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Commissioners Okay FG’s N510bn Bailout Loan

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9 years ago

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The Federal Government’s decision to audit utilisation of the N510 billion stimulus package disbursed to states in 2016 has received the backing of Commissioners for Finance from the 36 States of the federation.
The endorsement was confirmed last Monday in Abuja by the Chairman, Forum of State Finance Commissioners of the Federation Account Allocation Committee, Mr Mahmoud Yunusa.
The Adamawa Finance Commissioner said the states would cooperate with the audit firms appointed by the government to carry out the exercise.
The Federal Government had, in December 2016, appointed eight accounting firms to evaluate the rate of compliance by state governments to the implementation of the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) which they signed in June 2016.
A total of 35 states signed onto the plan with Lagos being the only state that backed out of the agreement.
The FSP was a condition given by the Federal Government before it commenced the disbursement of the N510 billion budget support facility to the states to enable them pay workers’ salaries.
Before the conditional loan was released by the Federal Government, about 27 states were unable to pay the salaries of their workers.
The appointment of the firms was confirmed by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, through a statement by the Director, Information in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Salisu Dambatta.
The accounting firms are PriceWaterHouse Coopers, KPMG Professional Services, Ernst and Young, PKF Professional Services, Muhtari Dangana and Co, S.S. Afemikhe and Co, Ahmed Zakari and Co, and Ijewere and Co.
Yunusa said the scarcity of resources to implement the programmes of government owing to economic recession, had made it imperative for states to be prudent and transparent in the area of financial management.
“The plan of the Federal Government to audit the fiscal sustainability plan of the states is welcomed.
“They are welcome because we have nothing to hide in the states.
“The resources are no longer there and so whatever resources that we have, must be effectively, transparently and judiciously used to the benefit of the people,’’ he said.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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1 day 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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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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