UK Commends Nigeria’s Economic Reforms
Insists Though Reforms Have Brought Hardship But Necessary for Future Growth and Stability

By: Michael Mike

The United Kingdom has commended Nigeria’s Economic reforms being carried out by the President Bola Tinubu administration

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery gave the commendation at a press conference on UK-Nigeria trade on Wednesday in Abuja.

Montgomery said though the reforms have brought high inflation and hardship but they are necessary for future growth ànd stability of the country.

He said: “President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms are working, and they have made Nigeria more investible.

“The Naira is now more stable and more predictable. And the last quarter Nigerian economy has grown by 4%.”

He also noted that the UK is also carrying out economic reforms that will be beneficial to Nigeria because they will make business investment’s more predictable, simplify regulations of doing business.

“We also have reforms in the UK economy and we are working on how they can benefit Nigeria.”

The Director General, Presidential Enabling Business Council (PENEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, on her part said the Naira is now more stable and it’s good for investors.

She said: “This conversation is about investment and trade; to me the Naira is more stable because it’s more predictable and prior to my appointment as DG , I use to work with the president on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), as a technical adviser and I can tell you; one o the key things that investors look for is stability, predictability . People invest in Afghanistan not because it’s better than Nigeria,. It was a war zone but because it was predictable.

“And that is what President Tinubu has created in Nigeria. There is predictability, we no longer have that market window where we had people who were simply trading the Naira. And that have been eradicated.”

Speaking further she said: “What we’ve done now is that we have stopped the ability for agencies or departments or ministries to come up with new new policies. It must go through all the stakeholders engagement, it must go through all the assessments to make sure that the positives far outweighs the adverse reactions of the businesses.”

“We are also doing everything possible to grow our local economy.” She added

The British Country Director, Department of Business and Trade, Mark Smithson, disclosed that UK-Nigeria trade volume is £7.2 billion.

“UK/Nigeria trade volume is £7.2N and the UK has approved zero tariff on 3000 exports from Nigeria, which includes: cocoa, cashew nuts, tomatoes and others.”

UK Commends Nigeria’s Economic Reforms
Insists Though Reforms Have Brought Hardship But Necessary for Future Growth and Stability

All Nigerians to be Enrolled to NIMC Databank Before End of Year
…120m Nigerians have been captured so far- Says Coker-Odusote

By: Michael Mike

No fewer than 120 million Nigerians have been enrolled so far by the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC.

This is as the agency disclosed plans to move the enrollment to various wards in the country as part of the efforts to get all Nigerians enrolled, insisting that a target of enrolling all Nigerians before the end of 2025 has been set.

NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, while addressing the media in Abuja on Wednesday, said the target of enrollment of all Nigerians by the end of the year into the NIMC databank has been set.

Coker-Odusote said: “Our systems have moved from 100 million capacity to about 250 million due to the upgrade and launch of various digital platforms to support our services in line with international standards and best practices.

“That is why I can assure you that before the end of this year, NIMC will have enrolled all Nigerians and residents. We have moved from local government areas to wards and communities to ensure that we have seamless enrolment.”

She also revealed that the agency within the past 18 months has embarked on the training and reorientation of its workers to ensure efficient and effective service delivery in all aspects of their operations.”

She further disclosed that through collaboration and partnerships with about 120 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, the country’s National Social Register has been updated and 2.3 million Nigerians have been verified and revalidated.

Coker-Odusote added that: “Within the past 18 months, we have been able to cover lots of ground. Besides the ongoing integration of the Civil Service and Agencies under the Ministries, we have also integrated the private sector, especially banks and Telcos.

“This development has helped to eliminate fake new sites and fake sites for NIN registration by some sharks. NIN is now tied to the school feeding programme, student loans programme, and disbursement of government social welfare packages.

“The government has been able to cut waste and eliminate identity fraud and corruption within the system. What we are advocating is that citizens should take responsibility for the safety and protection of their data.”

All Nigerians to be Enrolled to NIMC Databank Before End of Year

NESREA Seals 21 Facilities in FCT for Non-Compliance with Environmental Laws

The National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on Wednesday shutdown twenty-one facilities in the Federal Capital Territory for failing to comply with extant environmental laws .

Among the facilities/projects sealed were Ochacho Real Homes Limited, Idu; Cosgrove Shopping Mall Project, Wuse II; Belmont Court Idu; and 18 others.

Addressing the media, the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor informed that the enforcement exercise was carried out to halt the adverse environmental impacts of the activities of the facilities.

He said: “The negative impact of the construction and quarrying activities within FCT has led to public outcry by the host communities where these facilities exist. In addition, the environment is exposed to various forms of environmental degradation and disaster such as flooding, erosions, burrow pits.”

Prof Barikor also stated that: “The construction sector has continued to deviate from the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011 and the Environmental Impacts Assessment Act. There were many public complaints against these facilities and officials of NESREA carried out investigation, after which notices of compliance concerns were issued to these facilities. However, they failed to adhere to the provisions of the environmental laws, hence the Action by the Agency.”

He added that many of the facilities failed to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment before the commencement of their projects as required by law.

NESREA Seals 21 Facilities in FCT for Non-Compliance with Environmental Laws