Month: November 2023

A team of officials of the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC) has commenced performance evaluation of its volunteers posted to Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Seychelles.

The team, led by DTAC’s Director-General (DG), Dr Yusuf Yakub, is expected to interface with officials of those countries to appraise the scheme and the level of compliance to agreed terms.

A statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Nkem Anyata-Lafia, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the DG, said the assessment visit, which would last four days, began on Monday from Uganda.

According to the statement, that during the visit, the team will assess the condition of the TAC volunteers and meet with officials of Nigerian Missions in the four countries.

The team consists of the Director of Programmes in the Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed, the Ag. Director, Finance and Accounts, Mr Saidu Idris, and Mrs Rahila Ayuba, Ag. Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the Minister of Women Affairs, has renewed Federal Government’s resolve to showcase Nigeria made fabrics to the global market to alleviate poverty, create job opportunities and generate revenue.

Kennedy-Ohanenye made this known during a public presentation of newly acquired industrial, embroidery and cutting machines for the upgraded sewing factory of the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.

“These machines form part of our plans towards sustainable empowerment of women to be self-reliant, contribute their quota at the family levels and also bolster the nation’s economic growth.

“For us, when our women are provided with sustained empowerment, the pressure will reduce for our men, the issue of out-of-school children can be addressed because the women will complement their husbands in catering for the home,” she said.

According to her, the industrial machines will form part of the upgrading plans at the sewing factory in Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development.

“We will extend this arrangement across the geo-political zones to deepen our resolve to empower Nigerian women.

“We have concluded arrangements with some foreign investors to push our locally made fabrics to the global market to attract more revenue for our women,” she said.

Rep. Beni Lar, the House Committee Chairman on Science Research Institutions, commended the minister for her resolute and dogged approach towards addressing the plight of women and the vulnerable children.

Lar also commended the ministry’s initiative to showcase Nigeria made fabrics which underscored the willingness of the present dispensation to change the narrative through gender inclusivity.

In a related development, the minister also received the first batch of tricycles under the Pink Riders Transport scheme targeted at women empowerment and job creation.

She added that the scheme has been structured through a partnership with a financial institution that would provide three stages of banking services.

“They will provide loans for the women to procure the tricycles, to pay back the loans without interests and to save money towards procuring their own tricycles,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says on Tuesday, that the FCT Administration (FCTA) is open for partnership with the Republic of Ireland.

The partnership, he said, would be in the areas of agriculture, vocational education and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Wike disclosed this when the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Peter Ryan, visited him in his office in Abuja.

He said that through the partnership, the FCT Administration would grow the economy of the FCT while leveraging the strong ties between Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland.

On ICT, Wike said that President Bola Tinubu-led administration would create technology jobs for the youth through his Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, the FCTA intends to provide opportunities for the youths in the digital economy to reduce unemployment.

“We think that we would be interested in partnering with companies in Ireland where we can build ICT hubs for the interest of the youths, to reduce the level of unemployment.

“Again, education is key for us, particularly vocational and skilled education, where our youths can acquire some skills in particular areas,” the minister said.

The minister also identified agriculture, with the available vast land in the FCT, as a very critical sector that could contribute to improving the economy of the federal capital.

He said that the FCT Administration would be very happy to collaborate with companies in Ireland to introduce technology-based agriculture in the FCT.

This, he said, could be achieved through leveraging the expertise in Ireland, adding that all partnerships would be for the mutual benefit of both Ireland and the FCT.

Responding, the Irish envoy informed Wike of his country’s willingness to connect FCTA to expert teams in Ireland for further discussions.

He explained that Ireland has a cultural hub in its largest chamber of commerce – the Dublin Smart City, where different partners and businesses work closely.

According to him, the cultural footprint of Ireland is one of the reasons foreign investors are attracted to Ireland.

He assured the minister that he would connect the FCTA and its policy makers to the consortium of experts in his country.

On vocational education, the ambassador said that the head of its largest vocational education provider would be in Abuja in the second week of December and would be at the minister’s disposal for talks.

The Ambassador also acknowledged the existing opportunities for collaboration to promote indigenous technology startups in Abuja.

“A lot of the startups in Dublin are spinouts of the big technology players like Google and Meta.

“We work closely with them as indigenous startups to create jobs for young people and as you know, a lot of these people are geography neutral.

“They just want talented young people, and they want an environment where they can flourish.

“We can see the potential for it in Abuja. Maybe there is one or two little steps we could take together to demonstrate practical things”, he added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has inaugurated a Capital Gain Tax (CGT) Implementation Committee to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the territory.

Mr Chinedum Kelechi, the Mandate Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public Private Partnership, FCTA, inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee would be chaired by the Executive Chairman, FCT-IRS, while the Director, Tax Operations, FCT-IRS would serve as secretary.

Other members of the committee include the Solicitor General; Director, Land Department; Director, Development Control; Director, Abuja Geographic Information System; and the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Kelechi explained that the committee became necessary following FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s approval for the implementation of the CGT Act, Cap. CI LFN 2004.

“The Act imposes a CGT tax rate of 10 per cent on the total amount of chargeable gains accruable to any person upon disposal of his or her chargeable asset.

“Or assets in a year of assessment after deduction of the allowable expenses from the gains made on the asset’s disposal.

“This is to be remitted to the FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) as required by the extant law,” he said.

He added that Wike had equally approved inter-agency collaboration and synergy between the FCT-IRS and other relevant agencies to ensure smooth implementation of the CGT Act.

The mandate secretary said that the committee would conduct comprehensive awareness and education campaigns to improve citizens’ understanding.

He also said that the committee would conduct regular stakeholders’ engagement through business associations, chambers of commerce, NBA and other relevant organisations.

He added that the committee would monitor transactions across stakeholders, agencies as well as enforce the CGT implementation in accordance with extant laws.

Kelechi urged members of the committee to collaborate with the judiciary to handle cases of severe non-compliance or fraud as well as establishing a transparent dispute resolution mechanism among others.

Earlier, the acting Executive Chairman, FCT-IRS, Mr Haruna Abdullahi, said that the CGT was part of taxes that FCT-IRS was empowered by law to collect.

Abdullahi decried the situation where the collection of the CGT due to FCT was less than five per cent.

He commended Wike for bringing relevant stakeholders together to work with FCT-IRS to enhance the revenue in the territory.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has tasked indigenous construction companies to adopt modern technologies that would transform the engineering landscape of the country.

She made the call at the 40th Anniversary of News Engineering Nigeria Limited, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mahmoud, who was represented by Dr Jummai Ahmadu, Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, FCTA, minister urged them to embrace these technologies to remain relevant in the global construction landscape.

She called on the management of the company to keep pushing the boundaries, seeking new frontiers, and embracing innovative technologies beyond what it had achieved in the last four decades.

“This momentous occasion is not only to mark four decades of dedication and hard work, but also to highlight the incredible journey of a company that has played a pivotal role in shaping the engineering landscape of the nation.

“The engineering prowess of News Engineering Nigeria Limited has pushed the boundaries of what is possible.

“The infrastructure and technology solutions it has provided, have transformed the landscape of our nation’s capital city, enabling progress and development in numerous sectors.

“As we celebrate this 40th anniversary, we must also reflect on the people behind this success,” she said.

In her remarks, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs Josephine Nwaeze, said that the anniversary was a testament of commitment to building on the vision of the founder.

Nwaeze said that the firm has expanded its reach across the engineering value chain through the years, through diversifying its expertise to meet the ever-changing needs of clients and the industry.

“The theme for the anniversary, “sustaining legacy” encapsulates the essence of our journey thus far. Over the past four decades, we have weathered challenges, embraced innovation and built a strong foundation for success,” Nwaeze said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Dr Alim Abubakre, Nigerian born founder of TEXEM UK, has praised Director – General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman for winning 2023 Integrity and Public Servant of the Year Merit Award.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the award will be formally presented to Sulaiman by President Tinubu in December.

According to Abubakre, the new feat by Sulaiman is a recognition and not just a celebration of his past achievements but a call to action for even greater milestones in the future.

“We trust that Professor Sulaiman will continue to light the path to a brighter Nigeria and inspire others to aspire to greatness and leave enduring legacies.

“Congratulations to Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, a beacon of transformative leadership and a true patriot, for this well-deserved honour.

“His relentless commitment to good governance, strategic leadership, and inclusive sustainable development should serve as an inspiration not only to Nigeria but to African leaders across the continent,” Abubakre stated.

The statement from TEXEM founder affirms that Sulaiman has a distinguished pedigree and unwavering commitment to upholding good governance in Nigeria.

“This accolade is not just an affirmation of his illustrious career but also a testament to his remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s legislative and democratic development.

“Sulaiman’s journey to this remarkable achievement is marked by a legacy of excellence and a deep-rooted commitment to the principles of good governance.

“His tenure as the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has been nothing short of transformative,” the statement asserted.

It says that under his visionary leadership, he has steered NILDS towards unparalleled innovations in Nigeria’s legislative landscape, signaling a steadfast commitment to advancing the nation’s governance and strategic leadership.

The statement added that Sulaiman’s remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s legislative landscape have paved the way for unparalleled innovations in the Nigerian legislative arm of government, signifying a commitment to advancing the nation’s governance and strategic leadership.

“He has consistently demonstrated his integrity as a public servant, never hesitating to share his opinions and speak out against wrongdoing, a quality that truly sets him apart.

“The honour bestowed upon Sulaiman is the result of a rigorous and comprehensive selection process, spanning three months, where he emerged as the clear choice among a distinguished panel of voters representing five strategic public institutions in Nigeria within the PCI – Technical Advisory Committee.

“This accolade is not just a recognition of individual brilliance, but a reflection of the broad-based support and endorsement he enjoys from the highest echelons of power in Nigeria, including the presidency,” the statement explained.

The forthcoming award ceremony, scheduled to take place at the prestigious State House Conference Centre in Abuja in early December, is a momentous occasion that coincides with the Nigerian Regulators Conference and Retreat.

It is an event of paramount significance where the President is expected to personally present plaques and medals to deserving recipients, including Sulaiman.

This underscores the magnitude and significance of the award and the respect Sulaiman commands in the highest circles of leadership in Nigeria.

Sulaiman’s dedication to innovation and his unwavering commitment to inclusive sustainable national development have been evident throughout his distinguished career.

He served as the Minister of National Planning from July 2014 to May 2015 and was subsequently appointed as the Director General of NILDS in 2019, a role he was reappointed to in April 2023.

His tenure has consistently exemplified his vision for a brighter Nigeria and his dedication to transformative leadership.

This award, endorsed by esteemed national organizations, serves as a testament to Sulaiman’s unwavering resolve to drive positive change, elevate strategic leadership, and inspire good governance in the Nigerian legislative arm of government.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria