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Experts Commend Fiscal Responsibility Act To States

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12 years ago

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Some experts at a recent retreat in Calabar, have attested to the level of macro-economic stability that has been recorded since the enforcement of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 by the federal government.

They noted that the government saved more than N115 billion between 2008 and 2012, and suggested that state governments too should adopt the legislation.

Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Alhaji Aliyu Yelwa,  who spoke at the retreat tagged: “Awareness on the Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), 2007’’, stressed that the adoption of the act by states would boost economic growth.

He stated that the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund rose from zero level in 2008 to N86.77 billion in 2012 following the implementation of the FRA.

Yelwa said that the feat would be replicated in the states if they adopt the FRA.

“After four and a half years of enforcement and monitoring of the FRA 2007 at the federal government level, there has been reasonable achievement in macro-economic stability of the national economy, prudent management of resources, fiscal discipline and transparency.

“Before the Fiscal Responsibility Commission came into being, ministries, departments and agencies were not obliged to pay operating surpluses into the Federal Government Consolidated Revenue Fund.

“From inception to 2012, the FRC had urged corporations to increase their contributions from nothing in 2008 to N17.09 billion in 2009, and progressively thereafter to N86.77 billion in 2012,’’ he said.

Experts insist that since the FRA is working well at the federal level, states should adopt it since they collect huge allocations from federally collected   revenue every month.

Commissioner, Policy and Standards at the FRC, Dr Sylvester Mordi, insists that for prudent management of the nation’s resources, states and local governments must also ensure accountability through fiscal responsibility.

Mordi said that at present, the FRC, going by its act and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, can only appeal to states to join, and not to force them.

It is, however, a welcome development that some states had indicated interest to adopt the FRA.

Niger recently sent a delegation to the FRC headquarters in Abuja to be acquainted with the FRA.

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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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