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Reps Accuse NNPC, NCC, Others of Diverting N9 Trillion

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Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, speaker of the House of Representatives,
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A House of Representatives’ report has revealed that some revenue generating agencies have short-changed the Federal Government N8.8 trillion and the report listed the agencies to include; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among others.

The agencies collectively generated N9.3trillion but remitted only N174.9bilion to the treasury between 2009 and last year according to the House report.

The agencies have acted contrary to the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), 2007 and a 2011 Federal Ministry of Finance directive.

The FRA allows agencies to remit to the Treasury based on their annual operating surplus framework. The Finance ministry’s directive requested them to remit 25 per cent of their gross collection to the Treasury.

Independent revenue derived from Internally Generated revenue (IGR), is 100 percent dedicated to the Federal Government – to the exclusion of other tiers of government.

The agencies were supposed to have remitted N3.06trillion generated in 2009 as independent revenue, but they sent in N46.8billion or 1.53 percent to the Treasury.

The report also revealed that in 2010, the agencies generated N3.07trillion, but remitted N54.1bilion  or 1.76 percent to the Federal Government.

In 2011, N3.17trillion was generated, but only 2.33 per cent or N73.8b was remitted to the Treasury.

NNPC and its subsidiaries generated N6.1trillion (excluding proceeds from crude oil and gas) during the period but remitted nothing to the Federal Government.

A general analysis of the agencies’ submission (excluding the NNPC’s) shows expected remittance of N189billion as at October, last year.

Only N80bilion had been paid to the Treasury (42 per cent compliance), leaving a shortfall of N109billion.

Some of the agencies apart from the NNPC, and NCC are: Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN) among others.

With the exception of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), all the agencies prepared and submitted their audited accounts to the office of the Auditor General outside the time stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The report of the House Committed on Finance on independent revenue generation and remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by government-owned agencies that was considered yesterday by the lawmakers, however, praised five agencies for attempting to adhere to the FRA to some extent by regularly remitting their independent revenues to the Federal Government.

These are: CBN, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and two others.

 Abdulmumin Jubrin, chairman of the committee presenting the report, said between 2009 and 2011, the NNPC and all its subsidiaries generated N6.132trillion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), but remitted no part of it to the Federal Government.

According to him, the money excluded what was generated from crude oil and gas sales.

The report also revealed that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) provided confusing accounting figures of its independent revenue in 2009.

While N5.6m was declared, when the agency’s audited account was reviewed, another sub-head of N323m was discovered.

According to the committee’s findings and in consonance with the submission of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), most of the reviewed agencies were found culpable of not adequately making returns to the Treasury as well as also preparing different sets of account.

The agencies were found to have always prepared one account for the FRC and another for the Auditor General’s office.

The lawmakers, in adopting the recommendations of the report, mandated the Finance Committee to work on the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 within four weeks so as to check various loopholes that enable government agencies spend what they generate without recourse to the National Assembly.

The Committee on Finance is to probe other agencies that were not captured in this exercise to ascertain their status.

“Agencies that have refused to cooperate with the committee are to do so within seven days or Section 89 of the constitution will be invoked on them.

The other recommendations are that: The Ministry of Finance should compel agencies which have outstanding balances to be paid to pay up immediately;

•Any agency found to be spending outside budgetary provisions should be punished;

•All revenues due to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal government must be paid as and when due;

•The Accountant General of the Federation should submit to the Committee a detailed monthly report of remittances of Federal Government independent revenue;

•The FRC should sanction any agency that fails to submit its audited annual account as and when due;

• All agencies should henceforth present evidence of remittances into the Consolidated Revenue Account to the relevant Committees of the House during their budget performance defence; and

• The Federal Ministry of Finance should immediately ensure that all funds hidden in various agencies’ bank accounts should be mopped up and promptly remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and report to the Finance Committee within three months”.

The shortfall of remittances of some of the agencies are: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)-N6.1trillion; Federal Capital Territory (FCT)-N7.7b; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN-N45.5b; Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)-N6.9b; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)-N1.4b; National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)-N1b; Nigerian Port Authority (NPA)-N11.1b; Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)-N3.3b; Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC)-N211.7m; Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN)-N300.4m; West African Examination Council (WAEC)-N2.5b; National Sports Commission (NSC)-N3.7m; Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON)-N252.7m; Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC)-N410.9m; Federal Housing Authority (FHA)-N221.2m;

Nigeria Shippers Council-N6.4m; Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC)-N8.8b; Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)N3.6b; Industrial Training Fund (ITF)-N4b; Corporate Affairs Commission. (CAC)-N2b; Bank of Industry (BoI)-N3b; and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)-N1.4b.


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CAC Flags Three Companies, Warns Nigerians

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Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has warned Nigerians against transacting with three fake Nigerian firms, citing fraudulent incorporation documents and registration numbers not issued by the commission.

CAC Flags Three Companies, Warns Nigerians

According to the CAC, these companies are using fake certificates of incorporation with two different RC numbers each, none of which exist in the commission’s official records.

The affected companies are SPEF Cooperative Society Ltd with RC Numbers 1265884 and 512862, UPIL Staff Cooperative Society Ltd with RC Numbers 1265837 and 553220, and PREM Staff Cooperative Society Ltd with RC Numbers 1265844 and 545901.

The CAC warns that any Nigerian conducting business with these entities does so at their own risk.

“Anyone that transacts any business with the above-mentioned companies does so at their own risk,” the commission warned.

The commission further advised potential partners and investors to verify registration details directly through its official portal before signing contracts or making payments.

Similarly, the CAC, in a bid to enhance its services, introduced an AI-powered business registration platform on July 3, designed to streamline incorporations.

This new system offers instant name reservations, automated business-name suggestions, and same-day registration using a National Identification Number (NIN).

Additionally, the commission plans to review its service fees starting August 1, aiming to make its services more efficient and cost-effective.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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AfDB to Introduce Systems Reforms to Prioritize Investing in Africa’s Youth

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The African Development Bank, in partnership with the International Labour Organization, has launched a transformative system to mainstream youth employment, skills development, and entrepreneurship across its investments.

The approach, called the Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System, is aligned with the Bank’s latest Ten-Year Strategy, which places Africa’s young people at the center of development efforts to maximize the impact of every dollar invested, turning demographics into a dividend.

The Marker System ensures that Bank projects spanning diverse sectors, such as agriculture, transport, energy, water, and education, systematically incorporate components that enhance youth employability, foster entrepreneurship, and build market-relevant skills.

“The Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System is about ensuring Africa’s young people have a real say and active role in building sustainable economies and creating jobs – not as passive recipients of youth programs,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. “This transformation of Bank practices and systems is a step toward making sure our investments have a positive impact on Africa’s young women and men.”

The integrated system has three focus areas:

Youth: Supporting youth-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through targeted investments and operational integration.

Skills: Expanding access to practical, market-driven training and apprenticeships to enhance career prospects.

 Jobs: Ensuring Bank-funded projects create sustainable job opportunities, particularly by developing youth skills for employability and the promotion of youth-led businesses in priority value chains.

Each year, around 10 to 12 million young Africans enter the labor market, which offers only three million formal jobs annually. The Bank will prioritize youth entrepreneurship and mobilize private sector partnerships to strengthen industry-oriented skills training as well as job creation over the coming decade.

“[This initiative] is very important because it allows us to significantly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #8 that includes decent work for all,” said Peter van Rooij, Director of Multilateral Partnerships and Development Cooperation at the International Labour Organization. “It also allows the International Labour Organization to influence the Bank’s work, to support their lending that is more geared toward more job creation and better jobs in a sustainable way.”

The Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System is modeled on the success of the Bank’s Gender Marker System and its online dashboard, which categorize Bank projects based on their contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Similarly, the new system will feature an online platform enabling Bank staff and consultants to access real-time data for preparing country strategy papers, mid-term reviews, annual reports, project supervision, and reporting on youth-related skills, businesses and jobs outcomes.

The Bank has just launched a pilot version of the Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System in readiness for the full implementation in 2026. This system will enhance data tracking, improve estimates of youth skills attainment and employment, strengthen labor market information systems, and support policymakers in making evidence-based decisions that drive meaningful change.

The International Labour Organization provided technical support for the system’s development with financial support from the Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund. The Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System is the first deliberate action of its kind developed by a development finance institution worldwide.


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SEC Probes Ponzi Scheme Linked to FF Tiffany

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The Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed plans to commence investigation into the activities of an entity operating under FF Tiffany, allegedly running a fraudulent investment scheme that has defrauded citizens.

A statement by the SEC on Tuesday in Abuja said preliminary information revealed that the scheme, which promised investors unusually high and unrealistic returns, had resulted in the loss of several billions of naira.

The SEC said it viewed the activity as a threat to investor confidence and the overall integrity of the financial system.

The commission assured the public that it was working closely with law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies to bring everyone involved in the unlawful operation to justice.

According to SEC, those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the Investment and Securities Act and regulatory provisions.

SEC reiterated its earlier warnings to the general public to desist from engaging in Ponzi or unregistered investment schemes that promised guaranteed or exaggerated returns.

“These schemes are not registered with the SEC and do not offer investor protection under the law.

“The commission is currently investigating 79 schemes and will make a statement on its findings at the conclusion of the investigation,” the SEC said.

The commission encouraged investors to conduct due diligence and verify the registration status of any investment firm or product by visiting the SEC website or contacting the commission directly through official channels.

SEC said it remained committed to its mandate of protecting investors, ensuring fair practices, and maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s capital market.

 


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