Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Parthian Pensions Limited has advocated increase in financial literacy to enhance and deepen adoption of pension scheme in the country.

This is even as the newly approved Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) is focusing on the micro pension market to gain fresh Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders into its customer base.

The Head of Operations, Parthian Pensions Limited, Mr. Adetunbi Ashaye while speaking at a Journalists Conference in Lagos called on stakeholders in Nigeria’s pension sector to educate Nigerians on the importance of subscribing to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

While highlighting some of the developments in the industry that demonstrate its potential for growth, he said, people that are clamouring to exit the scheme, have forgotten so soon the past bad experiences is the reason the new scheme came on board.

He said: ‘The previous pension system was unfunded. Now that it is funded through the contributions of the employees and the employers, it is highly regulated. What really needs to happen is the need to drive financial literacy because people in Nigeria see pension as insignificant, something that is not important,’ he advised.

‘The impact of the scheme to the economy is ensuring that people have good retirement; people have good life after they have stopped working. In other words, what we need to do in the industry as operators is to ensure financial literacy. We need to let people know what is going on and why they should continually support the contributory pension scheme,’ he added.

Saying most Nigerians see insurance and pensions as unnecessary, he noted that, ‘their concern is that, if they cannot provide for their immediate needs, which is food, shelter and clothing, why should they save? And it still boils down to a Micro Pension Plan.

‘What should be happening in the industry now is to simplify, digitise micro pension plans, and ensure diversification in different ways so that we can reach out to everybody.’

With pension assets projected to reach N29 trillion at the end of the year, he said, ‘the pension industry performance in the first quarter, 2025 shows N79 billion was paid for Programme Withdrawal and N54 billion for Annuity.

‘There is also the certification of asset classifications, and what we need is transparency, which is what PenCom is doing, people are looking and seeing how the funds are growing.’

Meanwhile, he said, his PFA will leverage on the opportunities provided by micro pension plan to enrich its customer base and bring more people who are not currently covered under the regular scheme into the pension safety net.

‘Though, we are one of the late entrants into the industry, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have what it takes to excel. So, we are technology driven as we leverage technology for effective service delivery to our contributors. This is effective and it’s going to drive people and companies towards us.

‘In another instance, we are going to flood micro pension space which still remains untapped. About 70 to 80 million people are in that space. So, we are not just coming into the business, to cannibalise RSA holders, we are coming to bring on board new RSAs and chart a new course,’ he assured.

Saying its prospective contributors should expect simplicity, and less complexity in onboarding, he added that, ‘they can onboard from the comfort of their homes. We care about you (our customers) and we will always check on you. There is human face to every service we render. We will drive towards financial literacy. We are the pension manager of choice, trust and we will get that actualised.’

An Abuja High Court yesterday adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), till October 21 to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to list a witness to testify in the case.

Dasuki is standing trial on an amended 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, dishonest release and receiving various sums of money to the tune of N33.2 billion.

He was accused of misappropriation of security funds in the accounts of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) alongside a former General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa.

The others are two firms: Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

The EFCC arraigned the four defendants afresh on March 25 and accused Dasuki, among others, of releasing the equivalent of N10 billion in foreign currencies from the NSA’s account.

The account was with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the 2014 presidential primary election of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Dasuki and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the prosecution witness and a detective with the EFCC, Adariku Michael, informed the court that the anti-corruption commission received an intelligence report on September 21, bordering on abuse of office and money laundering.

He alleged the NSA moved huge sums of money between October 2014 and April 2015 to accounts of various companies.

The witness said the report was assigned to a special task force team headed by ACE 1 Halimah Kazeem, of which he was a member, to carry out investigations on the report.

‘I got to know about this case when the commission (EFCC) received an intelligence report on September 21, bordering on abuse of office and money laundering.

The witness recalled that on receiving the report, the special task force promptly swung into action and wrote a letter of investigation activities to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

It was at this point the counsel to Baba-Kusa, Solomon Umoh (SAN), told the court that the witness was not listed by the prosecution among the witnesses in the paper the EFCC served the defence team.

‘This is against the provisions of Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA),’ he said.

But the prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, told the court that the witness had given evidence before the Chief Judge in the case.

He submitted that several documents were tendered by the prosecution as exhibits through the witness.

‘This case had lasted almost 10 years,’ he said.

Atolagbe sought an adjournment for the prosecution to do the needful.

This was not opposed by the defence team.

Based on this, the presiding judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, adjourned the case until October 31 for continuation of the hearing.

Spain and Barcelona defender Jordi Alba will retire from football at the end of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, the Inter Miami player has said.

Alba began his youth career at Barcelona, who released him for being too small, but was re-signed in 2012 from Valencia for 14 million euros ($16.34 million) and went on to spend 11 seasons at the Catalan club.

He joined Inter Miami in 2023, linking up with former teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, while another former Barca colleague, Javier Mascherano, is the current head coach.

‘The time has come to close a truly meaningful chapter in my life,’ Alba said in a video posted on Instagram.

‘I’ve decided to bring my professional football career to an end at the conclusion to this season. I do so with complete conviction, with peace, and with happiness.

The 36-year-old retired from international football in 2023 after making 93 appearances for Spain and was part of the Euro 2012 winning team where he scored in the 4-0 victory over Italy in the final.

Alba won six LaLiga titles at Barcelona, and the Champions League along with the Club World Cup and five Copa del Rey. In the U.S. he won the Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield, and will bow out in November after the MLS playoffs.

The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Heads of Missions for questioning over the utilisation of appropriated funds by the foreign missions in 2025.

The Committee, in a letter dated July 24, 2025 and signed by its Chairman, Oluwole Oke, said its powers were based on Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) to demand detailed records of utilisations of the funds by the various agencies.

The letter inviting Tuggar and Heads of Missions read in part, ‘The Missions are required to furnish the following documents: approved budget of the missions from 2024-2025; budget performance of the missions for the above years; record of special interventions released to the missions and their applications between 2018-2025 and staff nominal roll for both home and local staff.

‘The Honourable Minister is kindly requested to bring the content of this letter to all Heads of Missions.’

Another letter, dated July 3, 2025, signed by the Director of Funds on behalf of the Accountant General of the Federation, revealed that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration released a total of $54 million to cater to the needs of the nation’s 103 Embassies and High Commissions.

While overhead cost got an allocation of $46.14m, personal cost accounted for $9.58m, with overhead allocated $282,829.

Speaking with some journalists in Abuja, Hon Oke commended President Tinubu for the intervention, even as he charged Mr Tuggar and Heads of the various missions to provide the Committee with detailed records of the disbursement of the funds.

‘We commend the President for intervening, and we are thankful for his commitment to revive the missions. His intervention in 2025 will go a long way in projecting a great image for our country.

‘We urge the missions to come forth and inform Nigerians through their representatives in parliament how the intervention funds have been utilised. This will ensure transparency and accountability, which are two basic requirements for good governance,’ Oke said.

A breakdown of the disbursement showed that the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs was allocated $5.89m, while the Embassy of Nigeria in Moscow got $1.96m. The nation’s Embassy in Rome, Italy, got $2.82m, while Vienna and Athens got $1.09m and $1.04m respectively.

Others include Embassy of Nigeria in Tel Aviv-$1.8m; Addis Ababa $1.92m; Consulate General of Nigeria, Jeddah $1.48m; Consulate General of Nigeria, Dubai $1.26m and Embassy of Nigeria, Madrid, Spain $1.23m; Embassies of Nigeria in Tehran/Abu Dhabi $1.18m, among others.

Oke said the Committee is not on a witch-hunt mission but ‘Is merely responding to the need to make governance count for Nigeria and Nigerians.’

The nation’s foreign missions have, in the past few years, been poorly funded, leading to poor consular services to Nigerians abroad. This is in addition to allegations of corruption by officials of the missions abroad.

Earlier in 2025, the Oke-led Committee commenced an investigation into allegations of a contract scandal involving the alleged mismanagement of $2m for the renovation of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has said the country’s foreign policy must directly serve its economic ambitions by unlocking trade corridors, attracting investment, and forging partnerships that strengthen the domestic economy.

Speaking at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #31) in Abuja, Ambassador Tuggar said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now fully oriented toward economic diplomacy, guided by Nigeria’s ‘4D Foreign Policy Doctrine’ – Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora.

‘Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria’s foreign policy is defined by strategic autonomy,’ he said. ‘We pursue partnerships of purpose, not alliances of obligation. Nigeria must reject binary ideological alignments and instead embrace issue-based relationships that advance national interest. We are too significant a nation to engage in bandwagon diplomacy.’

Tuggar said Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts are being shaped to advance trade, regional development, and industrial competitiveness.

He pointed to the recently launched West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) as a major platform for advancing cross-border industrialization, trade, and infrastructure integration within the subregion.

‘Nigeria’s prosperity is tied to West Africa’s progress,’ he stated. ‘The more we invest in regional value chains and policy harmonization, the more resilient and competitive we become as a bloc.’

The minister noted that Nigeria’s development strategy must align with successful global models, drawing lessons from emerging middle-power economies such as MIKTA – Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkiye, and Australia – as well as the East Asian ‘Flying Geese Paradigm,’ where nations industrialized through coordinated progression.

‘With our demographic weight, market size, and strategic geography, Nigeria has the scale and capacity to lead Africa’s own ‘flying geese’ formation,’ Tuggar said. ‘But leadership must be earned – through sound policies, productive investment, regional coordination, and institutional credibility.’

He also called for deeper collaboration between Nigeria’s policy and research institutions to ensure that the country’s domestic reforms and international engagements are guided by evidence-based strategies.

‘We must invest in policy intelligence,’ he said. ‘That means building a pipeline of ideas, innovation, and informed foresight through collaboration between government, academia, civil society, and research institutions. Geopolitics today is the realm of weaponized interdependence – we must be smarter, faster, and more strategic.’

Tuggar commended the work of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and other think tanks, noting their vital role in shaping research-driven policy that strengthens Nigeria’s global standing.

He said the Foreign Ministry remains committed to a results-driven approach, ensuring that Nigeria’s diplomacy delivers tangible benefits to its citizens.

‘Whether through advancing trade under AfCFTA, facilitating investment flows, supporting climate finance, or championing Africa’s voice in global fora, our diplomacy must deliver concrete benefits to Nigerians,’ he said.

Ambassador Tuggar expressed confidence that the deliberations at the summit would translate into actionable outcomes and renewed commitment among stakeholders to drive national progress.

‘Our challenge is to turn dialogue into delivery,’ he said. ‘If we align our ambition with implementation, Nigeria will not only reform but lead – regionally, globally, and in the hearts of our people.’

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has stopped the planned removal of the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda by the Minority caucus, thereby stopping what was likely to be an implosion in the House on Tuesday.

Members of the caucus met on Monday night to deliberate on the injury secured by their leader, Kingsley Chinda preventing the Speaker from accepting any correspondence from them seeking to remove him as minority leader.

He alleged that he was being targeted because of his relationship with FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, but those seeking his removal accused him of not calling meeting of the caucus and failing to speak out for them.

The Nation gathered that Speaker Abbas, who attended the meeting of the Minority caucus on Tuesday night, appealed to them to give him some time to address the issues raised against Chinda by members of the caucus.

A highly placed source, who was at the meeting which was said have lasted for about three hours, said members reluctantly allowed the Speaker to intervene after a long plea, adding that even attempts by Chinda to apologise over the issues were initially rebuffed by the members.

He said: ‘The northern PDP caucus was of the view that we should sack the entire minority leadership. The South West caucus also had the same opinion. It was only the South East thay was open for resolution and not sacking the entire leadership.

‘All the NNPP signed up for sacking them all. The Deputy Minority Leader has fallen out with Kwankwaso and is not working in collaboration with the party. But he is holding on to the position. Things don’t work like that.

‘But the Speaker pleaded foe time to address the grievances. Like you know, the Speaker was not supposed to attend our meeting. But he insisted on attending and out of respect for him, we allowed him.

‘Members told him that the issues at stake had nothing to do with welfare. Members were particularly angry with Chinda because of the case he filed against us in court.

‘But he pleaded with members to forgive him, claiming that he filed the case not out of spite for the members, but as a form of security and as a way of tying the hands of the Speaker not to accept any correspondence from them.

‘He said it was the only option he could think of when he heard that members that members were gathering signatures against him.’

The source said that part of the resolutions arrived at during the meeting was for him to ‘withdraw the case from court while we allow the Speaker the time they requested for.

He said: ‘if you were at plenary today, you would have heard an announcement from him. Inviting leaders of the various caucus to a meeting by 3.00pm. He claimed the meeting is part of his reaching out. But what we are saying is that he should withdraw the suit first’.

He told the Nation that the Minority caucus has also filed a motion on notice before the Federal High Court in response to the suit by Chinda.

In the motion seen by The Nation, members of the Minority caucus are seeking for an order of the court striking out the suit filed by the Minority Leader for lacking in merit and for want of jurisdiction and for such further or other Orders as the Court may deem fit and expedient to make in the circumstances.

The suit filed by Chief Tony Uche (SAN) listed four ground for the application to include that the Plaintiff has no legal rights to be protected by any order of injunction; that there is no justiciable dispute between the parties; she suit as commenced is incompetent and the Court lacks the jurisdiction to have entertained the same.

It is in the interest of justice to discharge the said order made against the Defendants and/or strike out this suit.

The motion is supported by a 10 point affidavit in support deposed to by Barrister Ibrahim Garba who show he is the Director of Legal from the PDP headquarters.

Another member of the caucus, who attended the meeting, also told The Nation that members wanted to impeach Chinda while sparing Ali Isah JC, the House Minority Whip.

He said: ‘Initially, members of the northern PDP caucus wanted to spare Ali and proceed to impeach Chinda and others. But we drew their attention on the need to uphold national unity and loyalty. Impeaching a southerner and sparing a northerner will send a bad message out there.’

He added that before the meeting ‘Considerable number of signatures were gathered to move against Chinda before the intervention of the Speaker’ saying without the Speaker’s intervention, it would have been disastrous for him.’

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a one-week extension to the medical panel constituted by the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to assess the health condition of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The extension became necessary after the panel failed to complete its assignment within the initial eight days allotted by the court.

Justice James Omotosho, who gave the order on September 26, had directed the NMA President to set up a team of medical experts to evaluate Kanu’s health and determine whether he is fit to continue facing trial on terrorism charges.

The judge explained that the involvement of the NMA was crucial due to conflicting claims from both the prosecution and the defence regarding Kanu’s state of health.

At the mention of the case on Wednesday, lawyer for the prosecution, Suraj Sa’ada (SAN) told the court that he was informed that the medical panel was yet to conclude its assignment.

Sa’ada said the panel plans to do a thorough job and should be given adequate time.

He suggested that the panel be given another one week to enable it conclude its task.

Defence lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) did not object to the one week adjournment sought by the lawyer to the prosecution.

Justice Omotosho then adjourned till October 16 for the NMA team to submit its report and to determine what next steps to be taken on the case.

In the September 26 ruling, Justice Omotosho ordered the NMA president to set up a team of between eight to 10 members to determine whether Kanu’s current health status makes him unfit to continue to stand trial.

The ruling on an application by Kanu, seeking to be transferred to a private ward in the National Hospital for urgent medical attention for alleged life threatening ailments.

The judge ordered that the team, to be constituted by the NMA’s president, should assess the health facilities of the Department of State Services (DSS) to determine if they were adequate to effectively take care of Kanu’s ailments.

According to the judge, the team is also to determine whether or not it was necessary to transfer Kanu to the National Hospital as he requested and whether Kanu’s medical status was such that could make him unfit to continue to stand trial.

The judge also ordered that the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital or his representative should be a member of the team because the National Hospital is the hospital of choice of the defendant.

Justice Omotosho ordered that the report of the team’s findings should be signed by both its chairman and Secretary and which should be filed in the court’s registry within eight days from today, which became impossible on Wednesday.

In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women of the United Nations was successfully held in Beijing. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the conference, has since become a milestone for global gender equality. Standing at the historical juncture of its 30th anniversary, China will hold another global leaders’ meeting on women in Beijing this October.

At this pivotal moment of continuity and renewal, China’s release of the white paper ‘China’s Achievements in Women’s Well-Rounded Development in the New Era’ not only showcases the remarkable progress made in advancing women’s causes in China, but also profoundly articulates China’s vision, practices, and accomplishments in promoting gender equality and women’s comprehensive development in the new era. This contribution offers the world a vivid example of ‘China’s governance.’

In the new era, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government it leads have elevated their commitment to women’s advancement to unprecedented heights, consistently integrating national development with the progress of gender equality. China’s practice of advancing women’s comprehensive development is rooted in a solid foundation of policies and the rule of law.

The fundamental state policy of upholding gender equality has been enshrined in the CPC’s governing program. The 18th, 19th, and 20th CPC National Congresses all emphasized ‘adhering to the fundamental state policy of gender equality and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women and children.’

President Xi Jinping personally planned, deployed, and promoted this work. Party committees and governments at all levels conduct annual thematic studies on women’s work, providing strong political guarantees for the advancement of women’s causes. China enacted its first Civil Code, incorporating a section on marriage and family, as well as the Law Against Domestic Violence.

It revised the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests and amended the Criminal Law and the Rural Land Contract Law, among others. Gender equality assessment mechanisms for laws and policies have been established at the national level and in all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Women’s federations at all levels have carried out legal awareness campaigns, with legal services reaching over 400 million women.

In the new era, women’s pivotal role as one-half of society has achieved breakthroughs across all sectors. In political participation, women reached historic highs as members of the 14th National People’s Congress (26.5%), the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (22.4%), and delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress (27%).

Regarding high-quality development, women account for approximately 43% of the workforce and 45.8% of scientific and technological professionals. Women constitute about one-third of workers in new sectors like digital trade, e-commerce, and live-streaming, with the digital economy continuously unlocking gender dividends.

Women have also made outstanding contributions in cutting-edge fields such as manned spaceflight, domestically produced large aircraft, biomedicine, deep-sea exploration, and artificial intelligence. In cultural prosperity, female cultural workers have produced an abundance of high-quality works, with women accounting for 25% of the 3,997 national-level inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.

In the new era, China has integrated into the global governance of women’s affairs with unprecedented depth. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has transformed the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping into concrete actions that promote the comprehensive development of women.

Together with the United Nations, we have co-hosted the Global Summit on Women and established the Education Award for Girls and Women. Within cooperation frameworks such as APEC and the G20, we have created platforms to empower women, leading efforts to advance multilateral and regional women’s development agendas.

We have expanded our ‘circle of friends’ in women’s cooperation, maintaining friendly exchanges with women’s organizations and institutions in over 140 countries. We have implemented projects worth more than $40 million in the women’s sector in over 20 countries, and our mushroom grass technology has helped women in 106 countries find employment.

In the face of global challenges, we have dispatched more than 1,200 female officers and soldiers to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, providing humanitarian assistance to women and children affected by conflict and disasters, demonstrating the responsibility of a major country.

As the first female Consul General of China in Lagos, I have witnessed first-hand the comprehensive development of women’s causes in China and experienced the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Nigerian women, fostering a deep connection between our peoples. Since the beginning of this year, the charity initiative ‘Together Fight Hunger’ launched by our Consulate General has delivered batches of essential supplies to low-income women and children, embodying the principle of ‘teaching a man to fish’ rather than merely giving him a fish.

In the ‘Small World’ charity event supported and participated in by the Consulate General, the Association of Chinese Women in Nigeria, and women’s groups from multiple countries took turns on stage, showcasing the brilliance of cultural exchange and mutual learning.

The vast majority of Chinese women in Nigeria are committed to public welfare initiatives and actively giving back to the local community. Female Chinese language teachers at Confucius Institutes, who make up more than half of the teaching staff, sow the seeds of Chinese culture and promote the continuous deepening of cultural exchanges between the two sides. Several Nigerian women have traveled to China to participate in women’s capacity-building training courses, where education empowers them to shine in their lives. This is a vivid practice of the vision of the Beijing Declaration.

As the Global South rises, the unleashed potential of women will be an indispensable force for building a more equal, inclusive, and prosperous world for all. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027), released during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last September, explicitly incorporates multiple initiatives. These include supporting women’s dialogue, enhancing capacity building for African women, and promoting women’s comprehensive development.

This plan charts the course for deepening cooperation between China and Nigeria, as well as China and Africa in women’s affairs, vividly illustrating China’s commitment to translating its pledge to advance global women’s causes into concrete actions.

From initiative to practice, the path of women’s development that bridges Chinese wisdom with global action grows ever broader. The upcoming Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women offers a new opportunity to advance this journey. Let us pool our wisdom and unite our strength, jointly tackle new challenges in the digital age, explore fresh pathways for women’s empowerment, and write a new chapter in the advancement of women’s causes.

Bioclinix Medical Diagnostics Centre has congratulated its Advisor on Molecular Diagnostics, Dr. Elekofehinti Olusola, for being named among the top two percent of researchers globally, a recognition that highlights his outstanding contributions to science, innovation, and biomedical research.

Olusola, an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure is widely respected for his pioneering work in bioinformatics, molecular biology, and biomedical drug design and development.

His research has advanced global understanding in the fields of computational biology, drug discovery, and molecular diagnostics.

The recognition, compiled from global citation metrics, places Dr. Olusola among a distinguished group of scholars whose research has had significant impact worldwide.

Speaking on the milestone, Dr. Isaac Olatunde, CEO of Bioclinix Medical Diagnostics Centre, described the recognition as both an inspiration and a validation of Bioclinix’s commitment to excellence in diagnostics.

‘We are proud to have Dr. Olusola as part of the Bioclinix team. His expertise in bioinformatics and molecular diagnostics is invaluable to our vision of advancing healthcare delivery in Nigeria. This global recognition shows that our advisor is not just shaping science locally, but contributing meaningfully to the global body of knowledge.’

Dr. Olusola’s role at Bioclinix as Advisor on Molecular Diagnostics is to guide the Centre in developing cutting-edge diagnostic services, build research collaborations, and mentor the next generation of scientists.

With this recognition, Bioclinix believes that Nigeria’s diagnostic and biomedical research sector can continue to compete on the global stage, drawing strength from local expertise with international impact.

The beer industry has requested the Federal Government to jettison the introduction of tax stamp because of its negative consequences for the economy.

It announced support for the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN)’s call for the government to rescind the proposal to introduce tax stamps

The industry called on the Federal Government to sustain existing home-grown digital systems that deliver full visibility of excise operations.

Executive Director, Beer Sectoral Group of MAN, Abiola Laseinde said the tax stamps (digital identifiers also referred to as tack and trace systems) will be counterproductive.

She warned that the system presents operational challenges and financial risks that could undermine the fragile recovery of the manufacturing industry and the Nigerian economy.

She added in a statement that ‘the tax stamps system is largely inefficient, causing production slowdowns, distribution delays, product stock-outs, and high compliance costs.’

She explained that the industry is concerned that this proposal is coming at a time when operators are already ‘grappling with rising excise rates, foreign exchange volatility, and high inflation-making the additional burden of implementing tax stamps a serious threat to business sustainability’.

‘Tax stamps are often positioned as a solution to illicit trade, would have no benefit to beer as there is zero illicit in the sector. The brewing process is complex, the product is bulky, and resale value is low-making counterfeiting unprofitable. It is also pertinent to note that the beer industry already maintains strict compliance, with digital counters, on-site Customs officers, and auditable records in place.’

The Federal Government has already invested in digital systems that deliver full visibility of excise operations. Most recently, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) successfully launched and piloted the B’Odogwu automated Excise Reporting System (ERS), a modern platform that digitizes excise administration. ERS replaces manual registers with an automated process that:

– Tracks production volumes and excise computation in real time

– Enhances compliance monitoring through full transparency

– Creates an auditable digital trail that reduces leakages and inefficiency

Giving alternatives to the government, the beer industry, Laseinde said: ‘Accordingly, we urge the government to consider the following actions in the national interest:

.Rescind the proposed rollout of tax stamps to avert disruption to production, jobs, and revenues.

.Consolidate and strengthen existing systems like Customs’ ERS and FIRS e-Invoicing, which are effective, transparent, and locally driven.