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FG okays removal of 5% Excise Duty for Telecoms Services

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L-R: Jacqueline Olowolayemo, Senior Administrative Manager, Mafab Communications Ltd.; Prof Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy; Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau and Anas Galadima, Senior Manager, Public Affairs, MTN Nigeria, during a press briefing by the Presidential Review Committee on Excise Duty in the Digital Economy Sector in Abuja on Tuesday (March 21, 2023)

The Federal Government has announced the removal of excise duty for telecom sub-sector of Nigeria’s Digital Economy Industry in line with the recommendations of the Committee it constituted to review the applicability of the Duty to the telecom sector which is considered already overburdened with taxation and sundry levies.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, disclosed this on Tuesday (today) at a press briefing organised to provide updates on the status of the 5 per cent excise duty, whose applicability to the telecom sector was objected by the Minister in August 2022, following which President Muhammadu Buhari suspended its application to the telecom sector and set up a Presidential Review Committee on Excise Duty in the Digital Economy Sector.

Pantami, who is the Chairman of the Committee, specifically set up for the purpose of reviewing the proposed excise duty in the telecom sector, said the Committee had carried out its national assignment and accordingly submitted its report to the President, justifying why the sector should be exempted.

The Minister said the Committee’s submissions can be summed up in three arguments put forward to justify why additional burden in form of taxes or any level should not be imposed on the telecom sector to prevent a reversal of the important contribution the sector is making to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

“Our justifications are based on three premises: First, is the fact that operators in the telecoms sub-sector of the digital economy industry currently pay no fewer than 41 different categories of taxes, levies and charges; secondly, that telecoms has continued to be a major contributor to Nigerian economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product Contribution (GDP).

“The third ground for contesting the Excise Duty in telecom sector is the fact that, despite increase in the cost of all factors of production across sector, and naturally leading to increase in costs of products and services, telecom sector is the only sector where cost of service has been stable and in many cases continued to go down over the past years and therefore, adding more burden will destroy the sector,” the Minister said.

The Minister also informed the gathering that the President, having looked into the arguments put forward by the Committee and relying on the provision of the Section 5 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, as amended, has therefore, exempted telecom sector from the list of sectors to pay the excise duty as stated in Finance Act of 2021 and other subsidiary legislations, all of which are not as superior as the Constitution which permits the President to grant such waiver.

Pantami said: “I am happy to report to you that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the exemption of the digital economy sector from the five percent excise duty to be paid and this is because of the strength of the argument presented to him by the Committee that additional burden on telecom sector will increase the sufferings of Nigerians and that other sectors that are not making as much contribution to the economy should be challenged to do more and pay the 5 per cent excise duty.”

The Minister assured Nigerians, who are telecom consumers, that the presidential exemption given to the telecom sector shall be sustained by the incoming administration as “the decision by the President is not about any political party or any administration but about Nigeria and welfare of Nigerian citizens.”

The Minister further noted that the Digital Economy Sector has continued to contribute significantly to the growth of the Nigerian economy, having contributed 14.07 per cent to the GDP in the first quarter of 2020; 17.79 per cent in the second quarter of 2021; and 18.44 per cent in the second quarter of 2022.

He said the sector has also increased its quarterly revenue generation for government from N51 billion to over N480 billion, representing a growth of 594 per cent; while the cost of buying data has also reduced from N1,200 in 2019 to N350 presently, despite the increase in the cost of operations, including the energy challenge that has caused mobile network operators to power base stations with over 32,000 power generating to provide seamless services to their teeming consumers.

Telecom excise duty exemption commendable, it’s send forth gift by Buhari- NATCOMS, ATCON

Speaking on the development in an interview with NewsDirect on Tuesday, the President National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Deolu Ogunbanjo, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for exempting the telecoms sector from its 5 per cent excise duty.

He described it as a send-forth gift by President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians.

He, however, insisted that the federal government should do more to take the excise duty law back to the National Assembly for necessary amendments.

“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for exempting the telecom sector from the 5 per cent excise. It is a send forth give and retirement gift to the industry.

“However, we will need him to ensure that the excise duty law must now be taken back to the national assembly for amendment; otherwise, any president or Minister may come to implement that law. What the President just did is a pronouncement.

The Executive Secretary Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, lauded the federal government’s decision to exempt the telecommunications sector from its 5 per cent excise duty because the industry is already heavily taxed.

He urged that the federal government should ensure full compliance with the directive.

“We appreciate that the federal government listened to us because the sector is already heavily taxed. I spoke against it. The federal government should cascade its decision to the federal ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning”, he stated.

Int’l passport:NIMC fixes N1000 as NIN Integration, verification fees to speedy application

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National Identity Management Commission, NIMC has fixed N1000 as National Identy Number verification fees as means to speedy International passport application process.

NIMC disclosed this on Monday in a statement by the Commission’s head Corporate Communications, Mr Kayode Adegoke.

“The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) wishes to inform the general public that it has devised and agreed on a framework with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to significantly improve the quality of service, accuracy, and speed of passport services through the timely verification of the National Identification Number (NIN).

“This new arrangement is in furtherance of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s directive to streamline passport application, renewal, and issuance processes.

“Consequently, a NIN Verification fee would be charged for each Nigerian passport application for this service.

“According to the the agency Nigerians will be charge one thousand naira only, African countries will be charged $5.00 or its equivalent in other currencies while $15.00 will be charge or it’s equivalent in other currencies.

“NIMC and NIS have agreed on a revised applicant journey that will significantly improve the speed of passport issuance/re-issuance and reduce the traffic visiting the NIS office(s).

“The NIN service, fees, and the new NIS process will go live on 1st April 2023”, the statement contained.

Expert urges African researchers, scientists to focus on accessibility of funds

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Expert urges African researchers, scientists to focus on accessibility of funds

The Head of African Strategic Partnerships of the Africa Research and Innovation Partnerships (ARIP), Lancaster University, United kingdom, Dr Akanimo Odon has called on African researchers and innovators to focus on gaining accessibility to research funding instead of lamenting its unavailability.

He made this call on Thursday during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the 5th Congress of the African Council for Scientific Research and Innovation (ASRIC) holding in Mombasa, Kenya.

Odon who doubles as the Chair, ASRIC Diaspora, United Kingdom chapter urged scientists, researchers and innovators of African descent to work towards accessing funds instead of complaining about it’s unavailability.

“Access to finance is the ability of individuals or enterprises to obtain financial aid or grants but most African scientists are not even aware of such opportunities.

“ If you ask an average African researcher or innovator now what their limiting factor is, the first answer would be lack of money.

“I disagree with their answer because the funds are available for different kinds of research purposes, it is how they can access it which should be addressed.

“ Personally, on my laptop I have an excel spreadsheet of over a 100 organisations that fund research in my field,’’ he said.

He also lamented the lack of the right framework and understanding of systems among researchers when it comes to accessing funds.

“ Most times, some African researchers rush to prepare and submit research proposals because they suddenly bump into it and they are unprepared.

“ When I ask the average African researcher to list the top five or ten organisations who give funding in their field, they usually don’t.

“So I wonder how can you be looking for money and yet don’t know who gives money”

“ When they bump into the call for grants, they rush their proposals and submit a badly job done,’’ he said.

He urged African researchers and scientists to be strategic, prepared and intentional about finding funding opportunities.

NAN reports that Odon has won in excess of 30 million pounds in research grants for different organisations in the last few years and now engages institutions on resource mobilization.

NCC spotlights renewable energy on World Consumer Rights Day

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has concluded arrangements to host an event to mark the 2023 World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) in Abuja with spotlight on its regulatory initiatives on clean energy usage in the telecoms sector.

Nigerian Newssphere learnt this on Thursday in statement by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.

In what has become a tradition in the Commission since 2017, when it declared 2017 as Year of the Telecom Consumers when it honoured telecom consumers by connecting with the global theme for the commemoration to celebrate the Day with landmark activities, the Commission has continued to promote consumer protection and enlightenment.

The theme of the 2023 edition of the Day is “Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transitions.”

According to NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Barrister Adeleke Adewolu, the theme provides opportunity for NCC to share with beloved telecom consumers and other stakeholders, as well as the public, the policies it has instituted, and other actions taken to encourage operators in the sector to transition to environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources in their operations.

Adewolu, who represented the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, at the inauguration of the committee to organisation the event, said the Commission is committed to reducing the impact that telecommunications operation has on climate change and the environment while noting that the peculiarities of Nigeria’s electricity supply have resulted in the telecommunications sector being a contributor to carbon emissions.

Danbatta, who is a Fellow of the Renewable Alternative Energy Society (FRAES), stated that studies have shown that renewables and energy efficiency, boosted by substantial electrification, can provide over 90 per cent of the necessary reductions in energy-related carbon emissions. He said increasing the use of electricity sourced from renewables presents the best opportunity to accelerate world’s energy transformation.

“The theme is very apt this year, as we know the implication of the climate change disaster facing the world. So, as a Commission, we are committed to reducing the impact of climate change. The telecoms sector contributes to global emissions, particularly when you realize that there are over 54,000 base transmitter stations powered, in some cases 24 hours seven days a week, by generators. You can just imagine the emissions from these,” Danbatta said.

He explained that the Commission was already looking at introducing a policy to encourage ethical energy source, as part of the Commission’s commitment to safeguarding the environment for consumers and other users of telecom services, a move that is also in tandem with the process of actualising some of the key items of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The EVC further stated that, in recent years, the Commission has introduced a regulatory framework on infrastructure sharing and collocation among the licensees which, he said, has encouraged operators to fully maximise their already-deployed infrastructure.

“By sharing infrastructure, some operators do not need to entirely build a telecoms site in an area where another operator had deployed one. With the challenge of inadequate public electricity supply in Nigeria, telecom companies rely on diesel-powered generators to keep their telecom sites live round-the-clock. But a regulatory framework such as infrastructure sharing and collocation is helping in this regard,” the EVC said.

IWD2023: CPPR calls for promotion of digital skills among women in business

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As the world marked the International Women Day, IWD, The Centre for Public Policy and Research (CPPR) has called for promotion of digital innovation among women in businesses and environment to promote Women
Economic Empowerment across the nation.

Nigerian Newssphere reports this in a statement signed by the Centre’s Chairman, Dr Sam Amadi on Wednesday.

The Centre explained that such skills for women and girls will drive sustainable economic development and inclusive well being for all.

“The United Nations Women is celebrating the 2023 International Women’s Day with theme: DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. This year’s celebration aims to promote digital innovation and technological advancement.

“According to UN Women’s 2022 Gender Snapshot, women’s exclusion from the digital world has caused a loss of $1 trillion for the economies of developing countries in the last decade – a loss that will increase by 50 percent by 2025 if nothing is done in this regard. Besides economic benefits, enhancing women’s safe and equal access to digital technologies offers immense opportunities to address development and humanitarian challenges and spark innovative and creative solutions that meet women’s needs and promote their empowerment.

“Also, the UN says women are underrepresented in STEM careers and climate innovations. Climate change affects 80% of women globally because women are the primary caregivers in most households. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has highlighted the gender gap in environmental quality and the ability to shape environmental outcomes in many low-income countries.

“Women innovators have continued to grow, particularly in technologically advanced countries; however, on a global scale, only 15% of innovators are women.Women are the primary caregivers in Africa, with 75% of these women living in rural communities. The majority of these women are responsible for their families’ energy, food, shelter, and clothing. As climatic conditions continue to change, women are developing local strategies to mitigate and adapt to these changes. With an increase in local climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, there is an increase in female participation in climate action in Nigeria.

“In order to develop new technologies and innovations, The Centre for Public Policy and Research (CPPR) calls for a need to embrace and promote equity in digital innovation action, as well as increase women’s participation in technology and closing the digital gaps in Africa and Nigeria. For this increased participation to occur, there is a need to develop gender sensitive technology curriculum for girls at all levels of education in Africa and Nigeria, because it will help young girls develop an interest in innovations.

“The Centre calls for digital innovation in businesses for women to promote women economic empowerment and transform their lives. The CPPR urges the government to ensure that the digital space is safer for women and girls. It is important that the government invests greatly ICT skills for women and be placed in around ICT decision making in the country.

“Online contents should be developed to solve gender challenges specifically for women and girls that will promote human rights of women and girls in Nigeria”.

African female scientists seek enabling environment for women

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Some female participants attending the African Scientific, Research and Innovation Council, ASRIC meeting have called on African governments and other stakeholders to create an enabling environment for more women to join the sciences.

They stated this in separate interviews with Journalists in Mombasa, Kenya in commemoration of the International Women’s Day (IWD)celebrated globally on March 8.

The theme for IWD 2023 is ‘Embracing equity’.

Prof. Mimmie Watts, from Federation University, Australia, said various researches on women in science, technology and innovation (STI) showed that there were fewer women in STEM at higher education and research institutions.

“A number of reasons are responsible including limited professional development opportunities provided to early career female researchers.

”Others are limited institutional support for work-life balance in science and discriminatory practices in hiring, promotion,among others,’’ she said.

Watts added that the gender disparity in STI was a societal one and needed all African governments to pull together in encouraging and supporting women and girls already in STEM.

Prof. Amany El-Sharif, Vice President, Pan African University Council, said that  concerted efforts were needed to make the science and technology professions more enticing to young women and girls.

She said; “Women also thrive on the opportunities and challenges science and technology present to them.

“That is why it’s important for the governments and other stakeholders to address the issues working against women in science and technology.”

El-Sharif stated that with the right support, mentoring and opportunities, women were  great potentials to the entire society.

Mrs Goka Christiana, an official of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), said, ”women should never be limited by gender if their roles are taken seriously in workplaces and institutions.

”Heads of organisations and Head of States should create possibilities for every woman around them to thrive.

“With the right support, mentoring and opportunities especially to women at the grassroots,  the great potential in women will be brought out.’’

INEC shifts Gubernatorial elections to March 18

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has confirmed postponing the March 11 states Governorship and House of Assembly elections to March 18.
National Commissioner & Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr Festus Okoye disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The commission said its decision to reschedule the elections became inevitable following Wednesday’s ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) on the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the Presidential election held on 25th February 2023.
Following today’s ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) on the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the Presidential election held on 25th February 2023, the Commission met to assess its impact on the Commission’s preparations for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, 11th March 2023.
The statement added that decision would enable the commission sufficiently back up data stored on the over 176,000 BVAS machines from the last elections and reconfigure to suit the International elections.
INEC ensured litigants that all data from the last presidential and National assembly elections are available.
“Consequently, the Commission has taken the difficult but necessary decision to reschedule the Governorship and State Assembly elections which will now take place on Saturday 18th March 2023. By this decision, campaigns will continue until midnight of Thursday 16th March 2023 i.e. 24 hours before the new date for the election”, the statement reads in part.

Five factors that aided Tinubu’s Presidential election victory

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The president-elect, Bola Tinubu emerged through a highly contested presidential election and he is expected to be sworn in as the 16th president of Nigeria.

The former Lagos State governor emerged despite several polls by different organizations that wrote him off. Also, the naira redesigning policy almost torpedoed his presidential ambition at the last minute but barring any court pronouncement, he will be sworn in as president on 29 May.

In this piece, Nigerian Newssphere will review the five major factors that paved the way for him to emerge against all odds.

A divided opposition 

Tinubu went into the election against a fragmented opposition. In 2019, Abubakar Atiku, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso all worked together in PDP but they were defeated by the force of Muhammadu Buhari.

Despite the defeat, PDP maintained its stronghold in the Southeast and Southsouth and also put out good showings in Southwest and Northcentral.

On Saturday, the APC instead faced Obi in Labour Party, Kwankwaso in NNPP and Atiku in PDP. In addition, some members of the G5 governors were believed to have worked for the ruling party.

At the close of the poll, Kwankwaso maintained its hold on Kano, Obi held on to Southeast and Southsouth while Atiku had a good outing in the North, however, their individual performances were not sufficient to defeat the ruling party.

Northcentral came to rescue 

Several opinion polls before the election ceded Northcentral to the candidate of the Labour Party but the ruling party pulled a surprise in the region by winning four states, including Benue State.

The party won Kwara, Kogi, Niger, and Benue States. It would be recalled that no one has won the presidential election without winning the Northcentral.

Second position is good

One other factor that helped the ruling party was the ability to secure the second position in a worst-case scenario.

For instance, in Kano State, the NNPP won the state with a wide margin, however, the margin between Tinubu and Atiku was over 380,000 votes. Considering that Atiku was the main contender to Tinubu in the Northwest, the second position was good enough.

In a four-horse race, winning your stronghold is important but how you perform in your opponent’s territory matters.

In the Northwest, Tinubu lost Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi States by slim margins to Atiku.

In Plateau, Akwa-Ibom, Nasarawa—he was also able to maintain second position.

Strong Allies 

The victory of Tinubu in Benue State could be credited to the influence of Father Hyacinth Alia, the APC governorship candidate in Benue State.

In Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko ensured that the Director General of the Atiku Campaign, Governor Aminu Tambuwal was unable to deliver Sokoto to Atiku with a wide margin.

In Katsina, President Muhammadu Buhari had to show his ballot to voters to give them a signal on how to vote.

The presence of Godswill Akpabio in Akwa-Ibom helped to get the second position while Governor Nyesom Wike pulled what could have been considered impossible—for the first time, APC won in Rivers State.

Poor performance of Atiku in the South

Some supporters of the former Vice President had in the course of the campaign bragged about the 11 million votes. However, what they failed to consider was that bulk of it came from the south.

Unlike the 2019 election, Atiku performed poorly in the South and Northcentral.

He failed to win a single state in Northcentral and won only three states out of the 17 states in the south—Osun, Akwa- and Bayelsa.

Even his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa failed to win his state, Delta State.

All these factors gave Tinubu a win at the polls.

Naira redesign: Old naira notes legal tender till December 31 – Supreme Court 

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The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that the old naira notes must remain in circulation till December 31 this year.

The apex court ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN to allow both the old naira notes and the new ones to circulate side by side till the end of the year.

All directives issued by President Muhammadu Buhari in respect of the naira re-designing and circulation were voided and set aside on grounds of illegalities and abuse of executive powers.

The apex court took a swipe at President Buhari for disobeying its interim order of February 8 to the effect that the old naira is allowed to be in circulation.

Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim held that the President exhibited and took the disobedience to the highest peak with his broadcast of February 16 in which he allowed only N200 notes alone.

BREAKING: INEC declares APC’s Tinubu winner of 2023 presidential election

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BREAKING: INEC declares APC’s Tinubu winner of 2023 presidential election

After a five-day Saturday election collation process by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Prof Yakubu Mahmood has been declared the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Party, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, winner of the polls.

Yakubu, who doubles as the Chief National Collation Officer and the presidential returning Officer in the early hours of Wednesday morning, said APC scored 8,794,726 votes to emerge the winner.

Atiku Abubakar of PDP secured 6,984, 520 votes to come a distant second in the Presidential election.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party polled 6,101, 533 votes to come third despite being a first-timer in the race.

The New Nigeria Peoples of Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso scored 1496,687.

APC won Twelve States(12), Peoples Democratic Party won Twelve states(12), Labour Party Eleven states(11 including the Federal Capital Territory) and the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP won a state.

Meanwhile, in its briefing with the media on Wednesday, the head European Union Election Observer Mission, EOM, Barry Andrew, scored the election high despite pockets of violence.

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