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Tax Harmonisation: ALGON Hails RSG

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The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, (ALGON), Rivers State, says it supports the tax harmonization plan of the Rivers State Government.
Secretary of ALGON, in the state, Samuel Nwanosike, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.
Nwanosike, who is also the caretaker committee chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area said the idea was to stop illegal and multiple taxation in the state.
According to him, when the government begins implementation of the policy, it would attract investors, increase the state’s revenue and ensure economic development.
“Since the governor has come up with a clear-cut road map for achieving a better Rivers State, we will support him”, he said.
He explained that the issue of double taxation had been hammered upon by investors as it scares them away from the state.
Nwanosike supported the harmonized tax regime from investors and companies in the state.
“The development will give investors the latitude to say, at the beginning of the year our tax as a business owner is X,Y,Z and this is where we will pay our tax.
“What the governor is saying is that tenement rate as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution is a prerogative of the local government councils, he said he is not going there,” he said.
He affirmed that it is an opportunity  for council authorities to manage their administrations properly.
Also supporting the state government in hamonising taxes and levies is a business expert Bob Ibifiri, who said the move would tighten the loop holes in the tax system.
Ibifiri, who is the president, Rivers  Enterpreneures and Investment Forum (REIF), said it would also encourage tax payment as the issue of multiple taxation would be taken care of, after the harmonization.
“He is a pointer to the singular fact that Rivers State is ready for business.
“This means that more of our investors, more of our partners, more of our investments will gradually trickle into the state, and basically that is what it means”, he said.
He debunked insinuations that the planned tax harmonization would not see the light of day, saying that it would rather only broaden the tax net.
“Because your tax net is broadened up, you find out that the internal revenue now ordinarily begin to have more people flocking into the tax offices to pay tax in contrast to what used to happen before” he said.

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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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