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110m Nigerians Have Enrolled For NIN — NIMC DG Coker-Odusote

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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that 110 million Nigerians have registered for the National Identification Number (NIN), representing a 2.4% increase from the 107.34 million recorded at the end of May.

NIMC Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this on Monday at the sixth edition of the National Day of Identity in Abuja, themed “Digital Public Infrastructure: Enabling Access to Services.”

Coker-Odusote attributed the achievement to NIMC’s strategic plan and emphasized the crucial role digital public infrastructure (DPI) plays in Nigeria’s economic development.

“The role of DPI has become indispensable to Nigeria’s economic development, as it offers a framework that connects citizens to essential services such as social welfare, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion,” Coker-Odusote said.

“At the forefront of this transformation is NIMC, responsible for the National Identification Number, which has enrolled over 110 million Nigerians.

“This provides a unique opportunity for the other two pillars of the DPI – data exchange and payment – to be layered on foundational identity for its effective development and adoption.”

Coker-Odusote said digital infrastructure has supported the government and financial institutions in enabling digital payments, digital money, digital identity and digital processes.

She said the student loan initiative, which has supported 257 institutions, registered 332,715 students for loans, and disbursed payments to over 18,000 students, demonstrates how DPI can remove financial obstacles to education

“I must say we are on the right path and key strides have been made through collaboration and partnerships with government agencies and private sector players linking of NINs and phone numbers with the telecommunication companies, NIN and bank verification number harmonisation with financial institutions to facilitate digital payments, digital money, digital identity and digital processes, amongst others,” she said.

“Furthermore, the student loan initiative showcases how DPI can eliminate financial barriers to education.

“Our journey with DPI reflects its similarity to physical infrastructure, requiring it to be open, interoperable and guided by set of governance rules and as such the public and private sectors need to intensify their partnership to drive innovation within the digital identity space and reap the benefits of DPI.”

Coker-Odusote said international collaboration is also essential in integrating innovative solutions and leveraging global expertise while ensuring Nigeria’s DPI remains competitive.

This strategy, she said, would enhance service delivery, boost our social investment programmes, and position Nigeria as a global player in the digital economy.

The enrolment increase may be a result of several announcements by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NNC), threatening to block unlinked phone lines.

On August 28, the NCC announced September 14 as the “final deadline” for its NIN-SIM linkage exercise, directing all mobile network operators (MNOs) to complete the verification and linkage of SIMs to NINs by the set date.

The commission had said over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to a NIN, “reflecting an impressive compliance rate of 96 percent, a substantial increase from 69.7 percent in January 2024″.

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NAFDAC Shuts Down N50 Million Worth Counterfeit Cosmetics Manufacturing Facility In Lagos

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has successfully shut down an illegal cosmetics manufacturing facility located at Benue Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.

This significant enforcement operation targeted counterfeit products.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), NAFDAC revealed that its officers discovered large quantities of unregistered chemicals, expired products, and packaging materials intended for the production of fake cosmetics during the raid.

The operation resulted in the seizure of over 1,200 cartons of counterfeit goods from the location. Alarmingly, expired cosmetics were being revalidated for sale, raising serious concerns about consumer safety.

The agency also confiscated equipment used in the illicit manufacturing process, such as mini-mixing containers, unlabelled chemicals, batch coding materials, and thinners.

These materials were transported to NAFDAC’s office for further investigation. The agency estimates the street value of the confiscated goods at approximately N50 million.

NAFDAC has reiterated its commitment to protecting public health by clamping down on illegal and unregulated products in the Nigerian market.

In a statement, the agency urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing cosmetics, particularly from unverified sources, and to report any suspicious products to NAFDAC for further action.

This operation underscores NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to combat the production and distribution of counterfeit goods, which pose significant risks to public health and safety.

The agency has emphasized that such enforcement actions are part of a broader strategy to ensure that only regulated and certified products reach consumers, safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s cosmetics market.

In a related development, about 5 months ago NAFDAC sealed several unregistered bakeries and water-packaging companies operating without the agency’s approval in Plateau State.

According to Mr. Shaba Mohammed, Director of NAFDAC’s North Central Zone, the closure followed inspections that revealed substandard Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the water-packaging firms.

As a result, these companies were shut down to prevent the circulation of potentially unsafe products.

In addition to this, numerous patent medicine stores were sealed for selling expired and unregistered medical products.

The raid, part of NAFDAC’s routine inspections in local government areas such as Dengi, Wase, Yelwa Shendam, and Namu, was aimed at enforcing compliance with safety standards and protecting public health.

Mr. Mohammed emphasized that NAFDAC remains committed to ensuring only certified and safe products are available to Nigerian consumers.

He urged the public to be vigilant, choosing only NAFDAC-registered goods, and to report any suspicious or expired products.

He also reiterated that businesses found violating the agency’s regulations would face appropriate sanctions, while advising aspiring entrepreneurs to seek guidance on product registration to avoid penalties.

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Crisis In PDP Is Creation Of APC, They Want Us To Be In Disarray — Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed

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Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has attributed the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to interference by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He made this assertion while receiving members of the PDP Board of Trustees at the Government House in Bauchi.

“Any challenge is not insurmountable, it is insurmountable by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that,” he stated.

“It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged.”

“You will notice that this is the creation of the other side. They want us to be in disarray, it is the creation of APC. They always want to have moles within us, they want to have knowledge of what is going on.”

“Even the Wike that is in APC is in PDP, he is performing very well. They don’t have people that will perform like our members and that is why they chose to pick him and gave him a state-like structure to run.”

“To us, it is a commendation. The press will see that at least irrespective of the bizarre situation, it is a recognition that PDP has the human capital to deliver Nigeria.”

Gov Mohammed also acknowledged the challenge posed by Wike’s dual role and attributed the party’s crises to opposition from the APC but assured that they have a strategy to navigate the situation.

To him, the PDP’s primary focus was on unifying the party to take over leadership in 2027 and ensure effective governance.

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IGP Appoints Tunji Disu As FCT CP, Redeploys Two Others

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Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has reassigned Police Commissioner Tunji Disu from the Rivers State Police Command to lead the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command.

As part of the redeployment, Abaniwonda Olufemi, formerly Delta State’s Commissioner of Police, will now head the Rivers State Police Command, while Peter Opara, the previous FCT CP, will take over the Delta State Police Command.

In a statement on Thursday, Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said the redeployment was “to strategically emplace a Police Force well efficient for effective policing”.

Also, following the approval of the Police Service Commission, the IGP deployed four CPs as Commissioners of Police for Abia, Lagos, Ebonyi, and Akwa-Ibom State Commands.

“The deployment includes the posting of CP Danladi Nda to Abia State Command; CP Olanrewaju Ishola Olawale to Lagos State Command; CP Anthonia Adaku Uche-Anya, fdc to Ebonyi State Command and CP Festus Eribo to Akwa-Ibom State Command.

“The posting of these strategic managers reflects the mission of the Inspector-General of Police to strategically reposition the Police Force and ensure maximum utilization of human resources available to the Force.

“The IGP has, however, urged the new CPs of State Commands to ensure diligence in the discharge of their lawful duties and adopt innovations that could mitigate security challenges in their respective areas of responsibility,” the statement read.

He further encouraged them to key into the police reform plans, which will help the progress of the Nigeria Police Force and the growth of the country in general.

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