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Minister Advises States On IGR

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10 years ago

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has advised state governments to engage in activities that will boost their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to augment their income.
Mohammed gave advice at a news forum in Abuja.
The minister’s call is coming against the backdrop of recent complaints by the Governors’ Forum, which called on the federal and state governments as well as the organised labour to agree on a realistic minimum wage for workers in the face of dwindling revenue from oil sales.
According to him, the situation is what it is today because Nigeria has depended on oil for too long.
“What the governors are saying is very simple; they are saying: ‘we used to receive x amount of money before, but now we are receiving much less’.
“I am told that a state received N55 million in the last Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distribution.
“Million, million not billion; 55 million. Now, I don’t think the governors are saying they won’t pay N18,000.
“The governors are saying, ‘we have problems’, and I think solutions will be for the governors and the organised labour to sit down.
“They should not discuss at a distance. They should sit down and discuss, let the governors present their case, let the labour look at it and let them reach an amicable solution.
“But the bottom line, frankly speaking, is that for too long we’ve depended on fuel.
“Oil has crashed from $104 to $38 and if you look at the forecast, it might not go beyond $40 or $42 next year, because with Iran back in the loop and America with the Shell oil and Shell Gas, it will be a miracle if the price jumps up in the next few months.
“However, what states can do also, in my view, is probably to invest more in their tax drive.
“Every state now must understand that it is not helpful to rely solely on the federal revenue.
“States’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) must be looked into, but of course I always realise that the more tax people pay the more they also expect from government.
“It is like a chick and egg kind of situation, but the bottom line is that we are living in a very tough time.
“Like I always say, tough times don’t last but tough men do and this government is the tough one.’’
He urged Nigerians to pray for a turning around in the nation’s economy to enable the Federal Government to improve workers’ salaries.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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