Nigeria to automate export permit process to boost fx liquidity – Trade minister

Nigeria is taking steps to streamline its export permit process in a bid to bolster foreign exchange liquidity, according to the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment. Working in collaboration with the Customs Service, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Ministry of Finance, the government aims to automate the export permit process to enhance transparency and ensure accurate repatriation of export proceeds.

These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to strengthen liquidity in the foreign exchange market and stabilize the Nigerian currency. Recently, the CBN adjusted the allowable price deviation limits for exports and imports, discouraging practices such as over-invoicing, which can divert foreign exchange from the country.

Minister Doris Uzoka-Anite emphasized the ongoing efforts to digitize the export permit process, enhancing visibility and accountability. Speaking at a Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, she highlighted the collaboration among government agencies to facilitate a transparent and auditable export framework.

In addition to regulatory reforms, Nigeria has attracted over $30 billion in investment commitments from both international and local investors across various sectors. Minister Anite underscored the significance of this influx, citing it as a vote of confidence in Nigeria's economy.

These commitments span diverse industries, including manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy. Investments from countries like India and the UAE, as well as partnerships with organizations like the Confederation of Indian Industries, demonstrate Nigeria's growing appeal as an investment destination.

Specifically, significant investments have been pledged to Nigeria's steel sector, with a leading Indian manufacturer committing $7 billion. Additionally, the oil and gas sector has seen substantial interest, with $10 billion earmarked for the oil and gas free zone.

Furthermore, the Nigerian Bottling Company has already invested $1.3 billion over the past decade, with plans for an additional $1 billion investment over the next five years, highlighting ongoing confidence in Nigeria's market potential.

Fuel Subsidy Removal: Minister Applauds IPMAN for Embracing CNG Initiative

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has hailed the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) for its remarkable efforts in championing the course of Green Energy introduced by the Federal Government following the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.

Idris, who made the remarks when he received the National Executive Committee of IPMAN in his office in Abuja on Thursday for a courtesy visit, said the Federal Government aims to bring down the cost of transportation by over 50% through the CNG Initiative.

“In the wake of the removal of fuel subsidy, of course it was expected that the price of PMS will go up. This will in turn affect the transportation cost for Nigerians going to and fro their various places of work.

“The Federal Government immediately thought it wise, in addition to other measures, to introduce the CNG.  The CNG is expected to bring down the cost of transportation by more than 50% and I am happy that IPMAN is in the forefront in this vanguard of achieving the CNG Initiative,” he said.

The Minister said President Tinubu's bold move to remove the fuel subsidy has presented a unique opportunity for organizations like IPMAN to take the lead in shaping the energy landscape in Nigeria. 

The Minister said Nigeria as a nation has been looking for alternative ways of bringing down the cost of transportation and the CNG is the surest way to go.

Idris said, already, the Federal Government, in the first instance, has set aside N100 billion for the purchase of CNG buses and the establishment of CNG centres across the country. This he said, was in addition to the introduction of tax waivers for the importers of CNG kits as well as other investors in the sub-sector. 

“You would recall that the Federal Government in the first instance, set aside N100 billion for the purchase of CNG buses and establishment of CNG centres around the country,” he said.

While enlisting the support of IPMAN for the success of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister acknowledged them for considering his ministry as well as its agencies as veritable partners in their desire to counter fake news being propagated on the activities of IPMAN.

The Minister bemoaned how fake news has done so much damage to the various fabrics of the society and said there is a ray of hope through the collaboration of his ministry and UNESCO to come up with measures to curb the menace of fake news.

He pledged to give more visibility to the in-house curated programme of the Association tagged “IPMAN Today”, on the various public information agencies under his ministry.

Idris also promised to utilize the 30,000 member structure of IPMAN in the implementation of the value re-orientation programmes encapsulated in the National Value Charter.

In his remarks, the President of IPMAN, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi Shettima pledged the unalloyed support of the Association for the President’s CNG Initiative and promised to complement government in the green energy programme, which will give a boost to the realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President.

He decried how prices of petroleum products are constantly being manipulated through the spread of fake news and sought the support of the ministry to combat the menace.

Alhaji Shettima said, on their part, IPMAN has come up with a programme tagged “IPMAN Today” - a radio and television programme, which would serve as the authentic source of news on the activities of the Association.

Renewed Hope: SSA On Special Needs Facilitate Empowerment Program For PWDs

 

In fulfilment of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration for disability inclusion, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has proactively facilitated the empowerment of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) via the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

Through the instrumentality of his office, Hon. Abba Isa demonstrated his  commitment to inclusivity by midwifing the inclusion of five PWDs in the recent empowerment program organized by the agency.

 The SSAP ensured that SMEDAN allocated the prescribed 5% statutory quota for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in accordance with the national disability law in the National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI) recently launched by the agency.

The Senior Presidential aide, in a statement on Sunday, noted that this initiative is in furtherance of  the mandate of his office to proactively create avenues of opportunities for inclusion through inculcation of disability requirements and perspectives in the policies, plans and programmes of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government in line 

with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.

Hon. Abba Isa vowed to continue to seize every opportunity available in both government MDAs and private initiatives for the betterment of the lives of PWDs in the country as rightly stated in mandate given to him by the President.

The SSAP  thanked President Tinubu for his vision for disability inclusion, while reiterating Mr President's unwavering commitment to fostering an environment where all citizens, including those with disabilities, can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the nation's economic development in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda.

Recall that SMEDAN had last Friday awarded startup kits to some Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and other entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. 

The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, announced the gesture on Friday in Abuja. 

Odii said that the empowerment was done under the National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI) of the agency.

 The SMEDAN DG restated the Federal Government's commitment to ensuring an inclusive government that leaves no one behind, especially the youth, women and PWDs. 

No fewer than 55 persons were trained and awarded certificates and start-up kits in the federal Capital Territory. 

Of this number, 5 Persons With Disabilities drawn from different disability clusters which included the Visually impaired, the Physically challenged, the Amputees and the Deaf attended the training.

The names of the PWD participants are Anyanwu Perpetua Ada, Grace Dalla, Ashiru Abdullah, Jane Oke and Adero Umar.

Some of participants who trained in fashion designing received industrial machines and while those who trained in catering, received mixers, gas cylinders and an industrial oven each. 

The participants, who trained in leather works, were also equipped with the necessary machines for their business. 

One of the PWD awardees, Mr Adero Umar, thanked SMEDAN and the government for the opportunity provided for them to be part of the training. 

Umar said: “I am happy for this opportunity and the materials in leather works, which I have received today. 

“I will not roam the streets begging because I have acquired a skill and will be able not only to start my own shoe business but employ people like me to join me in my business.” 

Another PWD, Mr Ashiru abdullahi who is already a fashion designer, thanked the agency, saying the industrial sewing machine he got would enable him to expand his business. 

Adamawa Election Petition faces hick ups as powerful people intend to use Ulama's to divert the attention of Judges, President - Otunba

Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Adamawa State, Umar Madawaki, has raised alarm over what he described as a "group of selfish, self centered, single track-minded, yet hand picked Ulama's", who have been invited and "sponsored to Abuja" in an uprising against Senator Aishatu Binani on religious grounds.

In a statement issued yesterday, he lamented that the sponsored attempt is to be led by a very high government official to "deceive the President Commander In Chief Of The Armed Forces Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the great people of Adamawa who stood solidly, come rain come shower to vote for their darling politician Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani  as Governor, are now surprisingly against her leadership of the state on religious grounds". 

"It is a well known fact that they have raised a high powered group of government officials and close friends of the Hon. Minister Of Justice and Attorney General Of The Federation, to persuade him to intervene in their favour by providing some soft landing for the opposition party, the Hon. Minister being a shrewed lawyer and now the custodian of our justice system, the attempt is not likely to yield the required result," he said.

Madawaki recalled that Sen. Binani picked her nomination and expression of interest form unchallenged, participated in the primary elections unchallenged, and comfortably defeated five other male contestants to become the flag bearer of her party.

While expressing hope that President Bola Tinubu is "too smart to be played around by these empty skulls", he posited that Adamawa people are adherents of both Islam and Christianity. "Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani couldn't have emerged as winner of the elections if only christians voted for her".

Madawaki said the attempt to blackmail Sen. Binani's emergence as Governor is a mere conspiracy with a sinister motive to satisfy to whimps and caprices of their sponsors who stand to gain in the end.

He urged Tinubu to disregard the fabricated plans and allow justice to take its course, adding that religious leaders should concern themselves with the dictates of their revealed books and not politics. . 

"Her trouble started when some of those who lost at the primaries felt slighted. They collectively started their evil machination's, to stop her from winning the general elections. However, the people of Adamawa proved them wrong and Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani emerged the winner until her mandate was stolen. 

"The analogy is that the opposition party also fielded a female candidate as Deputy Governor, if the so called sponsored Ulama's were honest enough, why didn't they raise issues on that, it is a solid fact that the ticket of the Governor and Deputy Governor has been constitutionally adjudged to be one and the same. That explains why when the Governor is on annual leave, the Deputy will act as Governor, when the Governor is incapacitated the deputy will also act and in the event of death or impeachment the Deputy Governor will take over.

"It is public knowledge that the leadership of the Muslim council of Adamawa State led a delegation to congratulate the Deputy Governor while acting as Governor of Adamawa State. 

"Looking at this issue from a global perspective, we are all witnesses to the emergence of several Muslims women in predominantly Muslim countries as either Prime Ministers or presidents. 

"Such Muslims like Mrs Benazir Bhutto as the 11th and 13th Prime Minister, of Pakistan between 1988-90 and 1993-96 becoming the first woman leader in modern history. Mrs. Tansa Ciller also led turkey 1993-96 as Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina was Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Mame Madior, rose as Prime Minister of Senegal and Megarati Sukamoputri was voted as President of Indonesia (2001-2004), Rosa Otunbayeva, President of kyrgyztan 2010-2011, Atifete Jahjaga current President of Kosovo 2011- present. Klaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh 1991-96, 2001-2006.

"Non of these hired Ulama's has spoken, written or condemn the ascendancy of these Muslim women to power at anytime in their public lectures or before any council or group of leaders," his statement read.

NCPWD Set To Partner Stakeholders On Providing Accurate Data Of Persons With Disabilities In Nigeria

In order to migrate the Database of the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities from a descriptive level to an inferential state, the Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons with Disabilities Mr James David Lalu has announced his readiness to partner with various stakeholders to provide an accurate Data of Persons With Disabilities in Nigeria.

The ES who was represented by the Director Planning Research and Statistics Department, NCPWD, Mr. Soji Adewale disclosed this today 5th October, 2023 while fielding questions at Human Rights Radio Studios in Abuja.

Speaking at the platform, Mr. Adewale enumerated the need to aggregate Data of various Clusters of Persons With Disabilities in order to ascertain the right quantity of Assistive devices that would be needed by the disability groups.

"As you may be aware, some Data Management Organizations have postulated that the number of Persons With Disabilities range from 15 to 28 million but, due to the growing population of PWDs in Nigeria, the Commission is willing to partner with all interest groups to provide an accurate Data for proper planning" he said.

He further seized the occasion to inform that the Commission had earlier carried out registration of Persons With Disabilities for the COVID-19 palliatives in 2021.

Also alluding to the need for accurate Data on disabilities, the Program officer, Accountability Lab, Mr. Mnenga Shiiwua, therefore, added that with accurate Data, the accessibility infrastructures in all public spaces would be achieved optimally.

*Mbanefo JohnMichaels I*

*Head Press and Public Relations Unit, NCPWD*

*5th October, 2023*

Conditional Cash Transfer: Vulnerable Pensioners Will Receive N25,000 Grants Betta Edu Tells NLC

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation  will from next month start payment of twenty five thousand Naira grants to the benefiting  members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners captured in the expanded National  Social Register of the  Conditional Cash Transfer,(CCT) Scheme.

Minister For Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, announced  this Wednesday when she met with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress,NLC led by its President,Joe Ajaero at Labour House,  Abuja. 

The Minister explained that the decision to include vulnerable pensioners in the CCT scheme was President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's commitment to labour leaders which he will deliver on.

Edu told the NLC that "the President mentioned very clearly that vunurable pensioners should be immediately captured on the National social Register and benefit from the Conditional Cash Transfer, as part of the national social safety net expansion and this was made clear in his speech on Independence Day where he committed 25000 Naira for 15million household for three months"

She appealed to the NLC to help fast-track the process of collating Data of would-be vulnerable pensioners beneficiaries so that they can start receiving CCT. 

"I want us to fast-track this.  If we can get this data and information within two weeks, we are sure that you will be beneficiaries immediately and  you can  start earning from next month which is November, that's the main reason why I'm here",  Dr.  Edu said. 

She commended Ajaero for being a team player, saying the task of moving Nigeria forward was a collective one and urged him to continue to have faith in the federal government under President Tinubu.

Responding,  Ajaero expressed delight at the various poverty alleviation schemes rolled out by the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry and the passion and commitment the minister has for the job! 

 He was however of the view that getting to the root cause of poverty would go a long way in addressing the problem. 

"Let's look at not only how to solve this problem, but the cause of it, if we continue to treat the effects of poverty the problem will persist. Let us look other social welfare interventions and job creation that will go a long way to support families.

The NLC boss urged the federal government to create more jobs by creating a productive economy where factories are functioning and employing workers. 

He thanked the Minister for being the first member of the federal executive council to visit the labour house in President Tinubu's Administration,saying "for finding time to visit the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, we will work with you to achieve success in this process and your impact will be felt.

President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Godwin Abumisi,thanked President Tinubu and the Minister for finding the retirees worthy of the federal government benefits. 

He said Pensioners recieved as low as  between five and ten thousand Naira a month,saying twenty five thousand is a big money to them. He thanked the Minister for the Exceptional performance so far urging her to keep up the speed.

Adamama Guber:Plans To Cause security unrest Uncovered

Ahead of the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal verdict, indication emerged that there are plans  in connivance with a top echelon in the security structure of the country (an indigene of Adamawa) to have a well  planned  protest match (demonstration) in Yola and cause havoc and unrest in the state. 

A highly placed source in Yola has confirmed to our correspondent that a defeated APC aspirant in the governorship primaries Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, governor Ahmadu Fintiri and son of the Former Vice President son Adamu Atiku Abubakar, who the governor had promised to handover power  come 2027 are allegedly behind the protest and security threats in the state. 

Incidentally, Ribadu was in June, 2023 appointed the National Security Adviser, NSA by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

According to the source, the tribunal is expected to  delivered its verdict any moment from now. 

In his words " To do this they have recruited unemployed youths and women buying them drugs , paying them a token of 20,000 each from across the 21 Local Government Areas and transport them to Yola with uniforms provided in PDP colors to give the impression that it is the party that arranged the protest.

The source further added that "there is need to draw the attention of the Department of State Security (DSS) and the unsuspecting public that, this is part of their stock in trade through false media campaign, intimidate the tribunal judges and send  a false signal to the Federal Government that judgment must be delivered in favourof governor Ahmadu Fintiri whether he won the poll or not."

"The people of Adamawa  both muslims and Christians massively voted peacefully and convincingly for the candidate of their choice. So please allow the Tribunal to give its verdict without coercion, intimidation or blackmail." The source maintained. 

In a similar vein, another highly placed source in the state told our correspondent that "we  have  it on  good   Authority  that the top  security  notcher in  connivance with  the Governor  is  also  trying  to recruit  some  section  of the ULAMA to issue  a verdit  that  it is not  acceptable in Islam  to have  a woman in the position of  a Governor in any  state in the country  especially in the North . All  intended  to poison the  minds  of Judges  handling the Adamawa  Governorship  case and tell President Bola Tinubu that if APC candidate is declared winner at the tribunal there will be security breaches and unrest in the state ".

"But  it is the  people  of Adamawa that  expressed their  democratic  choice . We are  NOT  operating a THEOCRACY  or a Monarchy BUT democracy.

A top PDP chieftain in the state Alhaji Adamu Kamale, had allegedly in a meeting with party supporters declared open that if governor Ahmadu Fintiri is not declared winner in the tribunal, party faithfuls should create chaos  he maintained. 

Atiku Ribadu, younger brother to the NSA, who has been running and championing his political activities had two days ago, summoned a meeting in Yola, at the Doctors quarters were he made the NSA intention to run for the governorship of Adamawa State come 2027 known.

His ambition was unveiled by the  young Ribadu, Uba Dan Arewa, alongside other political associates were he stated clearly that if the NSA  can not clinch the presidency or Vice president ticket, the least he can go is to run for the Adamawa Gubernatorial Election in the next four years. 

At the meeting, after boasting that they have the backing of the Federal might, they  agreed to cause havoc, security unrest violence and create chaos in some parts of the state to justify their  claim of security   challenges in the state. They assured the meeting that the NSA will certainly convince president  Ahmed Bola tinubu  that Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, of the PDP must be forcefully declared winner by the tribunal.