News

Border Closure Pushes Inflation Rate To 11.24% -NBS

Published

7 years ago

October 16, 2019

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), yesterday, released the Consumer Price Index which measures inflation with the index rising to 11.24 per cent in September.
The 11.24 per cent represents an increase of 0.22 per cent when compared to the 11.24 per cent recorded in August.
The prices of food items have been on a steady increase since August when the Federal Government closed Nigeria’s borders to neighbouring countries.
However, the Federal Government has announced a total ban on the import and export of goods at the land borders nationwide in the ongoing joint border operation, tagged: “Exercise Swift Response”.
The operation began on August 20, 2019, involving Customs and Immigration with support from Army and other security agencies.
The joint border security is being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and covers the four geopolitical zones, including South-South, South-West, North-Central and the North-West.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) said: “The issue of movement of goods is not the same thing with movement of persons.
“Let’s understand that all perishable items are on prohibition whether on export or import. Therefore, nobody can carry tomato to the border to import or export. So, it makes it easier for us to close and ensure that all goods for now are banned from being exported or imported through our land borders.
“That is to ensure that we have total control over what comes in and what we do. We are strategizing on how best the goods can be handled when we get to when this operation will relax,” he noted.
Ali, however, advised local dealers, who want to export or to import items, to use the seaports is the only access at present.
On when the operations, which is nearly two months will end, Ali said, “It is as long as it will take our neighbours to come to the table and agree to execute exactly what was agreed upon during former Olusegun Obasanjo’s time which is simple adherence to ECOWAS transit procedure. That has not happened.”
In a response on how the operation is impinging on the fundamental rights of persons to movement, the Customs boss said, “When it comes to security, all other laws take a backseat. Nigeria must survive first then we can begin to consider your rights.”
Nevertheless, the Federal Government has refused entry for 1,111 irregular migrants in the past two months of the ongoing joint border operations just as it has removed 728 others who are already in the country.
The Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, at a joint briefing with Customs in Abuja, who revealed this, said that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had also stopped many on irregular migration since August 20 when the operation began.
He said: “Before this operation, people enter into the country in and out. But this operation has enhanced the ECOWAS rule on entry and exit of persons.
“We have refused entry for 1,111 people who do not have the right travel documents to enter Nigeria. Among the 147 people we have arrested, many are not even citizens of ECOWAS states.
“We have arrested Pakistanis and North Koreans; we have deported seven and processing deportation of the others. 728 who have entered into the country have been removed,” he explained.
The Coordinator of the Exercise at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Brig-Gen. Emmanuel Aliyu Ndagi, said the operation had promoted inter-agency harmony, adding that the agencies involved had been directed to use only minimum force in the process.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), who spoke on how the operation was impinging on the fundamental rights of movement, said: “When it comes to security, all other laws take a backseat. Nigeria must survive first then we can begin to consider your rights.”
Speaking on the gains, he said: “As it is in the last report, our consumption of petroleum products has reduced by 10.2 million litres which means that has been continuously been smuggled to our neighbouring countries.”
He said goods worth N1.43billion had been seized while operatives had arrested 317 suspected smugglers and 147 illegal migrants, seized 21,071 bags of foreign rice, 190 vehicles, 891 drums of petrol, 2,665 can of vegetable oil, 66,000 litres tanker of vegetable oil, 133 motorcycles, 70 cans of petrol and 131 bags of fertilizer used for making explosives.
“As a result of this closure, Niger Republic has already circulated an order banning exportation of rice in any form to Nigeria,” Ali added.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the deployment of drones, aircraft and geospatial technology for the monitoring of borders, it was learnt, yesterday.
A source said the strategy was part of the e-Customs that the nation will use for the surveillance of the movement of illicit goods and persons.
With the procurement and deployment of the e-Customs, the borders shall record a watertight security that will foreclose the need for the erection of physical walls.
The source said: “The President has just approved e-Customs. E-Customs encompasses the deployment of border management technology, which will incorporate the use of drones, aircraft and other geo-spatial technology to be able to monitor our borders to ensure that any illicit movement of goods and persons do not take place. Once that is in place, I think we will be very safe that we do not need walls to be erected.”
This is coming on the heels of the joint operation border patrol code-named ‘EX-SWIFT RESPONSE.”
The Ex-SWIFT RESPONSE, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), comprises the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies to address trans-border security issues.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller-General, Mohammed Babandede, disclosed in Abuja at the joint press briefing of the EX-SWIFT RESPONSE that President Buhari approved has enhanced the implementation of the ECOWAS protocol.
Following the implementation, the NIS, according to him, has ensured “if you don’t have travelling document, we (immigration) cannot allow you to leave Nigeria. We have refused the entrance of 1,111 people, who wanted to enter into Nigeria. “
Continuing, he said that we have removed people that have already entered, 728 people have been removed.”
Babandede revealed that there are non-ECOWAS nationals among those that the NIS arrested during the ongoing border closure.
The Immigration boss revealed: “We have arrested Pakistanis. We have arrested North Koreans. Those people are supposed to be deported. We have deported around seven of them. We getting the documentation to make sure they reach North Korean.”
He noted that illegal migrants have been banned from entering into Nigeria for life even through recognized routes.
He added that with the closure of borders, there has been reduction in banditry and kidnapping, stressing that some of the criminals are foreigners.
He vowed that the NIS operatives will continue the border monitoring to ensure that only legitimate migrants enter into Nigeria through the legal routes.

News

Fubara Reaffirms Commitment To Blue Economy, Private Sector Growth …Calls For Protection Of Marine Resources

Published

36 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment towards fostering private sector-driven economic growth and harnessing the vast opportunities within the blue economy to drive national development.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, made this known during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), held in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, Governor Fubara described the conference theme, “The Gulf of Guinea and Blue Economy: Pathways to Trade, Investment and Security Towards a $1 Trillion Economy,” as both timely and strategic.

?The governor welcomed the leadership of NACCIMA, delegates from the 115 Chambers of Commerce across Nigeria, members of the diplomatic corps, captains of industry, investors, and other distinguished guests to Rivers State.

?He commended the National President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, for choosing Rivers State as the host of the 2026 conference, noting that the decision had drawn national attention to the immense economic opportunities embedded in the blue economy.

?Fubara stated that the blue economy possesses the capacity to generate revenue that could surpass earnings from the oil and gas sector if properly developed and managed.

?He stressed the need for Nigeria and other countries along the Gulf of Guinea to take deliberate steps toward maximizing the benefits of their maritime resources while guarding against the continued exploitation of coastal assets by foreign operators.

?Expressing concern over the activities of foreign fishing trawlers operating in Nigerian waters, the governor noted that many harvest seafood resources without making meaningful economic contributions to the country.

?He emphasized the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms and enhanced protection of Nigeria’s marine resources.

?”We must wake up and hit the ground running. If we do not capitalize on and utilize our blue economy, other nations will utilize it for us,” he stated.

?The governor thanked NACCIMA for what he described as a timely wake-up call on the importance of the blue economy and maritime security, adding that the successful hosting of the conference in Rivers State demonstrates the state’s safety, hospitality, and readiness for business and investment.

?Earlier in his remarks, the President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government for hosting the 66th Annual General Conference of the Association and for the warm reception accorded delegates.

?He noted that the state’s commitment to hosting the conference reflects its readiness for business and has helped restore investors’ confidence in its economic potential.

?According to him, NACCIMA highly values the cordial relationship between the Rivers State Government and the organized private sector, emphasizing that the association remains the foremost voice of the Nigerian business community.

?In her welcome address, the President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Dr. Chinyere Nwoga, described the conference as a historic milestone, noting that it was the first time in the Chamber’s 66-year history that it was hosting the national body of NACCIMA.

Nwoga commended the national leadership for entrusting PHCCIMA with the hosting rights and pledged the Chamber’s continued commitment to advancing the objectives of the association and promoting sustainable economic growth through private sector engagement.

News

Fubara Seals Off Collapsed Building Site, Orders Investigation

Published

1 hour ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered a complete seal-off of the site of a five-storey building which collapsed last Wednesday, killing one person and injuring several others in Port Harcourt.

Fubara gave the order during his visit to the site of the collapsed building last Thursday to assess the situation.

He said the site will remain “completely sealed off” until the government gets to the “root cause” of the incident.

He described the incident as unfortunate but observed that preliminary investigation had shown that the developer had earlier refused to subject his site to inspection by the state authorities and comply with the necessary building regulations.

The governor, who inspected the site alongside the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sir Amairigha Edward Hart, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties, Dabite Sokari George, explained that he couldn’t visit the site the previous day because he was awaiting formal briefing from the relevant agency of government on the situation.

“We’re here to see for ourselves the very unfortunate incident that took place here. I didn’t come yesterday because I wanted to get the report first, and the Commissioner did brief me that the incident site, first, is not as claimed by the developer, that it’s not under the jurisdiction of the state; that it’s under the jurisdiction of the Federal Housing Authority.

“He also informed me that when the project was ongoing, they came here severally to inspect what was happening and also to see the level of compliance. But unfortunately, that the developer kept claiming that we don’t have any right to interfere,” he said.

Fubara said that the issue was no longer about interference but about the life lost to the building collapse and the collateral damage brought upon the family of the deceased.

He extended condolences to the families of the victims, insisting that the incident could have been avoided if the developer had complied with the rules guiding the engineering design and construction of such a structure in the 21st century.

“We feel very sorry and very regretful that such an incident should be happening in this 21st century because technology has advanced, engineering has developed. I wonder what kind of engineer would even allow this kind of project to go on when everything about it from inception has been faulty.

“I think that at this point, nothing is going to happen on this site any more. We are going to make sure that this place is completely sealed off until we get to the root cause of this incident,” the governor said.

News

TCN Announces Blackout In Five States

Published

3 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Transmission Commission of Nigeria has announced electricity disruption in parts of Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Yobe States, as well as Gazaoua in the Niger Republic.

The spokesperson of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement yesterday

The outage is due to planned maintenance at Kumbotos’ 330 kilovolt transmission substation on Sunday.

Consequently, electricity customers served by Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, and Yola Electricity Distribution Company will experience power disruption.

“The scheduled maintenance is to enable the TCN contractor to continue the ongoing upgrade of 330kV bus II jumpers and replace the existing 350mm² conductors with 800mm² conductors in order to strengthen the transmission network and improve power reliability.

“As a result, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) and some part of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) will be unable to off-take power for distribution to their customers in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States, as well as Azare in Bauchi State, Nguru in Yobe State, and also Gazaoua in the Niger Republic,” TCN stated.