News

Nigeria’s Poverty Reduced By Seven Per Cent – World Bank

Published

2 years ago

January 20, 2024

The World Bank has estimated that improved access to internet coverage over three years led to a seven per cent reduction in extreme poverty in Nigeria and Tanzania.

This was disclosed in a new brief titled, “Digital transformation drives development in Africa,” noting that the exposure has also led to an increase of 8 per cent in labour force participation and wage employment.

The World Bank said, “In 2023, a World Bank flagship report found that in Nigeria and Tanzania, extreme poverty declined by about seven per cent after three or more years of exposure to internet coverage, while labour force participation and wage employment increased by up to eight per cent.”

In the brief, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, Andrew Dabalen, was quoted as saying, “The minimal usage of mobile internet is a lost opportunity for inclusive growth in Africa. Closing the uptake gap would increase the continent’s potential to create jobs for its growing population and boost economic recovery in a highly digitalised world.”

The brief further highlights that over the past five years (2016-2021), sub-Saharan Africa experienced an extraordinary 115 per cent increase in internet users, a change that has been instrumental in spurring economic growth, fostering innovation, and creating job opportunities.

The brief adds, “The region’s digital infrastructure coverage, access, and quality still lag other regions. At the end of 2021, while 84 per cent of people in SSA lived in areas where 3G service was available, and 63 per cent had access to 4G mobile coverage, only 22 per cent were using mobile internet services.

“The gap between coverage and usage is similarly large for broadband, with 61 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa living within the broadband range but not using it.”

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, recently noted that the cost of data in Nigeria was still one of the cheapest in the world, but lamented that many operators are not willing to lay fibre in many parts of the countries outside the major cities because it would be unprofitable.

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Nigerian Govt Launches LG Proof Of Address To Improve Citizen Identification

Published

9 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has officially rolled out the Local Government Proof of Address, POA, project, an initiative designed to strengthen national security, improve citizen identification, and enhance service delivery across the country.

The project, initiated by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, was formally approved through a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, with reference number 5964B/S,13/VBA/T.IIIA/704.

According to the circular, the POA scheme took effect from October 1, 2025. However, implementation is at various stages in different federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

According to the circular, under the new arrangement, all federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, government-owned corporations, and public institutions are mandated to replace the long-standing use of utility bills as proof of residence with the standardized Proof of Address issued at the local government level.

The circular explained that the POA project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly, in the areas of governance reform, security enhancement, and institutional efficiency.

It is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, serving as the coordinating federal agency.

“For years, the reliance on utility bills as proof of residence has posed major challenges. Many Nigerians do not have utility bills in their names, while others rely on outdated or shared documents that do not accurately reflect their current place of residence.

“In the same vein, the increasing use of digital services and prepaid utilities has further reduced the reliability of utility bills as a credible verification tool,” the circular stated.

Also, it noted that while the National Identification Number, NIN, remains a critical component of Nigeria’s identity management framework, a significant number of NIN records do not capture current or accurate residential addresses, limiting their effectiveness for residency verification, security profiling, and service planning.

“The POA is therefore designed to fill this critical gap by providing verified, location-specific, and up-to-date address information directly linked to local governments.

“The POA framework places residency verification at the grassroots, where local authorities have better knowledge of their communities. By anchoring address verification at the local government level, the initiative is expected to improve community-level intelligence, crime prevention, emergency response, and population data accuracy,” it added.

Beyond security, the circular noted that POA data is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including improved public service delivery, equitable resource allocation, disaster management planning, urban development, social intervention targeting and financial inclusion.

The circular directed state governments to lead awareness and sensitisation efforts within their jurisdictions, with technical and institutional support from the OSGF, NIPOST, and ALGON.

News

Tax Reform Law: Reps Minority Caucus Seeks Suspension Of Implementation

Published

9 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has demanded the immediate suspension of the implementation of the recently enacted tax reform laws.

The demand follows allegations that the statutes were unlawfully altered after being passed by the National Assembly and assented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, in a statement issued on Monday alongside other principal officers of the caucus, expressed deep concern and overwhelming disappointment over the controversy surrounding the tax reforms.

According to the caucus, the allegations, if proven, strike at the core of Nigeria’s legislative integrity, constitutional order and democratic governance.

While acknowledging that disagreements often accompany major reforms, the caucus stated that the present situation goes far beyond routine policy debate, as it involves claims that the laws were fraudulently altered, gazetted and circulated in a form different from what was duly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President.

It recalled that the matter was formally raised on the floor of the House during a recent plenary session, leading to the constitution of a high-powered investigative committee to probe the allegations.

News

Outrage, Confusion Trail Rumours Of Mohbad’s Wife Giving Birth Two Years After His Death

Published

10 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

Many Nigerians on social media have reacted to the trending news about Wunmi, late singer Mohbad’s wife.

Rumours have emerged online that Wunmi recently welcomed a new baby with another man.

The rumours came a month after Mohbad’s family banned Wunmi from using their surname.

The viral rumour that started on X sparked controversy on social media with netizens raising eyebrows – since Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, and his body is still in the morgue.

The development has revived calls for a DNA test on her son with the late singer, Liam, who was five months old when Mohbad died.

Following the controversial circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death, and allegation of infidelity against Wunmi, the deceased’s father, Joseph Aloba, requested a DNA to determine Liam’s paternity.

Reacting to the development, actor Stanley Ontop in a post on Instagram wrote “Mohbad dled in 2023 Him wife give birth in 2025? What God can not do does not exist! Clap hand for Jesus. Anyways in life as a man try not to kpai, no matter what. Life goes on Anyways congratulations iyawo Mohbad.”

Also @MasterminddBoB wrote on X; ”Dis is not life pausing ooooo dis is her been a stupid person amid speculation of the requested DNA test for Liam..make una get sense small.”

@AgbafianTV wrote “If the News about mohbad wife allegedly giving birth is through, then know that women are ruthless in all their ways. To be able to deal with women, you’ve to be very ruthless. Don’t die because of any woman.”

@callme_Riken wrote; “I don’t know if the news about Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, giving birth is true. But if it is. Sooner or later, she was going to move on, whether her father-in-law agreed to bury his son or not. Life doesn’t pause forever.”

@djokaymegamixer wrote on X; “I won’t be surprised if it’s later found out that the story of the late Mohbad’s widow, Wunmi, giving birth was a hoax. There is nothing these guys can’t tweet all in the name of hustling engagements for Elon Musk’s money.”