This comes under the “Nigeria First” policy, which seeks to strengthen local capacity and ensure that government data remains within the country.

In a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), MDAs were reminded to channel their technology needs through GBB, ranging from IP-network services to data centre hosting and digital infrastructure solutions. 

The decision is tied to the government’s heavy investment in the National Information Communications Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB), which remains the core of Nigeria’s e-government platform.

GBB’s mandate goes beyond connectivity. It has now been designated as the government’s official data exchange platform and the interoperability layer for Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure. This places the agency at the centre of efforts to coordinate and integrate federal digital services while maintaining the country’s data sovereignty goals.

Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, managing director and chief executive of GBB, said the organisation had restructured its operations to better serve public institutions. “We have repositioned our organisation in such a way that the MDAs experience the quality, reliability, and innovation of our services and they can see us as a partner in their digital transformation journey,” he stated.

Adeyanju stressed the importance of collaboration with MDAs, adding: “Our pledge is to listen, collaborate, and provide tailored digital infrastructure solutions that meet the unique needs of each agency, while ensuring Nigeria’s data remains safe within our borders.”

The government is also encouraging agencies still hosting data abroad to migrate to GBB’s platforms. Officials believe this will not only improve service delivery but also enhance cybersecurity and align with global best practices.

Backed by multiple ISO certifications, GBB insists its operations are rooted in security, service excellence and innovation.

With the renewed directive, it is expected that the agency’s work with MDAs will speed up Nigeria’s digital transformation drive and directly contribute to the country’s economic growth.

The Samoa Agreement is the overarching legal framework for the European Union’s relations with 79 countries, including 48 African, 16 Caribbean, and 15 Pacific nations.

Last week, the Nigerian daily news outlet Daily Trust ran a story claiming the agreement contained a clause to legalize same-sex relationships in Nigeria.

However, the Nigerian government has countered this claim, stating that Nigeria has “existing legislation against same-sex relationships.”

With this extension, the Federal Government seeks December 31, 2025, as its new closing date.

According to the document obtained from its website on Wednesday, the extension was sought to realign project timelines and enhance the efficacy of the National Social Safety Net Program-Scale Up, adding that 1,652 urban wards had been covered through the targeting system developed under the project.

The document reads in part, “Since its start, about 30 million beneficiaries have been covered by social safety net programs, and about three million poor and vulnerable households have received shock responsive cash transfers as of May 2024.

 Of these beneficiaries, 700 thousand households were from rural areas and about 2.5 million households were from urban areas.  1,652 urban wards have been covered through the targeting system developed under the project.”

The World Bank revealed this in its restructuring paper on how to bolster its social safety net programmes amidst rising inflation and economic challenges.

It added that a planned digital payment delivery mechanism had been put in place, using straight-through processing to deliver transfers directly to beneficiaries’ accounts or wallets while the National Social Register is being integrated with the National Identification Number to further strengthen the targeting system.

The NASSP-SU project, initiated to provide shock-responsive safety net support to Nigeria’s poor and vulnerable, was approved on December 16, 2021, and became effective on January 30, 2023.

With this loan, the Federal Government plans to run a monthly cash transfer programme for poor and vulnerable Nigerians, who have been hit hard by recent policies, such as the fuel subsidy removal.

But it was abruptly stopped following a probe of alleged malfeasance in the management of the scheme by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

As part of restructuring to restart the cash transfer, the government has sought approval to change the chairmanship of the project’s national steering committee from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to the Minister of Finance.

It also stressed that the extension request stems from Nigeria’s ongoing battle with high inflation, which peaked at 33.2% in early 2024, exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange rate depreciation.

The document partly read, “This paper seeks approval from the Country Director for a Level II restructuring of the National Social Safety Net Program Scale-Up project, an $800m Investment Project Financing. The restructuring will extend the project closing date by 18 months from June 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025. The benefit size and duration of the cash transfers under component 1 will also be changed.

 “Despite earlier delays, the project remains central to the government’s ambitious plan to provide temporary cash transfer support to the population affected adversely by high inflation, particularly in the wake of the fuel subsidy removal and other macroeconomic reforms the government is undertaking.

 “No financial or audit reports are pending, and there are no changes in the audit requirements. There have been some delays in procuring key service providers, and contract management practices are being improved by building the capacity of the PIU’s procurement team. The World Bank will keep providing embedded support to the project to improve the financial management and procurement practices.”

So far, only 39.38% of the entire loan has been released to Nigeria, as there is a pending balance of about $485 million.

To mitigate the adverse effects of inflation and economic reforms, the Nigerian government plans to reach 15 million households with N75,000 in temporary cash transfers, distributed in three monthly payments.

“The ESR-CT, will provide total benefit amounts of seventy-five thousand Naira (N75,000) to each beneficiary household, spread across three months. To be in line with the government’s announced program, and in response to increased inflation in recent years, the benefit size for cash transfers will be increased from thirty thousand Naira (N30,000) per beneficiary household, spread over six months,” the document further stated.

Meanwhile, the bank has commenced preparation of a Security Risk Assessment and Management Plan which will advise on the adequate measures the project actors and stakeholders will employ to mitigate security risks.

This is because, “Two fatal incidents involving project staff were recorded. A project staff returning from conducting field activities was involved in a road accident and another project staff was murdered in his residence by suspected armed bandits.

 The project reported another road accident involving a project staff during a field exercise that resulted in leg injuries.”

The $800 million loan obtained by the Federal Government attracts a maximum commitment charge rate of one-half of 1% per annum on the Unwithdrawn Financing Balance and a service charge of three-fourths of 1% per annum on the withdrawn credit balance, according to the document.

The document also disclosed that the interest charge is one and a quarter percent per annum on the withdrawn credit balance.

Also, a percentage of the principal amount of the loan is expected alongside the other charges, and this will increase over time.

While the first payment will be 1.65% of the principal amount, the last payment will be 3.40%.

The 30-day exercise aims to identify improperly imported private aircraft lacking proper documentation, ensuring compliance and maximizing revenue collection, according to a public notice issued by Customs.

The notice states: “The Nigeria Customs Service announces a verification exercise for privately owned aircraft operating in Nigeria. This exercise aims to identify improperly imported private aircraft without documentation, ensuring proper imports and maximum revenue collection.”

Owners and operators of private jets are required to present relevant documents at the NCS headquarters in Abuja. The necessary documents include the aircraft Certificate of Registration, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) Flight Operation Compliance Certificate, NCAA’s Maintenance Compliance Certificate, NCAA’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flights, and a Temporary Import Permit, if applicable.

This initiative aims to clamp down on operators of improperly imported private jets in the country. No fewer than 80 operators are expected to participate in the verification process.

The latest plan to clamp down on operators of improperly imported private jets comes more than a year after the Federal Government initially suspended the action.

Over the past three years, the government has sought to recover import duties totaling billions of naira from private jet operators who exploited technical loopholes to evade these payments.

While a few private jet owners complied and paid the mandatory import duty following significant recovery efforts led by the Hameed Ali-led Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), many have yet to fulfill this statutory obligation.

Numerous private aircraft operators in Nigeria have allegedly used regulatory loopholes to fraudulently obtain Temporary Import Permits (TIP) from the NCS instead of paying the required import duty.

The TIP, initially valid for 12 months and extendable twice by six months each, has been indefinitely extended by several operators, prompting previous clampdowns by Customs.

Consequently, at least 80 private jet operators are expected to present their aircraft import documents for verification during the upcoming 30-day exercise.

“Based on the data we have, we are expecting no fewer than 80 private aircraft operators for the verification exercise. These include operators of about 20 private aircraft that have been imported since the last verification exercise,” a senior official involved in the process stated.

This exercise aims to enforce the payment of mandatory import duties. Aircraft operators who fail to comply may face the grounding of their jets.

The TIP has been described by stakeholders as a fraudulent means for evading the mandatory import duty. Importers of private jets, particularly foreign-registered ones, are required to pay 5% of the jet’s value as import duty.

However, due to the high costs associated with private jets, some owners prefer to avoid this payment, according to Customs officials.

Instead, these operators obtain a TIP, claiming the aircraft is in the country temporarily, pointing to the International Civil Aviation Organization Convention Article 24, which addresses Customs waivers for commercial aircraft operating temporarily in a country.

The new leadership at Customs is determined to ensure that all operators fulfill their import duty obligations.

The varieties, which are SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T, and SAMMAZ 75T, were developed by researchers at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in partnership with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.

The introduction of the maize varieties was expected to significantly improve food security, cut down spending on pesticide imports, and foster sustainable and profitable farming, while helping farmers to achieve higher yields.

Senator Sabi Abdullahi, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, described the achievement as a game-changer and called on farmers to embrace the technology.

He said, “The issue with TELA maize is that it is high yielding, which means the present yield farmers are making will be more than double from two to three tonnes, you are going to get up to nine to 10 tonnes.

“It is resistant to the fall armyworm as farmers know it. That is the problem it is out to solve. So I think that explains why we went into this research in the first instance so that we are able to guarantee sustainable production of maize year on.”

The Minister added, “So what we are seeing here is that with climate change, the amount of rain is reducing and farmers will plant and unfortunately the crop will not be able to produce much money because of shortage of rain. But these varieties are drought-tolerant, which means with little water, they will be able to produce something in the future.

“So, to us, this is a major feat. For us, this is a game-changer for this administration and we want to see that farmers embrace this.”

Meanwhile, Dr Canisius Kanangire, the Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), lauded the collaborative efforts between AATF, the Nigerian government, and other national institutions, describing it as vital for progress.

“The TELA Maize varieties are a testament to our commitment to bringing advanced, resilient crop varieties to our farmers. These varieties will boost maize yields, providing more food and income for farmers while reducing the environmental and health hazards associated with pesticide use.

“By promoting policies that support agricultural innovation, the Federal Government of Nigeria helped create an enabling environment for the development and use of genetically modified crops that are safe, productive, and beneficial to smallholder farmers and the environment,” Kanangire said.

He added, “We believe that effective regulatory oversight and sustained political goodwill is critical to promoting innovation for development.

This is what has ensured timely delivery of the TELA Maize technology to an eager farming community in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, Professor Ado Adamu Yusuf, the Executive Director of IAR, highlighted the importance of the maize varieties in reducing chemical insecticide use by up to N2 billion annually, translating to significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

“Today’s launch is dear to my heart as we are introducing maize varieties that will save Nigerian farmers significant production costs while ensuring sustainable food security across the West African sub-region,” Yusuf stated.

He further emphasized the institute’s century-long mission to address farmers’ challenges through innovative and environmentally-friendly research.

Television, radio, and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to plug into the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for the broadcast.

Although Nigeria returned to democratic rule on 29 May, 1999, former President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2018, declared 12 June as the new date for the celebration of the country’s democracy.

The decision was to posthumously honour Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 12 June, 1993 presidential election.

Before the new date, Democracy Day was celebrated annually on May 29.

This is the second time Nigeria will celebrate Democracy Day since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

The Nigerian government has declared Wednesday as a public holiday to mark the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy: reads,

“The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to two fiscal policy documents in circulation that are being given wide coverage by the mainstream media and social media platforms.

“One of the documents titled Inflation Reduction and Price Stability (Fiscal Policy Measure etc) Order 2024 is being shared as if it were an executive order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The other is a 65-page draft document with the title ‘Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP)’, which contains suggestions on how to improve the Nigerian economy. President Tinubu received a copy of the draft on Tuesday.

“We urge the public and the media to disregard the two documents and cease further discussions on them. None is an approved official document of the Federal Government of Nigeria. They are all policy proposals that are still subject to reviews at the highest level of government. Indeed, one has ‘draft’ clearly written on it.”

According to the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, ‘It is important to understand that policymaking is an iterative process involving multiple drafts and discussions before any document is finalised.’

“We assure the public that the official position on the documents will be made available after comprehensive reviews and approvals are completed.”

Emanating from the two documents have been reports second-guessing government’s policy on customs tariffs, fuel subsidy and other economic matters.

“The government wants to restate that its position on fuel subsidy has not changed from what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared on 29 May 2023. The fuel subsidy regime has ended. There is no N5.4 trillion being provisioned for it in 2024, as being widely speculated and discussed,” Edun stated.

The Coordinating Minister of the Economy further clarified: “As previously stated by government officials, including myself, President Tinubu announced the end of the fuel subsidy program last year, and this policy remains firmly in place.

“The Federal Government is committed to mitigating the effects of this removal and easing the cost of living pressures on Nigerians.

“Our strategy focuses on addressing key factors such as food inflation, which is significantly impacted by transport costs. With the implementation of our CNG initiative, which aims to displace high PMS and AGO costs, we expect to further reduce these costs.

“Our commitment to ending unproductive subsidies is steadfast, as is our dedication to supporting our most vulnerable populations”.

We call on the media to always exercise necessary checks and restraints in the use of documents that do not emanate from official channels so that the members of the public are properly informed, guided and educated on government policies and programmes.