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FG Approves N180m for PSTT To Fight Corruption At Nigerian Seaports

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The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said his at the 3rd roundtable on Maritime Sector Reforms: “Consolidating the Gains,” held in Lagos on Wednesday.

The roundtable was organised by the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) and Convention on Business Integrity (CBI).

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Ajani was represented by Babatunde Sule, who noted that the Federal Government instructed Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to provide funds and operational vehicles for the PSTT.

Ajani added that the government agencies were instructed to provide N60 million each for the Port Standing Task Team to carry on the anti-corruption crusade across the nation’s ports.

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“Port administration policy is such that port users are able to demand, track, and ensure greater compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by government agencies.

“And so, incidences of corrupt demands as it relates to vessel clearance has reduced.

“Government capacity to establish policy on compliance systems and collaborate with the private sector and civil society to improve trade flows and the ease of doing business are being strengthened,” she said.

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She said that the ministry, through the NSC, the Technical Unit on Government and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), and other agencies, Nigeria was poised to augment its standing by further institutionalising and continuously sustaining its reforms.

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The National Coordinator of PSTT, Mr Moses Fadipe, confirmed the approval for the operations of the task team, adding that only NSC, being the leading agency, had responded to the government’s instruction.

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He revealed that other agencies, which included NIMASA and NPA, were yet to respond and the PSTT had not received anything from them.

Fadipe noted that the Nigerian maritime sector had made significant progress towards promoting efficiency and transparency in recent years.

“The PSTT has played a significant role in transforming the sector through its commendable monitoring and enforcement of adherence to the provisions of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual and in its discharge of other ancillary mandates.

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“The task team’s interventions have led to a reduction in inefficiencies and corruption, and there has been a positive impact on the economy.

“Strict monitoring and enforcement of joint boarding of vessels procedure, transparency in monitoring, strict monitoring of joint cargo examinations, and the dismantling of illegal checkpoints and extortion points have all contributed to the improvement of the sector,” he said

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Dangote Refinery Reduces Fuel Price Nationwide, Provides Update On Petrol Distribution

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Dangote Refinery has reduced its premium motor spirit retail price nationwide.

This is as it announced Monday, September 15, 2025, as the new date to begin the direct petrol distribution initiative.

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The initiative, which Dangote Group had earlier announced would kick off on August 15, 2025, would see the $20 billion plant distribute petrol and diesel to consumers with its 4,000 compressed natural gas trucks at zero logistics cost.

The 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery said its new gantry price is N820 per litre, the same price announced last month.

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The company, which is currently in a face-off with the Nigerian Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), disclosed this in a fresh price template released by Dangote Group on its X account.

With the new price template, in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, and Ekiti, Dangote Refinery’s petrol retail price stands at N841 from N860 per litre.

In Abuja, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Kwara states, the largest African refinery’s retail price is N851, down from N885 per litre.

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This means that Dangote Refinery will deliver its petrol directly to willing consumers in Lagos and the South-west states at a reduced retail price of N19, while in Abuja, North Central, and the South-South, it will be a N34 reduction.

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It stressed that the new price template and direct fuel distribution scheme are expected to take effect on Monday, September 15, 2025.

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Meanwhile, the Dangote Refinery price template is not binding on petroleum marketers and retailers except MRS and its other distribution partners, according to DAILY POST.

NUPENG on Thursday announced that it may return to strike against Dangote Group, alleging that the company reneged on its recent resolutions.

However, Dangote Group said it respects the voluntary membership of unions by its workers.

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FG Gives Criteria For Opening Bank Accounts

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From January 1, 2026, all Nigerians and non-residents will be required to obtain a Tax Identification Number, Tax ID, to open or operate bank accounts.

The development followed the enactment of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

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Section 8(2) of the Act makes the Tax ID compulsory for banking, insurance, stock broking, and other financial services. It also extends the requirement to contracts with federal and state governments.

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For non-residents, Section 6(1) mandates registration for tax purposes, requiring them to obtain a Tax ID if they supply taxable goods and services or derive income from Nigeria.

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To enforce compliance, Section 7(3) empowers tax authorities to assign a Tax ID to individuals or entities who fail to register. The Act also allows for suspension or deregistration of a Tax ID if a business ceases operations temporarily or permanently, provided tax authorities are notified within 30 days.

The legislation is aimed at expanding Nigeria’s tax net and boosting revenue collection. Analysts say the policy could significantly improve tax compliance rates nationwide.

Financial institutions are expected to adjust their systems and processes ahead of the January 2026 rollout.

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NUPENG Accuses Dangote Of Breaching Agreement, Says Nationwide Strike Inevitable

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The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has accused the management of Dangote Group of violating a peace pact brokered at the Department of State Services, DSS, headquarters on September 9, warning that a nationwide strike appears inevitable.

A statement by NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, placed members nationwide on red alert, urging them to prepare for a possible resumption of the suspended industrial action.

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The statement reads: “This is to alert the general public and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that, notwithstanding the resolution reached and signed at the office of the Department of State Services (DSS) — with three Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Deputy Director-General of the DSS in attendance — on the right of workers to unionise, Mr. Sayyu Aliu Dantata, on Wednesday, 10th September 2025, instructed all his truck drivers, who have been members of NUPENG-PTD for several years, to remove the union stickers from their trucks.

“Today, Thursday, 11th September 2025, he further instructed them to forcefully drive into the Dangote Refinery to load products. Officials stopped them from entering the refinery because their trucks violated the loading rules and regulations.

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“We strongly condemn this attitude towards the official institutions of this great country and blatant lack of respect for the laws of the land.

READ ALSO:NUPENG Tanker Drivers Announce Strike Over CNG Trucks Dispute

We call on the Federal Government not to allow the security agents — who are being paid with the resources of this country — to be used with impunity against the laws and people of Nigeria.

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“Security agents should not allow any individual to breach the law, particularly while disregarding agreements reached in meetings facilitated by them and attended by Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“By this statement, we are placing all our members on red alert for the possible resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action. We also call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), all regional and global working people, and civil society organizations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat from the capitalist elite.

“His wealth cannot place him above the law.

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“We assure the people and government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that NUPENG will continue to remain a patriotic, responsible, and responsive organization committed to the progress of this great country.”

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