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FG Reintroduces Toll Gates on Highways, Releases Fees for Vehicles

Federal government is now set to reintroduce toll collections on some selected dual carriageways across the country, according to Babatunde Fashola, minister of Works and Housing.
Fashola, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided by vice president Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.
According to him, FEC approved for tolling to be reintroduced on dual carriageways of the 35,000 kilometers federal roads.
He added that dual carriageways represent only 5,050 kilometers out of the total 35,000 kilometers.
He said, “the Ministry of Works and Housing presented a policy memorandum for the approval of federal roads, bridges, tolling policy, and also a regulation that will provide the legal framework for the tolling policy.
“You recall that about two years ago, you had asked me several here when roads will be rolled. And I told you, there’s a lot of work. So we have taken another step. So let me be clear, tolls are not going to start tomorrow. So let us be clear about that.
“But the big step to actual tolling was taken today by presenting for approval the broad policy that will guide the tolling so that local people, states, local governments, all those who manage roads, investors who want to come in, will know what our tolling policy is. And that will form the basis of their financial modeling, their investment decision.
“Now, when will it start? First of all, the tolls will not start until roads are motorable. So let’s be clear about those.
“There will be agreements that have to be placed, negotiated with the government through the Ministry of Works and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
“So but the highlights of the policy, I think is what I would like to share. Some of the highlights are that we will adopt an open tolling policy as distinct from a closed tolling policy.
“The difference is that only open tolling policy, which is what we were used to before. you pay to at a barrier over a fixed or predetermined distance. The close toll systems mean that you will pay tolls over the distance you travel and the size of your vehicle. We haven’t operated that before. So we are going back to what we know.”
Stating that the government also approved that consultations must be done, Fashola said willingness to pay surveys must be done before specific roads are tolled.
“We presented and the council approved that only dual carriageways of the 35,000 kilometers should be eligible for tolling by the federal government. And dual carriageways represent only 5,050 kilometers out of 35,000 kilometers.
“So the total network of roads today, assuming we wanted to start today, which we’re not that will be eligible for tolling on the federal network will be 14.3% of the total network. So 85.27% will not be eligible for tooling.
“We have seen that most of those dual carriageways also have alternative roads, but they are single carriageways that’s why we left them. So the only exception to a single carriageway some bridges and they are listed in the regulation,” the Minister added.
He said the ministry also got approval that the toll will be used to maintain roads, to construct new roads as they accrue and also to pay the investors who invest in building or completing a road and then take a concession on it.
According to him, “We will also be going through a process of largely electronic toll collection and management system for audit and transparency. We’ll still have some cash at the very many more and hopefully phased that out as we go ahead.
“We have proposed and council has approved that certain types of vehicles be exempted for paying tolls. Those are bicycles, pedal cycles, try cycles, motorcycles, and other moves have two or three wheeled transport use mainly by disadvantaged members of our community, they will be entitled to a fully 100% exemption, as will be diplomatic vehicles and military and para military vehicles.
“We concede this as a national policy that’s why we’re making very general framework. So that states can also decide subject to their local laws, local government can do their own tolling based on all of these considerations as a broad framework?
“Well, how did we get here? We met with a lot of people, we met with government agencies first of all, but more importantly, we met with private sector and organised labour.
“Nobody that we met with oppose the idea of tolling, at least none of the people that we’ve met with opposed it. Some of people you might wish to know are members of the National Assembly, the Senate, and House of Reps committees oversighting us so that they can take this feedback to their constituents.
“We had consultations with the Office of National Security Advisor, Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Ministry of communication and digital economy, which will be helping us with the electronic and digital aspect of it.
“We also then met with those who are affected by the tolls themselves, Ministry of Transportation, who supervises a part of the transport business and then the road transport employers Association, the National Association of road transport owners (NARTO) and National Union Road transport workers (NUTRW) and Ministry of Trade and Investment, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection council. These are some of the people who have made very useful input which have been embedded in some policies that I have spoken about.”
Fashola noted that the ministry also recommended that people who live around toll plaza areas will benefit from what is called frequent user discounts so that because they will be mostly impacted, unlike people who just pass once in a while, saying it is global best practice around the world.
“So these are some of the highlights of the of the policy. And then we got his start off toll because certain investment decisions have to be made in the next few weeks.
“You remember I briefly about the HDMI, about the concession about 12 roads, spanning about 1000 plus kilometres. That process has kicked off we have about 70 something applicants who are waiting for a policy. So we need to have a kick off policy. So we’ve classified vehicles into five categories, the cars, the SUVs and the jeeps as a second category.
“Private bus and commercial bus as third and fourth categories. And then luxury buses and trucks as a fifth category.
“So the start off tolls that we have for financial modelling and investment decision making, cars will pay N200, SUVs and Jeeps will pay N300, private busses will pay N300, commercial buses will pay N150, luxury buses and trucks will pay N500.
“Now I think it is important to share with you how we arrived at these prices. Some of these prices were recommended by the operators themselves that I said we met. Some of them were also obtained from a survey we did across the six geopolitical zones, talking to households and talking to people in the garages, motor parks and all of that, which was quite extensive. We covered about 17 or so states or 22 states out of the national framework just to get a sampling of what people felt.
“So in terms of comparison, for example, we also looked at the tolls being paid at Lekki, Ikoyi bridge and the Lagos airport, Abuja airport toll plazas as a basis for further comparison. And in doing that, we found that the N200 for cars for example, is the same as Lekki, Abuja airport Lagos airport but it is N50 cheaper than Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge.
“For the SUVs and Jeeps, ter N300 that we got approval for is the same as Abuja airport and Lagos airport and N100 cheaper than Lekki and Ikoyi toll bridges, those ones charged N400 for jeeps.
“Private bus is same as Lagos airport toll, N100 less than Lekki toll and Abuja airport toll. Commercial bus, which is the cheapest here in sensitivity to the most vulnerable members of our society the rate is not more than N150. This is N50 higher than the Lekki toll, because commercial buses are not frequent in this toll but it is N50 cheaper than the suggestion of the transport unions themselves. And it is equal to the maximum price that the willingness to pay survey picked up from the streets. Luxurious buses N500. This is the same as Lagos airport, but it is N500 cheaper than Lekki N200 more than the maximum gathered from the willingness to pay survey.
“The reason why we have no difficulty with this is because those are the vehicles, they are the heaviest axiel load and inflict the most impactful stress on our pavement.
“So this is the sum and substance broad line and then there is a tolling regulation, which now use regulatory framework to these policy based on the provisions of the Federal Highway Act, that allows the minister responsible for works to issue regulations that define policy of government with regards to roads,” he stated.
News
NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
News
Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth

Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).
Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.
“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.
She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,
Learning through experience
Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.
Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.
Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.
Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.
World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.
The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.
The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.
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CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
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