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  • Atiku Glad With FG’s Decision to Privatise Refineries, Other Assets

    Atiku Glad With FG’s Decision to Privatise Refineries, Other Assets

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has backed the decision by the Federal Government to privatise some of its assets.

     

    The assets include the country’s refineries, the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Yola Electricity Distribution Company, Zungeru Hydro Power, Tafawa Belewa Square, among others.

     

    A total of N493.4bn is expected to be earned from the sale of the assets which were classified under energy assets, industries and communication department, as well as development institutions and natural resources.

     

    In a statement titled ‘Privatisation of Refineries and Other Assets: Better Late Than Never,’ Atiku called for transparency in the process of privatising the assets.

     

    He expressed delight that the privatisation of public assets which he once championed and was scorned for by the All Progressives Congress-led administration is now being embraced by the same administration.

     

    He said, “For decades, I have championed the privatisation of our economy and full deregulation of our oil and gas sector, amongst other sectors, for greater service delivery and efficiency.

     

    “As chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, I advanced these policies which saw our economy achieve 6% GDP growth and created jobs for the masses of our people and amass the national wealth that enabled us exit the debt trap, and secure our financial independence.

     

    “Even though my ideas were scorned by the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government over the years, I am nevertheless most fulfilled that an administration that once failed to see the wisdom in these sound economic policies, is now facing reality and has now embraced reason, by announcing the privatisation of our refineries and other assets, which have not always prospered under public management.

    “It is always better late than never. And I commend the Federal Government for coming on board. I urge that the privatisation process be as transparent as possible, as that is the only way to ensure that Nigeria reaps the greatest economic benefits from this policy.

     

    “It was never about me. My interest has always been the peace, prosperity and progress of Nigeria, and I am happy to share these ideas, and others, with the government of the day, for the betterment of our nation and its people.”

  • FG Approves Bankers’ Committee Takeover of National Theatre, N21.89bn Renovation

    FG Approves Bankers’ Committee Takeover of National Theatre, N21.89bn Renovation

    The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as the Bankers’ Committee for the renovation of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

     

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after a meeting of the council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

     

    Mohammed said the CBN and Bankers’ Committee were willing to invest N21.89bn to renovate the National Theatre complex.

     

    He said the MoU provided that they would run the facility for 21 years before returning it to the Federal Government.

     

    Describing the development as ‘a landmark approval’, the minister said it would pave the way for investment in the creative industry as part of the resolve of the present regime to create at least one million jobs in the industry in the next three years.

     

    Mohammed said, “The President had in 2020 given approval to the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee to develop, refurbish, renovate the National Theatre and at the same time take over the adjoining lands to create a veritable creative industry where there will be four hubs: one each for films, music, IT and fashion.

     

    “The memo today (Wednesday) was for the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for the refurbishment of the National Theatre.

     

    “The CBN and Bankers’ Committee are willing to invest N21.89bn to renovate, refurbish and commercialise (run it profitably) the National Theatre complex.

     

    “The MoU has a life span of 21 years after which it will revert to government. The important thing is that no job will be lost because after the National Theatre is renovated, a special purpose vehicle will be created to run it.

     

    “It cannot be business as usual; it will be a turning point in the creative industry in the sense that we are going to have a brand-new National Theatre, an event centre that will help in creating more jobs.”

     

    The minister added that the council approved N9.43bn for the completion of the Digital Switch Over, which had previously missed the deadline set for implementation.

     

    The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, disclosed that the council approved about N8.9bn for a new National Information and Communication Technology Park in Abuja to coordinate public and private ICT hubs in the country.

     

    He said a 4,200 square-metre land had already been acquired for the establishment of the park.

     

    He said, “The wisdom behind the ICT Park is for it to be a centre where public and private ICT hubs are going to be coordinated by the Federal Government, where young innovators with crazy and disruptive ideas will be mentored and all what they need provided for.

     

    “We will provide enabling environment for them to utilise and come up with disruptive technologies.

     

    “This is the first of its kind in Nigeria. We have so many parks and hubs but they are regional. This one will be central and will be a centre of job creation for our teaming youths.

     

    “It will be a centre where technology will be developed and incubated. It will play a significant role in reducing unemployment.”

     

  • TUC Tackles Petroleum Minister As FG Says Nigerians Should Prepare For Fuel Hike Pains

    TUC Tackles Petroleum Minister As FG Says Nigerians Should Prepare For Fuel Hike Pains

    The Trade Union Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who told Nigerians to prepare for the pain associated with the increase in crude oil price.

     

    Also, the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other stakeholders on Tuesday advised the Federal Government to use rising revenue from crude oil to tackle poverty and drive an all-inclusive growth.

     

    The groups stated this in separate interviews with The PUNCH while reacting to a statement by Sylva, who earlier on Tuesday warned Nigerians to expect benefits and pain from the rising price of crude oil in the world market.

     

    For Nigeria, which relies on crude oil for about 50 per cent of government revenues and over 90 per cent of export earnings, rising oil price means increased revenue.

     

    On the other hand, rising oil price also translates to increased cost of petroleum products as the country depends heavily on imports due to a lack of domestic refining.

     

    Sylva, who spoke at the launch of the Nigerian Upstream Cost Optimisation Programme in Abuja, said, “Since we are optimising everything, NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) needs to also think about the optimisation of product cost because as we all know oil prices are where they are today: $60.

     

    “As desirable as this is, this has serious consequences as well on product prices. So we want to take the pleasure and we should as a country be ready to take the pain.”

     

    He added, “Today, the NNPC is taking a big hit from this. We all know that there is no provision in the budget for subsidy. So, somewhere down the line, I believe that the NNPC cannot continue to take this blow. There is no way because there is no provision for it.

     

    “As a country, let us take the benefits of the higher crude oil prices and I hope we will also be ready to take a little pain on the side of higher product prices.”

     

    The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Tuesday that the landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) imported into the country had risen by 13.34 per cent in one month to about N180 per litre on the back of the increase in global oil prices.

     

    The international oil benchmark, Brent crude, which rose to $59.34 per barrel on Friday from $53.70 per barrel on January 7, crossed the $60 per barrel mark on Tuesday for the first time in over 12 months.

     

    Crude oil price accounts for a large chunk of the final cost of petrol, and the deregulation of petrol price by the Federal Government last year means that the pump price of the product will reflect changes in the international oil market.

     

    Since November 13, 2020 when the pump prices of PMS were last increased in the country, the oil price has increased by over 45 per cent.

     

    Going by the petrol pricing template of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, the landing cost of petrol rose to N179.67 per litre last Friday from N158.53 per litre on January 7, with the expected open market price (pump price) of the product increasing to N202.67 per litre from N181.53 per litre.

     

    The rising price of crude oil pushed the cost of petrol quoted on Platts to $543.25 per metric tonne (N157.99 per litre, using N390/$1) last Friday from $480.25 per MT (N139.67 per litre) on January 7.

     

    The NNPC, which has been the sole importer of petrol into the country in recent years, is still being relied upon by marketers for the supply of the product despite the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector.

     

    The Federal Government removed petrol subsidy in March 2020 after reducing the pump price of the product to N125 per litre from N145 on the back of the sharp drop in crude oil prices. The price reduction lasted till June.

     

    Nigerians saw increases in the pump prices of petrol in four months, rising from N121.50–N123.50 per litre in June to N140.80-N143.80 in July, N148-N150 in August, N158-N162 in September and N163-N170 in November.

     

    There is no honour in your statement, Congress lambasts minister

     

    Reacting to the minister’s statement, the TUC wondered why the government was always quick to announce increase in fuel pump prices but slow to implement agreements reached with the organized labour.

     

    The TUC President, Quadri Olaleye, who stated this when asked by The PUNCH to react to the minister’s statement, noted that there was nothing honourable about what the minister said.

     

    The union leader stated, “The question is why is government always quick to tell us about the rise in the price of crude oil in the international market and the need to increase the price of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) here but it always takes them weeks, if not months to implement agreements reached with the organised labour? It all points to one thing: they have no mercy on the poor people of this country.”

     

    Olaleye noted that the carefree attitude of the government to the plight of workers and other Nigerians showed that they do not care.

     

    He further argued that they also seemed unconcerned about the poverty, insecurity, and other social plaques their policies had caused.

     

    The TUC leader added, “ In every move and statement by government officials, you could see and feel their care-free attitude and indifference to our plight.

     

    “It appears they are not disturbed by the poverty-ridden plight of Nigerians and the unemployment/insecurity situation that their obnoxious policies have created in the country. There is nothing honourable about what  the minister has said.”

     

    Commenting on the minister’s statement, The Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the expected increase in revenue should benefit all through an all-inclusive economic growth, which should include massive job creation.

     

    He noted that  the positive side of increased national revenue from the rising crude oil prices in the international market “is now threatening to bring forth the negative side for us.”

     

    He said, “Even though the economics of it looks straightforward, any possible increase in fuel prices in Nigeria will have to be considered carefully. This is because of its potential negative impact on the fragile economic and security situation of the country at this time.

     

    “Besides, we are just witnessing some measure of industrial stability and merely hanging on to an open economic and social life under the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. I am not sure that we are ready for a fuel-induced inflation. This is quite apart from the heavy cost implication it portends for companies that are already forced to generate their own electricity for long hours due to poor supply inadequacy.

     

    Increased revenue from crude oil should have multiplier effects, says MAN

     

    “Also, for those who may want to rationalise the possible increase, the question to ask is what is government going to do with the corresponding increased revenue from crude oil sales in the international market? It should normally countermand the rise in pains arising from the rise in the price of fuel. Are we poised to translate this windfall, if I may use the word, to inclusive economic growth and harvest its inherent multiplier effect? Will it fund productivity, job creation and increased investments?”

     

    Nigeria faces a dilemma, says LCCI

     

    The Director-General of the LCCI, Dr Muda Yusuf, said the country must find a balance between social considerations and the commercial and economic considerations

     

    According to him, the deregulation policy of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry posed a dilemma at a time like this.

     

    He stated, “From a purely economic and commercial point of view, it is a policy that we need to sustain irrespective of what the oil price is because the capacity to be able to continue with fuel subsidy and its problems is not there, and it is also not in the interest of the economy for us to continue along that route,” he said.

     

    According to him, the subsidy regime comes with a lot of fiscal pressure on government finances, the problem of corruption, and the problem of diversion of petroleum products to neighbouring countries, among others.

     

    Yusuf said, “But the dilemma is the implications for the welfare and social conditions of the people because we are dealing with a situation of a great deal of extreme poverty among the majority of Nigerians.

     

    “We are dealing with an economic recession, cost of production and transportation that is already high, and a populace that is already on edge because of the challenges of the environment. We are dealing with a population that is characterised by high income inequality.

     

    “So, it is important that we have a balance because not deregulating the sector is not really an option; so we have to find a model that will work – like a balance between the social considerations and the commercial and economic considerations.”

  • FG Planning To Replace BVN With NIN – Minister

    FG Planning To Replace BVN With NIN – Minister

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, has said the Federal Government plans to replace Bank Verification Numbers with the National Identity Numbers.

     

    The minister said this while briefing newsmen after a facility tour and inspection of the ongoing NIN enrolment exercise at NIMC and other designated centres in Abuja.

     

    He said he had made a presentation to the National Economic Sustainability Committee and drew the attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor on the need to replace BVN with NIN.

     

    According to him, the BVN is a regulator’s policy, while NIN is a law.

     

    He said, “The strength of the law wherever you go is not the same with a policy of one institution.’’

     

    The minister noted that BVN was only applicable to those who had a bank accounts while NIN was for every citizen and legal resident in the country.

     

    “BVN is our secondary database, while NIN and the database is the primary one in the country that each and every institution should make reference to NIMC,” he said.

     

    Pantami boasted that Nigeria was at the forefront in Africa in regard to data protection regulations, claiming that the level of security in the entire database was 99.9 per cent.

     

    He said, “That is why we came up with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation that we always enforce and this is applicable to the database at our disposal.

     

    “We take care of it and make sure that security is excellent and we don’t allow anybody to compromise the content because it is a trust from our citizens given to us.’’

     

    Giving reasons the government engaged private agents for the NIN enrolment, the minister said the move was in line with the global standard.

     

    He emphasised the need for NIMC to focus on regulatory work and set the standards for biometrics registration, measuring of heights, standard for data to be collected and general verification.

     

    In another development, Pantami has called on the organised private sector to enhance collaboration with government, adding that the economy of Nigeria is dependent on how it faired.

     

    Pantami said this in his address at National Directorate of Employment/Federal Government’s Special Public works programme commissioning where 11,000 unemployed youth in Gombe State were engaged with work tools.

     

    He said an enabling environment was key to harvesting the gains associated with private sector, stressing that the current dispensation had provided friendly atmosphere for businesses to thrive.

     

    The minister said, “The economy of Nigeria relies more on the private sector than the public sector.

     

    “If you look at our GDP collectively, it is approximately around $450bn which is the highest in Africa. If you compute, you will discover that the entire stage of government particularly the federal level is approximately around 8.5 per cent, while that of the private sector is more than 91.5 per cent. Government cannot do without collaborating with the private sector.

     

    “What government must do is to provide enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and this is what we have been doing every day to come up with policies for the private sector to thrive.

     

    “This is what brought about tax holiday, visa on arrival in Nigeria, online registration of companies by CAC.”

     

    While hailing the public works initiative, the minister said it would reignite social service.

  • [Fraud ALERT]: FG Debunks Individual NIN Registration Website, Warns Nigerians Against Online Enrollment

    [Fraud ALERT]: FG Debunks Individual NIN Registration Website, Warns Nigerians Against Online Enrollment

    The Federal Government through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has debunked it has approved an alleged individual National Identification Number (NIN) registration website.

     

    In a statement on the official twitter handle of NIMC on Monday, the commission said the website is not associated with NIMC.

     

    While warning Nigerians not to become victims and to protect their personal information, the NIMC disclosed that the website (http://bit.ly/NIN-ONLINE-REGISTRATION) is run by fraudsters.

    “Disclaimer. The website is not associated with NIMC. It is run by fraudsters. Protect your personal information, do not become a victim,” it stated.

  • FG Pledges Commitment To Socio-Economic Transformation Through MSMEs

    FG Pledges Commitment To Socio-Economic Transformation Through MSMEs

    The Federal Government has pledged its continued commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria through the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

     

    Dr. Dikko Radda,  Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), gave the assurance during a dialogue session organized by the agency for MSMEs support organizations in Owerri on Thursday.

     

    Speaking on the topic: “ MSME Support Organisations  Synergise Towards Effective Coordination of MSME Activities”, Radda described MSMEs as the engine for socio-economic transformation.

     

    Radda, who  was represented by the Director, Partnership and Coordination Department of SMEDAN, Mr. Friday Okpara,

     

    said that the agency had developed many programs to ease access to the basic needs of MSMEs orchestrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

     

    He also said that the agency would synergize with business membership organizations from private and public sectors of the economy so as to reposition MSMEs for global competitiveness.

     

    He called for more commitment at the state and Local Government levels where MSMEs are domiciled saying that this will drive wholesome implementation of strategies for economic growth.

     

    “MSMEs are considered as the engine of socio-economic transformation globally because they can generate more jobs than any other sector if properly harnessed and coordinated.

     

    “SMEDAN will synergize with support organizations to reposition MSMEs for national and global competitiveness especially with the take-off of the Africa continental free trade area agreement.

     

    “Achieving massive employment generation, wealth creation, and poverty reduction in this COVID-19 era requires an innovative approach such as this,” he said.

     

    Also speaking, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Imo, Mr. Simon Ebegbulam, expressed optimism that MSMEs would give birth to several industries in the country if sustained and well managed.

     

    Ebegbulam, who was represented by the ministry’s  Director of Industry, Mrs. Eucheria Onwukwe, thanked SMEDAN for organizing the dialogue and urged participants to strengthen their commitment to MSMEs.

     

     

  • FG, World Bank Begin Process To Rebase Nigeria’s GDP

    FG, World Bank Begin Process To Rebase Nigeria’s GDP

    The Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, has commenced the process to rebase Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

     

    Experts describe GDP as the final value of the goods and services that are produced within a nation’s geographic boundaries during a specified period of time, normally within a year.

     

    The growth rate of nation’s GDP is an important indicator of the economic performance of the country.

     

    Also, rebasing of GDP entails the replacement of the old base year used for compiling the GDP with a new, more recent, base year for computing the constant price estimates.

     

    This is necessary because of the changes in relative prices and the structure of the economy over time.

     

    In its bid to rebase Nigeria’s GDP, the National Bureau of Statistics announced on Wednesday that following the successful completion of listing of establishments, a component of National Business Sample Census, the NBS commenced National Business Sample Survey, otherwise known as the survey of establishments.

     

    It said the NBSS was also a component of NBSC which involves in-depth study of sampled establishments based on the sectors identified in business sample census.

     

    The bureau’s spokesperson, Ichedi Sunday, said in a statement issued in Abuja that ‘the objectives of the National Business Sample Survey include to rebase the Gross National Product from 2010 to 2018/2019’.

     

    The objective also includes ‘to provide sectorial data at national and state levels, determine the structure of the Nigerian economy, determine the sectors that drive the Nigerian economy and those that require government intervention to improve them’.

     

    Others, he said, were to serve as a benchmark for subsequent commercial and industrial sector statistics surveys.

     

    According to the bureau, the survey covers the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.

     

    It said, “In all, 17 sectors of the Nigerian economy will be covered during the survey exercise. Already, data collection on the survey by NBS staff has commenced with lodgments of questionnaires in the selected establishments.

     

    “NBS appeals to the selected establishments to provide the necessary information for the survey as their participation is germane for the successful completion of the survey exercise.”

     

    The NBS last rebased the country’s GDP in April 2014, as it announced changes to the way it calculated GDP, changing the calculation to more accurately reflect current prices and market structure.

     

    At the time, the overall estimate of the nation’s economy size increased significantly as the estimate of total GDP of Nigeria increased from N42.4tn ($270bn) to N80.2tn ($510bn), an 89 per cent increase.

     

    Analysts explain that GDP rebasing enhances planning and investment decisions, as the performance of government in revenue collection, capital spending, among others, are made clearer.

  • FG Approves N1.3bn Surveillance Equipment For Lagos, Abuja Airports

    FG Approves N1.3bn Surveillance Equipment For Lagos, Abuja Airports

    The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved a contract worth about N1.3bn for the design, supply, and installation of PTZ long-range tarmac camera surveillance system at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

     

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after a meeting of the council presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

     

    Mohammed briefed the journalists on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

     

    “The total sum of the contract is N1,278,594,250. This is in order to upgrade and provide security and safety for the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, especially to avoid incidence on the air site and runway,” he said.

     

    Mohammed added that the council approved a contract worth N783,521,275 inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT for the procurement of two hydrographic survey boats for the National Inland Waterways Authority.

     

    The minister who briefed journalists on behalf of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the contract was awarded in favour of Messrs First Index Project and Services Limited with a completion period of six months.

     

    Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, on his part, said the council approved N35bn for the building of a power station by the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority in Akamkpa, Cross River State.

     

    Adebayo said the contract for the power station, which to power the Calabar Export Processing Zone, was awarded to Messrs Mutual Commitment Nigeria Limited.

     

    According to him, the exact contract sum is N35,411,119,159.47 and the contractor will finance 75 percent of the project, which is in the sum of N26,558,339,337.10 while the NEPZA would finance 25 percent which translate to N8,852,779,792.37.

     

    He said the council approved a payback period of 10 years of the contractor’s portion.

     

    Adebayo said on completion after 11 months, the plant will be operated by the contractor for five years during which it will build local capacity that will take over the running of the plant.

     

    He said, “The whole intention of the upgrade of the two zones is to create zones with world-class standards. The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment is desirous of making Nigeria a manufacturing hub, especially now that we have signed on to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

     

    “So, by putting 24-hour power in the two processing zones, it will make it more attractive to foreign investors to come and set up manufacturing concerns here in Nigeria.”

  • FG, Labour To Consider Electricity Tariff, Fuel Price Reports Feb 22

    FG, Labour To Consider Electricity Tariff, Fuel Price Reports Feb 22

    The Federal Government and the organised labour will reconvene on February 22 for the consideration of the reports of the bipartite technical committees on fuel price and electricity tariff.

     

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this Monday night while briefing journalists after a bipartite meeting between the FG and the organised labour at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

     

    Ngige said they received and adopted the report of the Technical Committee on Premium Motor Spirit Pricing Framework, while that of the Electricity Tariff Committee was expected in a week’s time.

     

    He explained that the organised labour requested for some time to subject the report on PMS pricing to their organs for further investigation.

     

    “It is a technical report, so they needed further investigation of the report by their own technical research team. The Technical Committee on electricity tariff has not finished. We expect the report in a week’s time. So, cogently, we are reconvening on 22nd of this month to take both reports,” Ngige noted.

     

    The report of the Technical Committee on PMS Pricing was presented at the meeting by the Chairman of the Committee, Onochie Anyaoku, a former Executive Director, Refineries Operations and Petrol Pricing in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

     

    Anyaoku explained that the committee at its meeting on December 16 developed guiding principles and a work schedule, distinct from the primary function of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency to develop a transparent methodology and a template that will serve as the guide on realistic PMS pump price and benchmark all pricing elements of the PMS pricing template with neighbouring countries.

     

    He stated, “Based on extensive review of the pricing framework and in line with the terms of reference of the committee, the following recommendations were proposed and adopted:

     

    “PPPRA to convene periodic meetings with PPMC and other importers to ensure actual cost of supply reflective determination as an interim solution.

     

    “NLC, TUC, PENGASSON and NUPENG to witness the transparent determination at the periodic meeting.

     

    “PPPRA frequently monitor data of Rotterdam supply chain values. This should continue to form the basis of price determination until the West African basket is liquid and transparent enough to warrant its adoption in the pricing template.

     

    “All importers including NNPC to adopt the same forex window used by PPPRA to ensure alignment and accurate pricing. PPPRA board to adopt weighted average as the basis of determination.

     

    “Government to enforce immediate collection of NPA and NIMASA charges in naira to reduce pressure on forex demand and pump price hike.

     

    “To develop adequate communication strategy on the necessity of deregulation and the benefit to the people, to create public awareness and gain acceptability of deregulation, which will reduce the pressure on labour to react to fuel increase.”

     

    “Deregulation is a huge change in national policy but highly desirable in this stage of our national development policy, for which its implementation requires trust building steps and commitment to visible frugal spending by government.”

  • Just In: Respite As FG Extends NIN Registration to April

    Just In: Respite As FG Extends NIN Registration to April

    In what could be seen as a big relief to most Nigerians, the federal government has again extended the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) integration exercise by eight weeks, with a new deadline of April 6, 2021.

     

    In statement issued by the Public Affairs Director of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, said the decision was taken during the meeting of the Ministerial Taskforce on NIN-SIM registration held on the 1st of February, 2021.

     

    Pantami stated that the extension is to give Nigerians and legal residents more time to integrate their NIN with their SIMs.

     

    The minister reiterated the need for Nigerians and legal residents who are yet to register for the NIN to be diligent and take advantage of the extension to enroll for their NIN and link with their SIMs.

     

    The meeting was chaired by the Minister and attended by key stakeholders, including the EVC/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), DG/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), DG/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).

     

    Others include the MD/CEOs of MTN, Airtel, 9Mobile, Ntel, Spectranet, SMILE, as well as the COO of Globacom.

     

    It was reported that a total of 56.18 million NINs have been collected by the mobile network operators.

     

    Each NIN is usually tied to an average of 3 to 4 SIMs and this infers that the current figure accounts for a significant portion of the existing SIMs.

     

    This number of NINs collected represents a significant increase when compared with the 47.8 million reported by the Technical Committee on January 18, 2021.

     

    Furthermore, over 1060 registration centres for NIN have been activated and made operational by NIMC across the country, while Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have opened hundreds of centres and are rapidly deploying resources to open thousands of other NIN enrolment centres across states of the country.

     

    This is in line with the policy of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to enhance security and make the process of obtaining NINs easier for Nigerians.

     

    The CEOs of the Telcos and the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Organisation of Nigeria commended the Honourable Minister for his stellar leadership and commitment to the rapid development of the sector.

     

    It would be recalled that the 4th of February, 2020 was the initial date of the commencement of the National NIN-SIM Registration Policy.

     

    The Federal Government applauds all Nigerians and persons of other nationalities for their understanding, cooperation and for enthusiastically participating in the exercise.

     

    The Minister also commended the efforts of NIMC, NCC, MNOs and all other relevant government and private sector organisations for their unflinching support towards the success of the exercise.

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his satisfaction with the progress made regarding the NIN-SIM linkage and commended the Honourable Minister and all stakeholders for their roles.

     

    He encouraged citizens to take advantage of the extension to fully participate in the process.

     

    The Honourable minister implores applicants to follow the safety guidelines at all the NIN enrolment centers and ensure compliance with the booking system in place.

     

    This protocol is in line with the Executive Order on COVID-19 2020 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 27th of January 2021, in keeping with the provisions of the Quarantine Act 2004.

     

    It is noteworthy that Sections 27 and 29 of the National Identity Management Commission Act 2007 provides for the mandatory use of National Identity Number for transactions, including application and issuance of a passport, opening of personal bank accounts, purchase of insurance policies, voter registration, obtaining credit, among others.