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Special Tax Card Scheme Underway In Rivers

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14 years ago

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Plans are underway by the Rivers State Internal Revenue Board to introduce a special tax card system in the state.

The scheme follows the launch of the board’s new Tax Management Software(TMS) in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

The programme is a collaboration between the board, the Joint Tax Board and Skye Bank aimed at raising revenue and plugging leakages in the state’s tax system.

The Tide learnt that once the scheme comes on stream, all tax payers(both individual and corporate) would have a Tax Identification Number(TIN) as it would reduce the challenge of tracking tax evaders in the state.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after unveiling the new TMS, State Commissioner for Finance ,Dr. Chamberlain Peterside disclosed that the scheme was in tandem with the vision of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, whom he said was bent on raising the tax profile of the state with a view to diversifying the economy.

His words,” the vision of the Governor is to upgrade and modernise the Internal Revenue system in the state “.

Dr. Peterside explained that the Amaechi-led administration was poised to make revenue a core financial aspect of the state planning system, and gradually de-emphasise over reliance on federal allocation.

He added,” we should be able to get at least 50 percent of our total revenue from internal source and there is no way we can achieve this without ICT.”

Already, he divulged that the state revenue profile had risen from N2.5 billion in 2007 to about N5billion currently, while expressing the hope that the new software would further improve the internal revenue status of the state.

Special Assistant to the Governor on Revenue, Chief Nwankwo Nwankwo said the new tax software was geared at transforming the state tax system, and called for more dedication from staffers and members of the board.

The same view was expressed by the Acting Chairman of the board, Mrs. Alaliba Dokubo who commended Governor Amaechi for upgrading the state tax board.

She also thanked their partner ,Skye Bank for the technical and collaborative support it provided to ensure the success of the scheme.

Regional Director and Representative of Skye Bank ,Chike Memeh declared that the bank decided to assist the government in the project so as to raise the revenue profile of the state in line with the developmental agenda of the state government.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days 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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3 days ago

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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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3 days ago

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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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