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MDAs Failed To Remit N1trn – FRC

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Ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government are in deficit of over N1tn to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) announced on Wednesday.
It also announced that the FRC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had resolved to partner in the recovery of assets and capital projects tracking in the fight against corruption.
Both organisations also expressed their commitments to the exchange of ideas and resources in prosecuting the fight against corruption in public finance management across the country.
The Head of Communications, FRC, Bede Anyanwu, said in a statement issued in Abuja that these formed part of the outcomes of a courtesy call by the management team of the FRC to the ICPC head office.
The FRC team was led by the commission’s Chairman , Victor Muruako, and was received by the ICPC management led by its Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye.
At the meeting, Muruako told his host that while the FRC had caused over N1.75 tn to be remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the last 11 years, agencies of government were in deficit of over N1tn.
The statement read in part, “Muruako revealed that while the FRC has caused over N1.75 tn to be remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the last 11 years,  agencies of government are in deficit of over N1tn, which a close working relationship with the ICPC can help retrieve and further block loopholes in public finance management”.
Muruako said the relationship between FRC and the ICPC must be rejigged for better results against inefficiency and corruption.
He said the FRC was statutorily charged with the mandate to monitor the implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.
He said, “The commission is an institutional response to the quest for a regime of prudent , ethical and efficient management of public finances at all tiers of the government in Nigeria.
“In order to ensure that the FRA is adhered to, the commission had to devise alternative strategies to nudge the ministries, department and agencies to discharge their functions through stakeholders’ interactions and bilateral engagements geared towards increasing awareness and understanding the requirements of the FRA 2007″.
On his part, Owasanoye identified assets recovery and capital projects tracking as areas of immediate cooperation between his agency and the FRC.
He said the mandates of FRC and ICPC had made it expedient for both organi-sations to work together to eliminate impunity and corruption in public office.

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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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