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FCT IRS Targets N100bn Revenue Collection In 2020

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The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT IRS) says it is targeting to collect N100 billion revenue in the territory in 2020.
The Executive Chairman of FCT IRS, Mr Abdullahi Attah, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.
He said, based on the preparation put in place and the records of what the service had realised since it took over from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the target would be achieved.
According  to him, the plan of the service to key into Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) by the end of this year would help to double or triple collection of tax in FCT.
He explained that the service would continue to sensitise the public on their activities, adding that inadequate awareness creation was still a challenge the FCT IRS was being confronted with.
“One of our challenges is on awareness creation, in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Nigerians then understood the value of taxation and they filed their taxes without being asked.
“We are now planning to sensitise the citizens in this regard so they can pay their taxes and file return voluntarily.
“I know it will take a while but we will get there with massive campaign and awareness creation,” he said.
The chairman emphasised the need to focus on tax collection to boost revenue, adding that relying on oil was not good for a country like Nigeria.
He said that if Nigeria developed a culture to pay tax, it would help to further increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Speaking on the call to bring informal sector to the tax net, Attah said it was a welcome development.
He noted that though the service under his leadership was currently working to leverage the formal sector by ensuring those due to pay tax do so.
According to him, in spite its concentration on the formal sector, effort is also ongoing to bring the informal sector like traders and artisans to the tax net in due course.
“We may not get revenue from informal sector as much as we can from formal sector, for instance the tax you collect from 1,000 tricycle owners you can collect from few residents of Asokoro and Maitama.
“We are now concentating on the ‘Parato Principle’ of 20, 80, that is focusing on 20 per cent of people that will give you 80 per cent of the revenue.”
The chairman commended FIRS for the smooth hand over of tax collection to the FCT.
He also commended the FIRS for donating facilities, vehicles and personnel for the smooth take-off of FCT IRS in January 2018. (NAN)

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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