Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

News

Inuwa, NITDA DG Urges ICPC to Digitalize Its Process for Improved Performance

Published

on

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, NITDA DG, (l) in a Photo with Dr Musa Aliyu, the ICPC Chairman, after the Courtesy Visit on him.
Kindly share this post

By Joseph Johnson

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has avowed that automation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) will up the ante in tackling corruption to a large extent in the country.

Inuwa made this known during a Courtesy Visit on him by members of staff of the Commission, led by the Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN.

While confirming the Agency’s readiness to collaborate with ICPC in order to aid the digitisation of its services and monitoring corrupt practices in public institutions, Inuwa said automation is a journey and not a one off process.

“We have over two hundred and ninety-three processes to automate but we are selecting them one after the other to achieve the goal of the Agency”.

“We do this for other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) also, we have other initiatives in place to help them achieve digital transformation”, the DG noted.

According to the Director-General, “NITDA organises a lot of trainings and has a technical Working Group which started about three years ago, and saddled with the task of training representatives from different MDAs who are later asked  to nominate people that will become champions to promote digital transformation in their respective organisations”.

“We train them on e-Government and digital transformation in general, so that they can start the advocacy within their MDAs”.

“Moreso, we help some MDAs through the journey, like two years ago, Shippers Council came to us, we helped them with trainings, they documented their processes and have started automation. Also, we are currently working with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI)”, the DG said.

Inuwa reiterated the fact that although technology is a tool, if the supposed users are not ready to utilise it and open to its endless possibilities, then, the expected results would never be attained.

“If your processes are not optimised and re-engineered, it will be difficult to automate your services”, the Director-General stressed.

The NITDA Boss who took time to share with his visitors, NITDA’s digitisation trajectory, with the aid of slide shows, explained the different approaches and workings of automation as adopted in the Agency, which he said is called “NITDA Digital Transformation Playbook”.

After narrating how tedious it was during the early days of his first appointment as NITDA DG, where he practically had to deal with treating tons of memos and mails manually and at the same time had to receive guests, Inuwa recounted how the process then, affected the productivity of the Agency, which necessitated the need to build a high velocity organisation that will engender high performance and turn over the desirable results.

“To achieve that, we had to reimagine ourselves, take a closer look at our mandate to draw up salients points, then, we came up with a new vision of where we want to be as well as core values that will be binding on all in the Agency”.

“We had to develop a 2P2CT Framework (i.e People, Process, Content, Culture amd Technology) and deliberately disrupt the way we do things, so that we can come up with a new way of doing them.

Inuwa, while maintaining that corruption happens when there is a human contact, added that technology can help eliminate that.

“I believe if we can digitise government’s services, it will really address the corruption challenges we have in the country”, Inuwa averred.

The Director-General therefore affirmed that the Agency is open to supporting the Commission in its digitisation quest as well as collaborating on any other critical areas.

“Digital Transformation is a journey, it is not a one-off initiative or project that you will execute and you are done, no, it is a journey which needs continuous improvement and we are willing to go on this journey with you,” Inuwa concluded.

Earlier, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, who summarily briefed the DG and his team on the purpose of the visit said that the possibility of fighting corrupt practices and other related offences without utilizing technology is minute.

“When you look at the mandate of ICPC, the first responsibility is to ensure that it helps in preventing corruption, then investigate issues of corruption, prosecute, where there is a clear case of corruption, established through investigation.

“So, with a lot of changes observed over the years, particularly, since the creation of the Commission in 2000, we believe that aligning or collaborating with NITDA to digitise our processes will boost our services and speed up deliverables,” Aliyu noted.

The ICPC Chairman further stressed on the importance of technology to the overall performance of the Commission, as he expressed the hope that the digitisation process will make the Organisation more transparent, accountable, and effective, which will invariably spur the Nigerian people to have confidence in the Commission.


Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

News

NBS Unveils Crowd-Sourcing Initiative for Accurate Statistical Data

Published

on

Kindly share this post

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has introduced a crowd-sourcing initiative aimed at providing more accurate statistical information and data to policymakers and the general public.

NBS Unveils Crowd-Sourcing Initiative for Accurate Statistical Data

According to a statement issued by Folorunso Alesanmi, head of Public Relations, the initiative, which commenced several months ago, involves compiling daily price data from a wide range of sources.

These include open markets, supermarkets, neighbourhood shops, bulk and discount stores, street outlets, and large retail shops.

Data collection has been conducted across all 36 States, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and every senatorial district.

However, the Bureau clarified that price data gathered through crowd-sourcing differs from the data used in computing the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

While CPI data is collected at specific, pre-determined outlets during the second and third weeks of each month, crowd-sourced price data is gathered randomly from different respondents daily.

By leveraging the power of crowd-sourcing, the Bureau has been able to gather a vast amount of data that offers a more nuanced picture of price trends in the economy.

“We are thrilled to release our first price data compiled through crowd-sourcing. This initiative represents a major step forward in our efforts to harness the power of technology and innovation to improve the quality and timeliness of our statistical data,” said Prince Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician-General of the Federation and NBS CEO.

The newly released data offers insights into the prices of essential food items commonly consumed by Nigerians, such as local rice, white beans, white maize, garri, yam, and more. It provides a daily snapshot of food costs.

The NBS plans to update this data on a daily basis, offering entrepreneurs, policymakers, and researchers a valuable tool for monitoring price fluctuations and making informed decisions.

The data is accessible to the public through a dedicated dashboard, where users can view, analyze, and download it in real-time—enhancing transparency and accessibility.

“To this end, the agency has implemented a range of quality control measures, including data validation and verification processes, to ensure that the data is reliable and trustworthy,” the statement added.

The release of this crowd-sourced price data underscores the NBS’s commitment to innovation and collaboration.

By working with citizens and embracing technology, the Bureau aims to provide more timely and accurate statistics to drive economic growth and development


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

AFC Appoints Ireti Samuel-Ogbu as Chair of Board of Directors

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading instrumental infrastructure solutions provider, has announced the appointment of Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu as Chair of its Board of Directors. She succeeds Mr. Emeka Emuwa who has completed 12 years of meritorious service to the Corporation.

Mrs. Samuel-Ogbu brings a wealth of experience spread over three decades leading and transforming the banking sector in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Until recently, she led Citi’s institutional businesses in Nigeria and Ghana, with oversight across Banking, Markets and Services.

During this period, she steered the franchise through significant macroeconomic and regulatory headwinds, strengthening its strategic momentum and resilience.

Her international career within Citibank included senior leadership roles across over 50 countries in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, during which time she worked in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Mrs. Samuel-Ogbu has extensive boardroom experience including Citibank Nigeria where she was a Non-Executive Director for 6 years and Chair of the Risk Committee prior to becoming the Managing Director.

She also served on the board of CHAPS Clearing UK, the high value payment system now operated by the Bank of England and a UK-based charity, Opportunity International.

Her extensive experience and unwavering dedication to the advancement of Africa make her a valuable asset to AFC at a time when the Corporation is more committed than ever to accelerating Africa’s transformation through bold investments, innovative financing models and catalytic partnerships.

AFC recently delivered a record-breaking FY2024 financial performance, with total revenue increasing by 22.8% to US$1.1 billion, surpassing the US$1billion milestone for the first time.

This strong performance was driven by several transformational projects including acting as the Lead Project Developer for the Lobito Corridor, a transformative multi-country transport network connecting Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), financing of the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC — one of the world’s highest-grade, low-carbon underground copper mines and financing support for the commissioning of the Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa.

Speaking on the appointment, Samaila Zubairu, President& CEO of AFC, said: ” We are delighted to welcome Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu as Chair of the Board.

Her wealth of experience, visionary leadership and deep understanding of Africa’s financial landscape will be invaluable as we navigate our next phase of growth- expanding our impact, mobilising urgently needed capital and delivering transformative projects that enable inclusive and sustainable prosperity across the continent.”

Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu commented: “I am honoured to take on the role of Chair at AFC, an institution that serves as a trusted bridge between international capital and Africa’s dynamic growth opportunities.

I look forward to working closely with the board, management, and all stakeholders to advance the Corporation’s mission and strengthen its role as the leading provider of strategic, investment-driven solutions that unlock Africa’s full economic potential.”

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NBC Loses Appeal as Tribunal Upholds ₦190m Fine for Misleading Packaging

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has rejected a proposed settlement between the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), also known as Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), while upholding a ₦190 million fine imposed on the company for misleading packaging.

In a judgment delivered on Monday, April 28, a three-member panel led by presiding judge Thomas Okosun dismissed NBC’s application to adopt the settlement terms as judgment, describing it as an “attempt to arrest judgment.” NBC’s counsel, O. Ogunride, had informed the tribunal of a settlement agreement reached with the FCCPC, requesting its adoption as a consent judgment.

The FCCPC’s representative, Abimbola Ojenike, confirmed the existence of the settlement, stating that discussions had been finalised with Akoji Achimugu, the commission’s legal director.

However, the tribunal pointed out that the terms of settlement were filed after judgment had been reserved and both parties had submitted their final written arguments. Okosun ruled that “the notion of arrest of judgment is unknown to Nigerian law,” stressing that entering a settlement at this stage exceeded the FCCPC’s statutory authority and undermined its role as a regulator.

He further criticised the FCCPC’s acceptance of the post-judgment settlement, saying it conflicted with the commission’s regulatory obligations. The tribunal emphasized its constitutional duty to the public, asserting that it could not engage in private compromises between parties.

The panel also criticised the FCCPC’s sudden shift from its earlier position, noting that the proposed settlement declared “there is no penalty,” directly contradicting the commission’s findings from its investigation. Consequently, the tribunal rejected the settlement and proceeded to deliver its final judgment.

Upholding the FCCPC’s five-year investigation, findings, and imposed penalties, the tribunal ruled that NBC’s conduct constituted misleading practices in violation of Nigerian law.

It affirmed that the ₦190 million administrative penalty was consistent with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the 1999 Constitution (as amended). NBC’s appeal was dismissed for lack of merit, and the company was ordered to pay the fine within 60 days.

The case stemmed from an August 2024 announcement by the FCCPC accusing Coca-Cola and NBC of engaging in unfair marketing tactics and misleading consumers. NBC had contested the penalty, arguing that its packaging provided clear information compliant with national regulatory requirements.

The company later acknowledged that mislabeling of its zero-sugar Limca Lime-Lemon variant resulted from a production error at its Abuja facility.

In its revised appeal, NBC maintained that the mislabelling was unintentional and argued that the FCCPC’s conclusions were unfounded and beyond its statutory powers. However, the FCCPC defended its mandate to enforce corporate and consumer protection standards and urged the tribunal to dismiss NBC’s appeal.

The tribunal ultimately ruled in favour of the FCCPC, reinforcing regulatory accountability in the consumer protection landscape.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending