Automation of passport application kickstarts January 8 - Tunji-Ojo.

Automation of passport application kickstarts January 8 - Tunji-Ojo.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Monday, confirmed that the passport application automation process will begin operation on January 8, 2024.

The minister made this disclosure in December that the Federal Government was working to ensure a full automation system of passport application in the country.

At the time, the minister said the automated application system was “99% done,” adding that the process would include uploading passport photos and supporting documents.

Meanwhile, Ojo while inspecting facilities of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Abuja, alongside the Comptroller General of the Service, Wura-Ola Adepoju, on Monday, confirmed that Nigerians will be able to apply and complete their passport application process online without human contact.

The minister said that the ministry has commenced the training process that will lead to the live launching of the automation.

He said, “We are good to go live. We are starting the training and on January 8, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr President.

“We have been able to reduce human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum.”

He added that the initiative will improve the security architecture of the country, prompting a quick detection of fake passport applications and reducing bottlenecks.

We will recruit more health workers, pay outstanding entitlements -- Gov Aiyedatiwa.

We will recruit more health workers, pay outstanding entitlements -- Gov Aiyedatiwa.

The Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has vowed to employ more health workers in the State as well as pay all outstanding salaries and arrears which he inherited from previous administration(s). 

The governor who made this statement at the first annual prayer meeting organised by civil servants of the State thanked them for their supports so far, while promising that workers’ welfare shall continue to be the priority of his government. 

According to Aiyedatiwa, “We will forge ahead with the approval already given for the recruitment of health workers as a way of strengthening the health sector while filling of vacancies will be done on regular basis as need arises.”

Commenting on the upcoming election, the Governor urged the civil servants to face their duties diligently and not allow themselves to be used by politicians for cheap political gains. He also counselled politicians to play the game by its rules, stating that election is not a do-or-die affair.

“This is an election year; let everyone know that the peace of the State is not negotiable and election is not a do or die affair,” the governor said. 

On his part, the Head of Service, Pastor Kayode Ogundele, commended the governor for his unflinching support for public servants in the State at all times. He further hinted that the payment of salaries in percentages has become a thing of the past.

Present at the occasion were heads of security agencies in the State, religious leaders, members of the State Executive Council and other top government functionaries, who prayed for peace, progress and stability to reign in the State.

FG to spend N100bn on school feeding in 2024.

FG to spend N100bn on school feeding in 2024.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday disclosed that the 2024 budget includes N100 billion allocation for the school feeding programmes.

He made this statement during the signing of the 2024 appropriation bill into law in the State House in Abuja.

Tinubu stated that the provision will serve as a stimulant to encourage attendance in schools and reduce the problem of out-of-school children.

“One of the priority areas of the bill we just passed is the N100 billion provision for the feeding of school children. I believe that is a stimulant that will encourage school enrolment and also address malnutrition among school children.

“I will be meeting with local government at sub-national levels so that we can collaborate and jointly implement an all-inclusive programme,” the President said.

The President also confirmed that the budget, christened “Renewed Hope” is anchored on reducing the recurrent expenditure, but increasing capital expenditure.

Earlier in December, Tinubu ordered the reintroduction of the school feeding programme and mandated its transfer from the Humanitarian Ministry to the Education Ministry.

The programme, previously halted under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now fall under the Education Ministry’s purview, aiming to not only provide nutritious meals to pupils but also encourage attendance and enhance learning.

Name change: Stop asking women to travel to Abuja, minister tells NIS.

Name change: Stop asking women to travel to Abuja, minister tells NIS.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has faulted officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service for asking people, especially married women to come to the headquarters in Abuja to effect a change of name on their passport.

Speaking at a recent dinner with members of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ABAT Media Centre and some social media influencers in Abuja, Tunji-Ojo described the act as “inhumane.”

He said women are not subjected to such inhuman practices on account of marriage anywhere in the world.

“There is one stupid thing I have seen and it is that a woman gets married, changes her name, and then she has to come to Abuja all the way from say Kaura Namoda or Enugu just to come and effect a change of name in her passport. It is absurd.

“I can’t just figure it that you want to change just your name and you have to be in Abuja. I have asked the immigration people, is it that immigration people in Abuja have more than one head than those in the states?” he asked.

He declared that the passport issue remains the least of his worries, adding that as of March, the new passport reforms he is putting in place would ensure contactless biometrics enrolment to allow Nigerians to do their enrolments from their comfort zones.

He, however, noted that he wants more secure borders for the country.

“With the new reforms, you don’t need to travel to Abuja to change your data. Everything will be online.

“From March, once you have ever enrolled for your passport and you are coming to renew, please don’t come to my office, stay in your house and do it. We have contactless biometrics and this can be done in five minutes. We don’t need to keep taking your biometrics every five years. Who does that in the world?

“This is what #RenewedHope is about. It is about positively disrupting the process. By the grace of God, the issue of passports is the least of our worries,” the minister stated.

Meanwhile, he urged Nigerians to keep faith with the Tinubu administration, noting that the president has led the country aright.

He added that as a minister, he would continue to give his all to Nigeria and Nigerians.

“Any day I think I don’t have the zeal again, I will do what honest men do and go because Nigeria as a country does not deserve 99.9 per cent. It deserves 100 percent from us. That is what public service demands.”

It was reported that the minister directed the heads of various agencies to expedite the process for Nigerian passports, noting that the days of lengthy queues for passport acquisition should come to an end.

He also stressed the importance of harnessing technological advancements to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of processes within the immigration and correctional services.

FG suspends accreditation of degree certificates from Benin, Togo.

FG suspends accreditation of degree certificates from Benin, Togo.

The Federal Government has announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republics.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Augustina Obilor-Duru on behalf of the Director Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, the government lamented that “some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a Degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified”.

It followed an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks”.

According to the government, the suspension persists pending the outcome of an investigation involving the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education of Nigeria and the two countries as well the Department of State Security Services (DSS), and the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).

It said the Education Ministry has set up a panel to “commenced internal administrative processes to determine the culpability or otherwise of her staff for which applicable Public Service Rules would be applied”.

The statement called on Nigerians to cooperate with the committee and provide useful information that will assist in finding lasting solutions to the menace of Nigerians obtaining half-baked certificates from foreign universities.

“The issue of degree mills institutions, i.e institutions that exist on paper or operate in clandestine manner outside the control of regulators is a global problem that all countries grapple with. FME has been contending with the problem including illegal institutions located abroad or at home preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronize such outlets.

“Periodically, warnings have been issued by the Ministry and NUC against the resort to such institutions and in some instances, reports made to security agencies to clamp down on the perpetrators. The ministry will continue to review its strategy to plug any loopholes, processes and procedures and deal decisively with any conniving officials.

“The Ministry had always adopted the global standard for evaluation and accreditation of certificates of all forms which relies on receipt of the list of accredited courses and schools in all countries of the World.

“The Ministry wishes to assure Nigerians and the general public that, it is already putting in place mechanisms to sanitise the education sector, including dissuading the quest for degree certificates (locally or from foreign countries) through a re-invigorated focus on inclusivity, reliance on all skill sets as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is committed to collaborating with stakeholders, including civil society organizations, to consistently enhance the Nigerian education system and we value the public’s understanding and patience as we strive to address these issues.”

NAFDAC reduces processing fees for locally made goods.

NAFDAC reduces processing fees for locally made goods.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has rolled out strategies to help Micro Small and Medium Enterprises survive the temporary economic fallouts occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

The Director-General of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Monday in Abuja by NAFDAC media consultant, Olusayo Akintola.

Adeyeye said the new set of strategies was targeted to help MSMEs survive the economic situation from the fuel subsidy removal and to enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

She added that the agency had reviewed downward, the present administrative charges for late renewal of NAFDAC-regulated products to make the business environment more investment-friendly in a quick response to the realities of the time.

“This translates to a 65 percent decrease in processing fees for the renewal of registration for locally manufactured products (which will be N44,200),” she said.

This is against what is currently charged and 45 percent of the processing fee for foreign products (which will be $ 450) as against what is currently charged.

She noted, “In addition, the agency has also granted a 10 percent review of tariff structure for facility and inspection fees for Special Economic Zones as businesses across the world confront the disruptions caused by the global economic meltdown.

“NAFDAC will continue to adopt and implement practical measures to ensure that the projected growth in the MSMEs sector is not seriously affected by the development.”

She explained that the response of the agency was not just “to give succour and assistance to existing MSMEs, but also ensure that there is a practical and active fillip to new MSMEs.

This, the NAFDAC boss said will ensure that the growth of the sector is not discouraged by the current economic trauma.

 

She said it was the right moment for the agency and that NAFDAC, as a regulatory body, was prepared to back MSMEs and other businesses that were ready for the innovative and interesting times ahead.

“We have no excuse not to be one of the most productive and prolific economies in the world. We hope to achieve this aim in the incredible numbers of MSMEs that we have,” she stated.

She described NAFDAC palliatives for MSMEs as a thoughtful and strategic response to the realities of the present time, adding that those were indicators of the new spirit of NAFDAC and foretaste of the support for MSMEs in the trying times.

“This is not a new undertaking for the agency; it is merely an extension or intensification of the Federal Government’s long-standing commitment to MSMEs,” she noted.

The agency is responsible for controlling, and maintaining the distribution of transportation, advertisement, exportation, importation, manufacture, and the registration of the categories of products such as drugs, chemicals, consumable goods, cosmetics, biological, and medical services.

The NAFDAC requirements for the production or importation of food, drugs, or consumable goods in Nigeria depend on whether such items are produced locally or abroad.

Under the law establishing the Agency (NAFDAC Act), it is unlawful to market any drugs or consumable goods in Nigeria to the public without due registration with the NAFDAC. If any company is set up in Nigeria for the importation or manufacturing of food drugs or consumable products, all the products produced by such a company must be registered with the agency.

NAN

FG earmarks N150bn for poverty alleviation.

FG earmarks N150bn for poverty alleviation.

The Federal Government has allocated a total sum of N150bn to implement poverty alleviation programmes in 2024.

The amount is to be spent under the four pillars of macroeconomic stability, industrialisation, structural policies/institutional reforms and redistributive policies/programmes of government under the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.

Besides the N150bn allocation to the NPRGS, the Federal Government, in the N28.77trn budget signed by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, allocated the sum of N10.35bn to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Already, 15 million households are beneficiaries of the government’s N25,000 monthly grants under the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme.

The NPRGS was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2021 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to address poverty, particularly in rural areas.

The programme is to run for 10 years (2021-2031), with an estimated implementation cost of $1.6tn at an annual average of about $161bn.

Shortly before handing over to the Bola Tinubu-led government, the Buhari administration claimed that a total of 1.8 million ‘vulnerable Nigerians’ benefited from the programme.

Last Thursday, while receiving members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, Tinubu pledged his commitment “to supporting a strong and ideologically-determined democracy that is progressive, inclusive, and focused on eliminating poverty while providing quality education for our children.”

Earlier on Wednesday while inaugurating the corporate headquarters of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima said “This moment solidifies President Bola Tinubu’s assurance to protect our enterprises. It resonates deeply within our economic revitalisation plan. His focus on job creation, capital accessibility, economic growth, and poverty eradication forms the very skeleton of our strategy to invigorate the economy. Inevitably, this path demands tough decisions, yet ones essential to our success.”