By Lucy Ogalue
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it has commenced the e-ticketing for train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route.

Mr Fidet Okhiria, the NRC Managing Director, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the process would be on test run for a week before its formal inauguration on Jan. 20.

“We have commenced the e-ticketing for the Abuja -Kaduna train service today. We intend to test-run this process for about a week after which the formal inauguration will be done at the Ministry of Transportation on Jan. 20.

“The essence of this e-ticketing is to enable people to access tickets easily with fewer hurdles and especially during this period of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

According to Okhiria, the e-ticketing platform will guarantee orderliness in purchasing of tickets and address some major security challenges in the country.

He said that the e-ticketing would also ensure that the database of all passengers boarding the train were captured in case of emergencies and for other purposes.

An e-ticket (short for electronic ticket) is stored in the airline/train’s reservation system and therefore eliminates the need for a printed ticket.

The passengers are expected to check in with a government issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport) to receive their boarding pass.

By Joshua Olomu
The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Alhaji Garba Abubakar, has said the organisation generated more than N19 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) last year.

Abubakar made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic that affected economic activities, the commission recorded increase in the registration of businesses and other corporate entities during the year.

“The year 2020 was one of our best years in terms of revenue generation as we recorded a surge in registration above the previous year.

“We had a revenue target of N18.2 billion, but we closed here with over N19 billion.

“For the first time in the last 10 years, we are able to give more money to the Federal Government in terms of operation surplus.

“We are hoping that we will meet our target for 2021 because where there is increased compliance by customers, there will be an increase in the revenue for government.

“Transactions are now easily carried out with the electronic system, as you pay through the remittal on our portal, without paper works,” he said.

He expressed the hope that the commission would surpass the N20 billion revenue target this year by leveraging on electronic systems transactions for most of its operations.

Abubakar, who was appointed to head the CAC on Jan. 7, 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari, said the commission had undergone some reforms in the past one year.

According to him, the commission has successfully embedded the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Tax Identification Number (TIN) on the certificate of registration for companies through the existing FIRS stamp duty portal.

He said that the commission had commenced the implementation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020) with the introduction of a new self-service portal that allowed for end-to-end electronic submission by customers.

He said that the new CAMA provided a robust framework towards reforming identified legal, regulatory and administrative bottlenecks, which had hitherto slowed down the wheel of doing business for over three decades.

The Registrar-General, however, noted that inherited financial liabilities and the COVID-19 pandemic were some of the challenges he faced in steering the affairs of the organization in the past year.

“The challenges we had last year was the inherited liabilities, as I took over with over N6 billion liabilities, and also had challenges of service delivery because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were registering company and business names within 24 hours, but the pandemic and the various restrictions to curb the spread of the disease affected our service delivery,” he said.

Abubakar said that part of the commission’s agenda for 2021 was to build stronger collaborations with relevant agencies and intensify the enforcement of the provisions of the new CAMA.

He tasked all registered entities on compliance with the new law in terms of filing their annual returns and other statutory duties to the commission.

According to him, with the new law it is now easier for companies to file their returns without going through any lawyer, accountant or chartered secretary.

“With the new portal a company can decide to have its own electronic account that will allow it to make all its fillings directly.

“The new portal also shows at a glance the status of a company, whether it is active, dormant, receivership or liquidation.

“We have given access to most government agencies and foreign missions in Nigeria to confirm the status of companies and we will continue to do that.

“Before they deal with any registered company, they will verify if such company is actually an active company and whether the information provided by such company is consistent with the CAC records,” he said.

Abubakar said the commission was working out modalities for granting amnesty on annual returns to companies and other registered entities and it would be announced before the end of the first quarter of this year.

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says it is expecting 20 ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods from Jan. 12 to Jan. 25.

The NPA made this known in its publication, `Shipping Position’, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to it, the ships are expected to arrive at the Lagos Port Complex.

The publication said that the ships contained bulk sugar, bulk wheat, general cargo, frozen fish, bulk malt, container, soda ash and bulk salt.

NPA reports that another 12 ships had arrived at the ports, waiting to berth with bulk wheat, container, base oil and petrol.

Also, the organisation said that 16 other ships are at the ports discharging general cargo, bulk wheat, petrol, frozen fish, bulk fertilizer, butane gas and container.(NAN)

By Naomi Sharang

President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan says Nigeria will generate more revenue with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Lawan made this known while addressing Senate Correspondents at a forum to mark his 62nd birthday in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that the Senate would on resumption from the Christmas break on Jan. 26, consider the bill for passage.

According to him, the PIB is an important legislation that will be given the necessary attention on our resumption.

“By the grace of God when we resume, we will start work on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB); that is going to be one legislation that not only Nigeria but the entire world is waiting for because that will change our economy.

“Money will start flowing so we want you to be in that journey with us so that you too, when the history of PIB passage and assent will be written, your names will be reflected.

“We promised Nigerians that we are going to achieve that by the grace of God in the year 2021,’’ the Senate president said.

He, however, said that there were people within and outside the country who were opposed to the passage of the bill.

“There are people both within and outside the country who will work against it but it is going to take the strength of our patriotism to pass it,” Lawan said.

He further said that the PIB would be given the same speed accorded the Deep Offshore Production Sharing Contract bill.

“When in 2019, we said we will pass the amendment to the Deep Offshore Production Sharing Contract in this house, we spent nights.

“We close by 2a.m., 3a.m., just working to amend that act, people didn’t want it to happen because it stopped what has been happening for 20 years.

“In a week, they thought it was a joke. In a week we finished the amendment because the house was on recesse, the day they returned, they concurred.

“Mr President knew how important that amendment was. He was in London and that bill was flown to him and he signed on a Sunday just to give that amendment the validity that was needed,” he said.

Lawan added:“We lost billions of naira because we were supposed to be given 2 billion dollars every year in the last 20 years; they were giving us 216 million dollars.

“But from last year, after the amendment, it is now 2 billion dollars.

“That is what we intend to do with the PIB, we will pass the PIB that will ensure that businesses here get a very competitive environment, that people are able to make profit and stay and even invest more.

“It is absolutely necessary and incumbent on all of us leaders, to apply ourselves fully to address the various challenges facing Nigerians.”

He noted the need for leaders in the country to surmount the challenges, saying that there should be no excuses in finding solutions to the problems.

“It is not easy. And sometimes, when you are outside the system, you think two plus two is four. Until you get in then you will discover it’s beyond that arithmetic, but there should be no excuses,” he said. (NAN)

By Emmanuella Anokam

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has urged the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to develop synopsis of negotiated items on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement for proper implementation.

NANTS President, Dr Ken Ukaoha,  made the call in a memo it addressed to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ukaoha commended the management of the AfCFTA, especially the preparations for implementation of the agreement under the leadership of the minister, as the Chairman of the National Action Committee (NAC).

He said that since Nigeria had successfully advanced beyond the Jan. 1, 2021 implementation take-off date, it had to start massive sensitisation and enlightenment of all actors, including the private sector and implementing agencies.

“For this reason, we request that you cause the Ministry, or the Nigeria Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), which has been responsible for AfCFTA negotiations so far, to develop a synthesis which summarises all items negotiated on AfCFTA.

“Such articulated documentation that captures all the thematic issues should be produced and made available to all key stakeholders.

“It would help stakeholders to have a clear and up-to-date understanding of the subject, so that they can use same to engage in a thorough and effective sensitisation of their members.”

According to him, it will enable all actors to remain on the same page in understanding responsibilities and/or actions from the various levels.

Specifically, he noted that private sector organisations would need to educate their members on key points and outcomes of the negotiations, requirements, as well as strategies, for compliance with various provisions on every thematic issue in the agreement negotiated.

Ukaoha further suggested that subject to the minister’s approval, the said document should be in a tabula form with columns, specifying but not limited to each of the subject/thematic issue, and Relevant Protocol or Annex.

According to him, it will specify Nigeria’s position canvassed, brief summary of reasons for such position (justification), final outcome/common position taken by the AfCFTA and actions to be taken on the subject.

Others include key agency or agencies responsible for implementation of the actions, expected outcomes, possible monitoring mechanism and timeline, among others.

Ukaoha appealed to the minister that the suggested synthesis should facilitate easy identification of actions, roles, tracking of impact and success stories for his report card, as the chairman of the NAC.

He said that it would help the ministry to prepare ahead of time, for the review and amendment of the AfCFTA in the next five years, pursuant to the fulfilment of Articles 28 and 29 of the Agreement.

“This benefit is in addition to the improvement of stakeholder’s knowledge-base, which is very key to proper and effective implementation of the AfCFTA.”

For emphasis, he advised that the sensitisation and awareness creation would not be only critical to the effective implementation, but fundamental to galvanising the realisation of the benefits of the agreement.

“Nigerians want to know what was negotiated on their behalf and how the implementation would be conducted.

“The required sensitisation and public awareness must, therefore, be conducted with a basic document that provides informed knowledge,” Ukaoha noted. (NAN)

By Temitope Ponle

The United Nations (UN)  has renewed  call for developed nations to fulfill their pledge to provide 100 billion dollars a year for developing countries to support both climate mitigation and adaptation.

UN Secretary General António Guterres made the call at the virtual 2021 UN Climate Change Conference Roundtable on Clean Power Transition, according to a statement from the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Tuesday.

The conference, also known as COP26 and hosted by Italy, had as its theme “Achieving a rapid shift to green, affordable and resilient power systems”.

Guterres said the year ahead would be critical “not only in beating the COVID-19 pandemic but in meeting the climate challenge” adding that African countries, in particular, were vulnerable.

“Huge amounts of money have been earmarked for the COVID-19 recovery and stimulus measures. But sustainable investments are still not being prioritised.

“We must invest in the future of affordable renewable energy for all people, everywhere,” he said.

COP26 President Alok Sharma said the global transition to clean power must move at least four times the current pace to achieve targets set out in Paris Agreement on climate change.

Sharma called for enhanced global cooperation to boost innovation and economies of scale.

“This is our moment in history to make those vital decisive and positive choices so that we can protect the future of our planet and our people.

“So, let’s continue to work together to bring the benefits of clean, affordable and resilient power to the world,” he said.

Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio said a clean energy transition “must be a universal goal in the interest of the entire international community.

“Italy has been working with international agencies and private sector to foster smart and digital power infrastructure in African countries.

“Such an improvement will boost energy efficiency and facilitate energy access for all local communities,” he said.

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said the bank had prioritised renewables as the mainstay of its Light Up and Power Africa strategic priority.

Adesina added that the share of renewable energy in the bank’s power generation investments currently stood at 80 per cent.

“The bank has been at the forefront of transformative renewable energy projects in Africa, including large-scale concentrated solar projects in Morocco – one of the largest in the world – and the Lake Turkana wind power project, the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The bank expects to invest 10 billion dollars in the energy sector over the next five years.

“When we light up and power Africa – based on an energy mix aligned to a low carbon transition and prioritising renewable energy sources – we will achieve a more economically prosperous Africa,” Adesina said.

According to the statement, the accelerated transition to green, affordable and resilient power systems has been identified as a top priority for COP26 under the presidency of the United Kingdom, which has established the Energy Transition Council to drive the transformation. (NAN)