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Group Advocates Fair, Equitable Tax System

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13 years ago

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The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), an
NGO, last week advocated for a fair, transparent and equitable tax system to
protect the rights and interest of Nigerians.

The Executive Director of CISLAC, Malam Auwal Rafsanjani,
said in Abuja that a progressive tax regime would control evasion by
multinationals.

According to him, paying attention to relationship between
tax, social inequality and resource mobilisation is a key for national
development and accountability in governance.

He said there were bottlenecks within the ministries,
departments and agencies that needed to be reviewed as part of an effective tax
system reforms.

“The dearth of data base and technical staff at the revenue
office contribute immensely to the inefficiency of tax system in the country, “
he said.

Rafsanjani said the country’s inability to adapt
international best practice in domestic taxation and monitoring of business
transactions had led to huge loss of revenues.

He said insufficient awareness and involvement of citizens
in the taxation process had contributed to the non-existence of active
citizenry demanding for accountability from government.

“There are leakages within the tax system in Nigeria that
reduce the amount of actual tax available to finance development and provide
service to the citizens, “ Rafsanjani said.

He expressed willingness of the organisation to embark on
sensitisation and creation of tax awareness among citizens at all levels, to
improve their knowledge on the system.

“We at the level of CISLAC are doing our best to sensitise
Nigerians on their rights in taxation and encouraging them to be patriotic
citizens to discharge their civil duties.

“If you contribute money, you should insist to know how such
money is being spent, this will promote transparency and accountability between
the leaders and masses. “

He stressed the need for advocacy, campaign and lobbying for
abolition of harmful and regressive tax practices and adoption of pro-poor tax
regimes.

Rafsanjani said that partnership and engagement with the
media on tax justice in Nigeria was very crucial, adding that it would make
room for further sensitisation.

“It is very significant to mobilise citizens at all levels,
to develop positive attitudes to tax payment and demand accountability and service
delivery. “

Rafsanjani called on Nigerians, irrespective of their
personality and status, to be law abiding by paying tax when due.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days 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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2 days 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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2 days 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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