,176.95; Delta, N57,986, 727,351.05 and Edo, N6,123,308, 881.99.

States that were, however, overpaid during the same period are Bayelsa, N36,218, 407, 541.70; Cross River, N5,660, 738, 036.29; Imo N10,109,   248, 720.22; Ondo, N22;646,498, 608.18 and Rivers, N43,357,131, 251.48.  

“I have noted that the derivation indices computed for the littoral states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers were based on average production ratios for the period January to July, 2008. I have also noted the fact that unlike the pervious exercise … Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission did not reconcile the accounts of the various states to reflect what each state should have received from the derivation fund up to July 2008 based on actual production.

“As you are already aware, the payments made to littoral sates for the period November 2006 to July 2008 were based on average production ratios for the period January to October 2006.

“Pursuant to the above legal and constitutional provisions, it is mandatory for the RMAFC to ensure that payments made to the derivation states are based on the actual production from the natural resources attributed to such states”, Akpabio said.

He posited that the question of  clearing arrears as in this case is a constitutional issue and a legal matter based on the 1999 constitution and allocation of revenue (federation Account, etc) Act 1982. It is about rule of law and equity, saying that no one should seek to confuse the issue by bringing extraneous issues into it.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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9 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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9 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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9 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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