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Trade modernisation project to boost efficiency in Nigeria’s trade operations – expert

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An expert, Mr Ibrahim Yahaya, says that the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) being implemented in Nigeria will boost efficiency in trade facilitation..

Yahaya said this in an interview on Sunday.

Our Correspondent reports that TMP is the automation of the business processes of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to simplify and enhance the experience of stakeholders in the trade value chain.

The project is a 20-year concession, with an execution agreement signed in May 30, 2022, between the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by NCS Board, and the Trade Modernisation Project Ltd.

It aims to streamline the process of obtaining export and import clearances, ease the payment of duties, and facilitate the release of goods.

The project would deploy a software described as the Unified Customs Management system (UCMS), where trade operators have the advantage to also monitor all stages of their transactions.

It will equip the NCS with state-of-the-art technology infrastructure and facilities, to transform the service into an organisation that provides efficient services to businesses and other government agencies.

The TMP is an improvement on the current system, featuring advanced capabilities such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to aid in the classification and validation of uploaded documents or data.

Yahaya, the Managing Director of Paynacle Digital Services, said that TMP would help reduce corruption in customs operations and ensure transparency and efficiency in their activities.

“It will also cut the time used in document verification. TMP will speed up the process for those importing or exporting, something that used to take 20 days can now take one hour.

“I believe that with AI in the system, it will help predict government revenue, and if there is any deficiency, it will address it,” he said.

He said that the project would aid Nigeria’s budgetary system, considering that revenue generated from NCS is a crucial source of revenue for the country.

He said that for Nigeria to advance its economic diversification efforts, TMP was crucial to boosting its integrity in attracting foreign investment through international trade.

“It will help in boosting Nigeria’s integrity in international trade because the system has undergone sanitisation,” he said.

According to him, if properly implemented, TMP would unify customs activities and management, significantly curbing corrupt practices within the system.

According to him, it will also ensure transparency and efficiency in NCS activities, particularly in checking the issuance of fake customs duty documents.

“We often see a lot of fake customs duty documents, and the mode of production and issuance is obsolete.

“Traditionally, it makes it easy for people to manipulate, but automation will help address that and improve efficiency,” he said.

Yahaya urged the engagement of experts in the implementation of the project, noting that the Public-Private Partnership would help sustain the project.

“I suggest they hire experts in cybersecurity and private companies to maintain its services,” he said.

Our reporter gather that TMP is implementing nine technical agreements with its technical and financial partners.

Access Bank Plc is the financial partner, Huawei, the lead technical partner, and CrossborderXP Ltd is the software development partner, among others.

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NYSC members win millions in Fidelity GAIM 6 Promo

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L – R:  Branch Leader, Fidelity Bank Plc, Tudun Wada, Kaduna, Kelechi Opurum; GAIM 6 NYSC Empowerment Grant winner, Aliyu Idris Adamu; NYSC Coordinator, Kaduna State, Hassan Mahmud Taura; and Direct Sales Coordinator, North Central Region, Fatima Usman; at the Fidelity Bank GAIM 6 NYSC Empowerment Grant prize presentation ceremony for Q1 in Kaduna State recently.

Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to financial inclusion, youth empowerment, and promoting a healthy savings culture by rewarding nine National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members with N500,000 business grants each.

The grants were awarded under the Get Alert in Millions Season Six (GAIM 6) promo, an initiative designed to reward loyal customers with cash prizes totalling N159 million.

The promo, which runs from November 2024 to August 2025, targets various categories of customers, including NYSC members, students, and general customers.
Mr. Osita Ede, Divisional Head of Product Development at Fidelity Bank Plc, stated that this season of the GAIM promo aims to enhance the opportunities for loyal customers to win.

“When we launched the GAIM 6 promotion in November 2024, we unequivocally stated that this campaign season is intended to promote inclusivity. Consequently, we have increased the total prize money to N159 million and added additional draws, beyond the weekly and monthly draws featured in previous seasons.

“Now, we have specific draws catering to various segments of our customer base including women, students, youth corps members, and traders. It is important to note that these categories of customers also stand the chance to win millions of naira in the monthly and grand draws which we will be hosting till 20 August 2025,” explained Ede.

Nine NYSC customers were selected through a random electronic draw in the first quarter of the GAIM 6 campaign across the country. They are: Oluwatosin Emmanuel Olowolayemo and Ekpeno Aniekan George, both Youth Corps members in Akwa Ibom State; Derryk Chidubem Okafor, Enugu State; Aliyu Idris Adamu, Kaduna State; Bomane-Aziba Koromo, FCT_Abuja; Asabe Grace Adamu, Bornu State; David Agbai Agwu, Osun State; Abdullahi Opeyemi Olajuwon, Lagos State and Eghosa George Orhue, Ekiti State.

Expressing his gratitude and excitement, one of the recipients of the entrepreneurship grant, Chidubem Okafor, appreciated Fidelity Bank for the grant, noting that the funds will enable him to achieve his entrepreneurial dreams.

His words, “At first, I thought it was a scam when they introduced the initiative at our orientation camp, but today, I am truly honored to receive this support from Fidelity Bank. This grant will go a long way in helping me achieve my entrepreneurial dreams, and I promise to make the most of it,”

Similarly, David Agwu, who also emerged a winner in the draw, expressed his surprise at the unexpected win, saying, “When I received the call, I thought it was a prank. I never applied for anything, so it was hard to believe. But when they sent me proof, I realized it was real. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. My plan is to invest the money in vocational training and digital skills development, particularly in fashion and painting in order to establish a sustainable business”.

Beyond the N500,000 entrepreneurship grant, the winners will also enjoy free business advisory and training sessions at the newly launched Fidelity SME Hub, located at 22, Lanre Awolokun Street, Gbagada Phase 2, Lagos.

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 8.5 million customers through digital banking channels, its 251 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Awards; the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023; and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards. It was also recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023 and the Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

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NNPCL dismisses reports of termination of Naira Crude deal with Dangote

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed reports that it has terminated Naira Crude deal with Dangote unilaterally.

In a statement on Monday, the NNPCL explained that the Cude Sales Agreement with Dangote Refinery was still subsistence, clarifying that the existing contract, which allowed crude oil sales in Naira, was structured as a six-month agreement, contingent on availability, and is set to expire at the end of March 2025.

NNPCL said discussions with Dangote for fresh contractual agreement will soon take place.

The statement which was signed by the Director of Corporate Communications of the NNPCL, Mr Segun Soneye disclosed that the NNPCL has supplied Crude Oil to Dangote since October 2024, with 48 million barrels.

He said the supplies was under the Naira contract which in total, the company has provided more than 84 million barrels to the refinery since it commenced operations in 2023.

NNPCL reaffirmed its commitment to supporting local refining, ensuring a steady crude oil supply based on mutually agreed terms.

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Edo State IRS denies revenue drop claims

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The Edo State Internal Revenue Service has refuted claims of its February, 2025 revenue drop by one, Mr Ifaluyi Isibor saying, it’s a misrepresentation of facts.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of Corporate Communications of Edo IRS, Courage Eboigbe, lamented the deliberate distortion of facts by those who supposed to know, but decided to mislead the populace for whatever reasons they think they wanted to achieve.

The statement obtained by CAPITAL POST in Abuja reads: “It is disheartening and disingenuous that supposedly educated Edo State citizens would spew out such nonsense for political expediency. Such actions not only mislead the public, but they also undermine the efforts of those working tirelessly to ensure sustainable economic development in our State.

“His claims are far from the truth. The only truth is that the Revenue Service has attained and is sustaining an average of N10 billion to date.

In view of the above, we hereby state that the IGR Report for February is very impressive and stands at over N9.5b, a figure never attained by Isibor’s paymasters.

“That the EIRS firmly dismisses the claim of revenue drop of Edo’s IGR falling from ₦4.7 billion in January to ₦3.4 billion in February, labelling Isibor’s narrative as dubious, deliberately misleading, and dishonest. Our record confirms a stable upward trajectory, which starkly contrasts the narrative put forth by the mischievous Isibor.

“That the EIRS denounces the misinformation, criticizes Isibor for allegedly spreading unverified figures, and insists that the IGR remains on an upward trajectory.

“That the EIRS rejects the notion of separate IGR sources, emphasizing that all government revenue is consolidated into a single figure irrespective of revenue stream.

“That the Revenue Service reiterates its commitment to tackling illegal revenue collection by unauthorized individuals while urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities by non-state actors.

“Overall, this statement aims to restore public confidence, reject alleged misinformation, and reaffirm the agency’s professionalism in revenue collection.”

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