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CBN Urges Security Agencies To End Naira Abuse

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12 years ago

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has called on law enforcement agencies in the country to step up actions in the enforcement of the law against abuse of the Naira.

CBN Deputy Governor (Operations), Tunde Lemo, made the call in Abeokuta at a sensitisation on the commencement of the cash-less policy in Ogun.

It could be recalled that in 2007, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo banned the abuse of the Naira and prescribed six months imprisonment or N50,000 fine, or both, for offenders.

Lemo expressed concern that law enforcement agencies had neither arrested nor prosecuted any Nigerian for ‘spraying’ money or abusing Naira notes since 2007, in spite of the fact that the practice had not abated.

He absolved the apex bank from blame over the issue, saying the CBN was handicapped.

“The Central Bank is a regulatory institution. It is not a law enforcement agency.

“You know it is criminal to spray money in Nigeria, yet nobody has been arrested by law enforcement agencies in spite of the fact that abuses still go on, particularly at social gatherings.

“We can’t do the work of the law enforcement agencies; we can’t do EFCC’s job; we are playing our role; let others play their own too.

“The CBN is doing its job. Other entities within the system and the same value chain have their roles to play even down to the individual level, and we expect those institutions to live up to expectation.

“CBN cannot go out to arrest people over abuse of Naira, we can’t do the job of law enforcement, it is not part of our mandate,” he said.

Lemo said that the apex bank’s cash-less policy would commence in Ogun and five other states from July 1.

He said the policy would not only drive economic growth through efficient modern payment system but would also create thousands of jobs for Nigerians.

“This policy is going to create thousands of jobs.

“Merchants who will place Point of Sale (POS) machines at various locations are at the moment recruiting hundreds of people across the nation to help drive the process.

The CBN deputy governor allayed fears over the policy, saying it was aimed at discouraging excessive reliance on physical cash and encouraging electronic-based transactions in the country.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 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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3 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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3 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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