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Tag: Ministries

  • “I Don’t Receive ₦1bn For Capital Project Allocation”- Akande-Sadipe, Lawmaker

    “I Don’t Receive ₦1bn For Capital Project Allocation”- Akande-Sadipe, Lawmaker

    Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, a House of Representatives member, has refuted claims that each member of the House of Representatives received a payment of One Billion Naira capital project allocation.

    Capital Project Allocation are the appropriations facilitated by the House members and released by the federal government to ministries and MDA’s for each constituency. This is meant to address socio-economic and infrastructure challenges in their immediate constituencies. It is also meant to support rural development efforts.

    Akande-Sadipe, who represents Oluyole Federal Constituency in Oyo state made the clarification today in a statement issued by her media Team.

    The statement reads, “The attention of Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, Member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency and Chairperson, House Committee on Humanitarian Services, has been drawn to a misleading video currently circulating across various media platforms suggesting that Federal Legislators have been receiving ₦1billion each since the removal of fuel subsidy.”

    “This statement is false, misleading, and misrepresents the ongoing efforts of the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”

    She added that no legislator receives funds directly for the implementation of constituency projects. “Rather, all interventions by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are executed by relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government as stipulated in the national budget.”

    However, she noted that the recent Policy Development in 2025 Budget proposed increasing the capital project allocation for each federal constituency to ₦1 billion. 

    Akande-Sadipe added that this proposal was only recently introduced and captured in the 2025 Appropriation Bill (Budget).

    “This development is a strategic response to the rising inflation and increased government revenues following the removal of petroleum subsidies and the floating of the foreign exchange rate”, she stated.

    She further reiterated that contrary to the false claims circulating, there was no ₦1 Billion Provision in the 2023 or 2024 budgets.

    “This policy was not part of the 2023 or 2024 budgets. It is a new initiative, reflected for the first time in the 2025 budget proposal, and its implementation is expected to commence later this year through the first quarter of 2026.”

    Hon. Akande-Sadipe commended President Tinubu ‘s foresight and administration for ensuring the proper execution of projects through appropriate MDAs. 

    “As with previous constituency projects, these interventions will be executed through the appropriate MDAs. Lawmakers only *Recommend and provide oversight to ensure that projects meet the needs of their constituencies and are executed within budgetary timelines and standards”, she added.

    Akande-Sadipe posited: “The lawmaker welcomes this timely intervention as a positive step toward addressing infrastructural gaps and improving service delivery at the grassroots. She reaffirms her commitment to ensuring that all projects allocated to Oluyole Federal Constituency under the 2025 budget are diligently monitored and executed to the highest standards.”

    The lawmaker said she remains steadfast in her dedication to the principles of transparency, accountability, and equitable development, in line with her legislative duties and oversight responsibilities.

    “We urge the general public to disregard misinformation aimed at misleading citizens in a bid to pitch them against their representative for political reasons (IBON OSELU). She implores constituents across the nation to always seek verified updates from reliable official sources.”

  • Soludo’s Disruptive Change through Anambra’s Strategy Evaluation and Execution Office for optimal service delivery

    Soludo’s Disruptive Change through Anambra’s Strategy Evaluation and Execution Office for optimal service delivery

    Governor Charles Soludo is blazing the trail for delivering a significantly better public service performance in Nigeria, with a strong commitment to keeping the promises made to the citizens of Anambra State.

    Soludo realizes that the key to success is causing disruptive changes to how public institutions engage in service delivery and has established the Strategy Execution and Evaluation (SEE) Office to demonstrate this.

    The SEE office is not just a group of policymakers, but a collaborative think tank designed to drive strategic initiatives interfacing with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), to shape the state’s future, with the core values of Professionalism, Responsiveness, Innovativeness, and Transparency.

    In a release from Governor Soludo’s Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, the mission of the SEE Office is to partner with Anambra state MDAs to significantly improve efficiencies and effectiveness of government delivery mechanisms in engendering disruptive change in service delivery. This is to create a homeland where Anambra citizens can live, invest, learn, work, relax, and enjoy.

    It is to evaluate current strategies, assess their effectiveness, ensure seamless execution of new plans, and bridge the gap between idea and action, to keep the needs of Anambra citizens at the forefront.

    To create informed strategies, the office engages with community members directly, listening to their concerns and insights.

    Data-driven decision-making is at the heart of its approach, and by utilizing analytics, the committee can evaluate past initiatives and predict the outcomes of future plans, by operating on a principle of accountability. This makes members checkmate each other on strategy implementation and fosters a culture of collaboration and transparency.

    From education reform to infrastructure development, the impact of the office’s work is visible across the state. Each successful project stands as a testament to rigorous evaluation and agile execution.

    In a time of uncertainty, the SEE Office stands as a beacon of hope and collaboration. Through relentless evaluation and execution, they are not just shaping policy, but weaving a better future for all citizens of Anambra State. 

    For more on Governor Soludo’s government infrastructural and transformational advancement of Anambra State, watch Solution Footprint on Channels Television at 9.30 pm every Sunday and Arise TV at 7.30 pm every Thursday.       

  • MAN Partners Federal Government, Key Stakeholders to Host a Closed-Door Manufacturers Summit

    MAN Partners Federal Government, Key Stakeholders to Host a Closed-Door Manufacturers Summit

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has concluded plans to host a closed-door Manufacturers Summit with the Federal Government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies from June 4th to 6th, 2024, at the Banquet/Conference Hall, State House, Abuja. The summit, which is strictly by invitation, is organised in partnership with the Presidency, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and EY.

    The three-day summit with the theme “Rethinking Manufacturing” is necessitated by the state of the manufacturing sector, which has remained a major concern to the Government, industrialists and Nigerians. Evidently, the theme underscores the need for practical solutions to the myriad of challenges limiting manufacturing performance through the adoption of innovative strategies that can guarantee higher productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability of the sector. 

    His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR as Special Guest of Honour at the summit will preside over the opening ceremony. His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON will superintend the afternoon session.  Clearly, the presence of the Presidency underscores the commitment of the government to the revitalisation of manufacturing sector in Nigeria. Manufacturers are expectant that the engagements would provide valuable insights on the policy direction, expectations of the government and practical solutions to the binding constraints.

    The Summit will feature focus group discussions between top level government officials, industry operators and experts; insightful presentations on emerging trends and best practices in manufacturing; exhibition of made-in-Nigeria Products; networking opportunities for collaboration and partnership building; showcasing of innovative products, technologies, and solutions in the Nigerian manufacturing sector. Specifically, the focus group technical session will bring together relevant Government Ministries, Departments & Agencies, top-level CEOs of manufacturing concerns, Continental Trade Institutions, subject matter experts, Academia, under one roof to discuss the five pillars of the summit. These pillars and by extension the focus points of the summit include how to:

    • Promote growth, upscale productivity and improve and competitiveness.
    • Enhance energy security and infrastructure development.
    • Improve macroeconomic environment, ease of doing business and periscoping our ESG;
    • Improve patronage of made-in-Nigeria products and local content development and
    • Leverage regional and continental trade for export development.

    In addition, the summit will delve into critical discussions on how to achieve sustained manufacturing growth through the creation of conducive business environment, guaranteeing security, boosting agricultural production and strengthening supply chain resilience by leveraging technology.

    Finally, the expectation is to reach a consensus with the Federal Government on the imperatives for intentional development of manufacturing in Nigeria and the crafting of a time-framed strategic roadmap for resolving the identified challenges and attaining steady growth for the sector.

  • Tinubu Directs MDAs to Patronise NASENI Technologies and Products

    Tinubu Directs MDAs to Patronise NASENI Technologies and Products

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country to patronise technologies and products of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to support Made-in-Nigeria goods and reduce importation.

    The President, represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, made the declaration while commissioning NASENI-Portland Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion, Filling, Reverse Engineering and Training Centre in Utako, Abuja on Friday, May 31, 2024.

    President Bola Tinubu who doubles as Chairman, the NASENI Governing Board, said he is aware that the Agency is in collaboration with private sector players in the commercialisation of its products, noting that the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGi), which NASENI has keyed into is the way to tap into Nigeria’s abundant gas resources and to also attain cleaner energy.

    Furthermore, he said the use of CNG-powered transportation would reduce pressure on foreign exchange, save money for vehicle owners by converting fuel-emitting vehicles to CNG. He equally lauded the Agency for working with private sector collaborators in the effort to establish lithium ore processing plant in the country to produce lithium battery for electric vehicles.  

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the NASENI-Portland CNG Conversion and Training Centre, a partnership between NASENI and Portland Gas Limited, is a state-of-the-art facility for the conversion of fossil fuel vehicles to CNG, a cleaner and more cost-effective alternative.

    He said this facility can convert 15 cars every two hours, translating into an output of 2,700 conversions every month.  “Mr. President, by our calculations, if Nigeria is able to have 10 of this kind of facility in each of the 36 States and the FCT, we will be able to convert every vehicle in the country to CNG within one year”, he said.

    He urged the President to give NASENI approval to convert all the vehicles in the State House fleet to CNG. “We are asking for your approval to do this, and showcase our capabilities. Second, we are offering to carry out CNG conversions for every Ministry, Department and Agency of the Federal Government at a cost.

    Equally, to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Halilu said NASENI is willing to make available to its contractors NASENI’S CNG generators, for the purpose of test-running the lighting project on Bill Clinton Drive (the highway leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport) to encourage them to purchase the Agency’s streetlights for the project.

    Good will messages poured in from the Minister of Petroleum (Gas), Epkerikpo Ekpo; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji; Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi; and Chairman, House Committee on NASENI, Hon. Taofik Ajilesoro.

     The NASENI-Portland CNG Conversion and Training Centre, equipped with the latest technology and staffed with trained professionals to ensure efficient and safe conversions, aims to build local capacity and domesticate CNG technology.

     It offers comprehensive training programmes for technicians, engineers, and other stakeholders, fostering domestication of expertise in CNG systems and promoting the adoption of green energy solutions across the nation.

     The NASENI initiative is expected to significantly reduce vehicular emissions, contributing to cleaner air and a healthier environment. Additionally, the adoption of CNG will offer economic benefits by reducing fuel costs for consumers and creating new job opportunities and technical expertise in Nigeria’s green energy sector.

  • NCC,BPSR signs MOU on Digitization of Govt Processes

    NCC,BPSR signs MOU on Digitization of Govt Processes

    The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta and the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dr. Dasuki Arabi have penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly work towards accelerating the digitisation reform process in government.

    Speaking at the event, which took place at the NCC’s Head Office in Abuja recently, Danbatta said collaboration between the two organizations is consistent with NCC’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) to partner and collaborate with relevant stakeholders.

    He noted that the MoU will enhance efficiency and productivity as it adequately captured the roles of enabling policies and implementing institutions, which are key features of digital transformation.

    He also said the Commission will continue to drive broadband penetration, which provides the backbone upon which such process will thrive.

    According him, “It is for this reason that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan document, made adequate provisions for the deployment of broadband infrastructure across the country. It is this same infrastructure that will drive services that will result in the transformation of governance as well as the key services sector in the economy,” he said.

    Danbatta said at the completion of the process, governance will be paperless, chief executive officers would be able to deal with their mails without necessarily signing most things offline because virtually everything will be done online. 

    “Indeed, the transition will be worth it, as the process is associated with efficiency, which naturally results from operating a paperless system of governance or administration at the level of entities such as the Bureau for Public Service Reforms and the Nigerian Communications Commission,” he said. 

    “We attach a lot of importance to the way and manner we collaborate with sister agencies of government to give translation or to ensure the actualisation of that important item of our Strategic Vision Plan that is strategic collaboration and partnership, it explains why we are signing this a Memorandum of Understanding.

    In his response, Arabi revealed that the Bureau took the decision to work with the Commission in driving the reforms for the adoption of emerging technologies as a result of NCC’s  emergence as the first organization to win the  Platinum Award of BPSR, exceeding expectations in the way it conducts its businesses. 

    “Historically speaking, this partnership had begun in 2016 when the Commission became the first agency of government to undergo the BPSR online Self-Assessment Tool (SAT). Remarkably, at the end of the assessment, NCC emerged as the first agency to be rated Platinum Organisation by the Tool, having exceptionally exceeded expectations in all good practices built around nine domain areas” Dasuki stated.

    Underscoring his submission, Arabi said, “Given the successful outcomes of the workshops and conferences NCC organized in collaboration with BPSR on the Distributed Ledger Technologies (the Blockchain) in 2022 in Lagos and Abuja, the MoU is providing a window of opportunity to consolidate efforts to deliver strong and resilient public service that will lead a well-functioning federal system wherein zero tolerance for corruption is made practicable.

    “The MoU will also help in fostering a high degree of cooperation between Federal and State governments in improving service delivery and addressing Transparency International Corruption Perception Index to significantly improved a safe and secured environment that encourages economic growth and investment.” 

    Arabi said that efforts to improve equitable and unhindered access to government information and services through the Federal Government’s Scorecard for ranking websites of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are producing a direct impact on the socio-economic development of the country.