News Rider

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja L:R: Governor of Ekiti State, Hon. Abiodun Oyebanji discussing strategic road development with the Minister of Works, David Nweze Umahi when Oyebanji visited the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday. President Bola Tinubu has uplifted Ekiti with massive road projects, as against the promises made by the previous administrations, 29 years after the creation of the State. Sited at strategic locations, the people of Ekiti now have a renewed sense of belonging as a result of the numerous interventions by the Federal Government in roads and other critical sectors. Governor of Ekiti State, Hon. Abiodun Oyebanji stated this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Works, David Nweze Umahi at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, to discuss strategic road development in the State. Oyebanji described his visit to the Ministry as one laced with appreciation, just as he thanked President Tinubu and the Minister for their dedication in improving the nati...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja R-L:  Acting National Coordinator/CEO of Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM), Mrs. Helen Lawal  presenting a souvenir to the  MD/CE of NDIC, Mr. Thomson Oludare Sunday,  when the management of SERVICOM visited the NDIC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, Mr. Thomson Oludare Sunday has renewed its commitment to delivering an efficient financial system to the stakeholders. This formed part of the deliberations when the Acting National Coordinator/CEO of Service Compact with All Nigerians, SERVICOM, Mrs. Helen Lawal and members of her Management Team visited the NDIC headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja. He lauded SERVICOM’s continued partnership in promoting service excellence, saying that   NDIC is committed to delivering its statutory mandate efficiently and strengthening public confidence in the financial system th...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Governor of CBN, Dr Yemi Cardoso The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has stated emphatically that the standard and commemorative N100 notes remain legal tender in Nigeria and must be accepted for all transactions nationwide. This followed reports of the rejection of the standard ₦100 banknotes by some members of the public, businesses, and other stakeholders due to doubts about its continued legal tender status. To douse the tension created by the rejection, the apex bank’s Ag. Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs Hakama Sidi-Ali issued a statement on Wednesday, clarifying the status of ₦100 banknotes as legal tender. She said: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been drawn to reports of the rejection of the standard ₦100 banknote by some members of the public, businesses, and other stakeholders, apparently due to doubts about its continued legal tender status. “For the avoidance of doubt, the CBN hereby reiterates that both the ...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has strengthened its border security and intelligence capabilities by embracing the INTERPOL network, providing an opportunity for officers to access one of the world's largest criminal intelligence infrastructures. Shortly after the installing of the INTERPOL Data Centre at its Headquarters in Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC, Adewale Adeniyi described the development as a major milestone in the Service's technology-driven transformation and intelligence-led enforcement strategy. He said that Customs enforcement has evolved beyond conventional compliance, with technology now playing a central role in combating transnational crime, adding that the planned signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with INTERPOL would further deepen cooperation between both organisations. The CGC highlighted the Service's indigenous B'Odogwu platform, which he linked as an innovative digital solution th...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Dr Bosun Tijani The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has mandated regulatory agencies under his purview to harmonise internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting digital economy issues, pending the development of a harmonised national policy and governance framework. This followed a high-level strategic meeting convened by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, with the leadership of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC and the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, on Tuesday in Abuja. The Minister noted that regulatory coordination is not only essential to preserving legal certainty but also fundamental to promoting investment, innovation, consumer confidence and Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness as Africa’s leading digital economy. According to the directives issued by the Minister, ...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has extended its olive tree to the United Bank for Africa, UBA, in a bid to deepen the implementation of National Single Window, NSW, advance trade facilitation and support key digital transformation initiatives. NSW is a digital platform that incorporates importers, exporters, NCS and other relevant regulatory agencies into one coordinated trade compliance system, targeted at streamlining trade processes, reducing bottlenecks, and increasing transparency to position Nigeria for unprecedented economic growth. During a high-level meeting at the Service Headquarters in Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC, Adewale Adeniyi described the partnership as a critical component of the Service's ongoing modernisation agenda. The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in financial integration, technology-driven Customs operations and the successful implementation of the NSW, a flagship Federal Government initiativ...