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The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) has backed Nigeria’s tax reforms which culminated in the new tax laws, describing them as necessary for economic growth and development.

The recently-inaugurated Executive Secretary of the continental body, Ms Mary Baine, made the support known during a visit to the chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

A statement by Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman said ATAF stands by Nigeria in reforming its fiscal landscape and pledged the readiness of the body to give technical support in areas that would help in realising the gains of the reforms.

She referenced how the organization had helped Zambia to build capacity in the area of raising revenue from mining, promising to offer support to Nigeria in the same area.

According to her, ATAF is willing to leverage Nigeria’s continental and global influence to mobilise member-countries to strengthen the organisation.

The FIRS chairman, while welcoming the visitors, expressed confidence in the capacity of the Executive Secretary to lead ATAF to glory.

He charged Africans to look inwards for homegrown solutions to challenges, stressing that salvation cannot come from the Western world.

‘My belief has always been that solutions to Africa’s challenges can only come from Africa. There is no free lunch anywhere. I have said that I don’t believe in aids; I believe in cooperation.

‘So, the expectation from us as a continent is also to bring what we can contribute to the work, most especially in tax matters. For us, we have to evolve our own fiscal policy which is what Nigeria has done with the new tax laws.

‘Before now, we had tax laws that were colonial relics. We had the Stamp Duties Act of 1939 which was enacted when there was no internet,’ he said.

Julius Berger, subsidiaries showcase products at Big 5, ECOBANK Expos

By Faruk Shuaibu

Nigeria’s leading engineering construction company Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, last week in Lagos, led its various subsidiaries to make a commanding impression at the recently concluded BIG 5 and ECOBANK Expositions, showcasing the unique innovation, craftsmanship, and expansive portfolio alongside its subsidiaries.

While the Big 5 event took place at the historic Landmark Events Centre, the other held inside the expansive ECOBANK Pan African Centre, Lagos.

Conscious of the opportunity the development presented to stakeholders in the sector, Nigeria’s best in the provision of aluminium and glass solutions, ABUMET, the pioneer in design and engineering in the country, PrimeTech Nigeria Ltd as well as the company’s Excellence Centre and Julius Berger Precast Services stormed the landmark event with new innovations and revised editions of their products and services at the Landmark Event Centre.

Each Julius Berger subsidiary brought their unique flair to the events. From cutting-edge architectural designs to advanced solutions and premium aluminium systems. The stands reflected the group’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and technological advancement.

A Facility Manager and officer in charge of the company’s Excellence Centre, Aleksandar Serafimoski said the Centre has a little bit more diverse portfolio.

The Commercial Manager for the Julius Berger Precast Services, Christian Bauer, said, ‘We are representing Julius Berger, and what we are basically trying to do is to showcase that we are branching out into smaller scales.’

The Kano State Shura Committee has suspended Sheikh Lawal Shuaib Abubakar, popularly known as Triumph, from all teaching and preaching activities pending the outcome of investigations into allegations of blasphemy leveled against him.

Briefing journalists after a review meeting on the matter, Secretary of the committee, Shehu Wada Sagagi, said the committee had listened to and viewed audio and video clips of the cleric before reaching its decision.

‘Today, we reconvened to receive and review the allegations against Sheikh Lawal Shuaib Abubakar, popularly known as Triumph. We listened to and viewed both audio and video clips from him.

‘In our deliberations, we carefully examined the issues, separating those supported by evidence from those without. We resolved that allegations lacking evidence should be set aside, while those with verifiable evidence have been duly recorded. Even instances where he stammered or hesitated in the videos were noted in the report,’ the committee said. It added that Sheikh Triumph will be summoned in writing to defend himself, after which recommendations will be submitted to the government for further action.

‘A formal summon will be issued, and pending his defense, he is suspended from all teaching and preaching activities. After he presents his defense, the committee will submit its report and recommendations for the government’s decision on the matter. He will be invited shortly and given adequate time to appear,’ Sagagi added.

Daily Trust reports that the allegations against Malam Abubakar include claims that he made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad (SAW), questioned aspects of his birth, and suggested his parents were in hellfire.

A 27-year-old man, Kingsley Ighodalo, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding a company of a Mercedes-Benz, valued at N40 million.

He is facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretense, and stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp Donjour Perezi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 22, 2024, at about 11.30 am within the Ikeja Magisterial District.

Perezi alleged that the defendant fraudulently obtained a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 400 with registration number BDG 390 HA, valued at N40 million.

He said the defendant acquired the vehicle on loan from Auto Check Company under the false pretext of repayment.

He said that instead of making repayments, Ighodalo allegedly removed the vehicle’s tracker and sold the car for N38 million without the company’s consent, though the original documents were with auto check.

Magistrate Mrs S.K. Matepo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case until Oct. 13 for mention. (NAN)

Policy makers, reserchers and development partrners are set for the 11th Africa Think-Tank Summit on taxation and domestic resource mobilisation across the continent.

The summit, which is being organised by The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance, will be held in Addis Ababa, with the theme, ‘From Taxation to Action: Bridging Policy and Implementation in Public Financial Management in Africa.’

The ACBF Head of Communications, Fatou Diouf, disclosed at a recent virtual media briefing that the gathering would focus on one of Africa’s most urgent priorities: strengthening public financial management as a vehicle to drive fiscal sovereignty and sustainable development.

In his remarks, the Foundation’s Executive Secretary, Mamadou Biteye, described the think-tank summit as the continent’s leading platform for dialogue between think tanks, policymakers, civil society organisations and development partners.

He said this year’s edition would go beyond abstract discussions, insisting that ‘knowledge without implementation has no impact.’

Biteye explained that the programme would feature high-level ministerial dialogues, stakeholder sessions, networking forums, and practical workshops designed to inspire actionable solutions to Africa’s fiscal challenges.

The 2025 think-tank summit will run alongside the 34th Annual Meeting of the ACBF Board of Governors, scheduled for October 7, bringing together finance ministers and senior policymakers to review progress and chart new strategic directions.

The highlights of the summit include ministerial roundtables on domestic resource mobilisation, training workshops on strengthening fiscal systems, a PFM Hackathon aimed at generating innovative digital solutions, and the launch of a landmark book documenting the role of African think tanks in shaping evidence-based policymaking.

Biteye stressed that the summit represents a call to action for Africa and the wider world, noting that the lessons and best practices drawn from the sessions would be disseminated to inform future reforms in public financial management.

He added that the objective is to provide Africa with stronger fiscal management tools, reduce overreliance on external aid, and reinforce transparent and accountable governance.

‘Together, through collaboration, innovation, and strategic action, the 2025 Summit in Addis Ababa will chart a path toward stronger public financial management systems and more resilient economies,’ he said.

Governor Uba Sani has brought succour to the 50 year quest of Danbushiya village in the Millennium City in Chikun local government, by commencing the construction a 15 kilometer road when he assumed office.

Sarkin Danbushiya, Alhaji Muktar Haruna, disclosed this on Wednesday when the governor went on an inspection tour of the Keke-Danbushiya road project which will link over 15 communities.

The Village Head said that the people of the community have been promised that the road will be constructed since the military era, adding that the dream only came true when Governor Uba Sani came on board.

Alhaji Muktar thanked the Governor for bringing dividends of democracy to the area, which include a Primary Healthcare Centre, schools and enhanced security.

He further said that lessons have commenced in the Science Secondary School that Governor Uba Sani built in the area as students are presently receiving instructions in the school.

According to him, the Governor has so demonstrated love for the people of the area, so much that ”We want the name to change from ”Millennium City” to ”Governor Uba Sani Millennium City”

Speaking at the event, Governor Uba Sani recalled that when he came on board, ”we made it clear to everyone that we will try as much as possible to take development to every part of Kaduna State.”

The Governor said that he met with the people of Danbushiya, ”sat down with them, discussed with them and realised that this is a very important road that links about 15 communities.”

”As a Government, we found it extremely important and necessary, to put in a lot of money, to ensure that we construct an asphaltic road that will connect these communities,” he added.

The Governor who promised that the road will be commissioned in nine month’s time, commended the community for giving the contractor all necessary support.

Governor Uba Sani also inspected the ongoing reconstruction of Ahmadu Bello Stadium which will to become a safer and more modern sports arena that meets international standards when completed.

He also inspected the ongoing renovation of a Primary Healthcare Centre at Mando community in Igabi local government area

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the reforms started by his administration is already yielding results.

In a nationwide Independence Day broadcast, the President said, ‘Under our leadership, our economy is recovering fast, and the reforms we started over two years ago are delivering tangible results.’

The President who also gave account of his stewardship said the second quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.23%-Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years-and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund. Inflation declined to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest level in three years.

According to the President, the present administration is working diligently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security, reducing food costs.

He further revealed that, ‘In the last two years of our administration, we have achieved 12 remarkable economic milestones as a result of the implementation of our sound fiscal and monetary policies:

‘We have attained a record-breaking increase in non-oil revenue, achieving the 2025 target by August with over N20 trillion. In September 2025 alone, we raised N3.65 trillion, 411% higher than the amount raised in May 2023.

‘ We have restored Fiscal Health: Our debt service-to-revenue ratio has been significantly reduced from 97% to below 50%. We have paid down the infamous ‘Ways and Means’ advances that threatened our economic stability and triggered inflation.

‘Following the removal of the corruptpetroleum subsidy, we have freed up trillions of Naira for targeted investment in the real economy and social programmes for the most vulnerable, as well as all tiers of government.

‘We have a stronger foreign Reserve position than three years ago. Our external reserves increased to $42.03 billion this September-the highest since 2019.

‘Our tax-to-GDP ratio has risen to 13.5 per cent from less than 10 per cent. The ratio is expected to increase further when the new tax law takes effect in January. The tax law is not about increasing the burden on existing taxpayers but about expanding the base to build the Nigeria we deserve and providing tax relief to low-income earners.

‘We are now a Net Exporter: Nigeria has recorded a trade surplus for five consecutive quarters. We are now selling more to the world than we are buying, a fundamental shift that strengthens our currency and creates jobs at home. Nigeria’s trade surplus increased by 44.3% in Q2 2025 to ?7.46 trillion ($4.74 billion), the largest in about three years. Goods manufactured in Nigeria and exported jumped by 173%. Non-oil exports, as a component of our export trade, now represent 48 per cent, compared to oil exports, which account for 52 per cent.’

Society thrives best where people love and help one another. Where the Where members of the community makes sacrifices by sharing and caring for one another. It is indeed difficult to have such a model society but in many societies we have such people who drive satisfaction in not only sharing with their neighbours but reaching out to the larger community to make an impact, assist and put a smile on the faces of those who are less privileged. These are the people Daily Trust go out to search for every year and present them to the nation so that we appreciate their sacrifices and learn from their efforts.

We are presenting these heroes, who we got through your nominations:

Octogenarian Musa Ibrahim Sagagi dedicated his time, energy and resources to ensuring no one in his community is denied education just because he cannot afford it. Through his College of Islamic Studies many went through primary and secondary education and some graduating from universities. At the other end is Idris Lau, who at 17 embarked on a mission of building strong people and ensuring sustainable development in communities. Through his Concerned Youth for Accountability and Development Initiative he provided water, education and health facilities to various communities in Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa states. Favour Abatang’s passion is to ensure that girls in her Cross River communities and beyond are free from all those harmful traditions that inhibit their growth. Her Voice Foundation works to discourage early marriage, money marriage and all forms of gender violence. Her near fatal experience during pregnancy also motivated Rukaiya Kushu to set up Abubakar Kushu Foundation to provide succour to pregnant women in dire situations. For Maryam Bello the task is how to bring medical care close to rural communities. She leveraged on technology to set up Parker Mobile Clinic to bring healthcare to hard-to-reach communities using technology.

History will be made on the Lagos waterways as the Electric Powerboat Racing Championship E1 Series lands in Africa for the very first time.

The highly anticipated event will light up the Victoria Island Lagoon from Saturday, October 4 to Sunday, October 5, 2025, with Lagos hosting nine elite global racing teams in what promises to be a spectacular contest on water.

Fans will see the adrenaline and innovation of electric-powered racing boats as teams including Team Drogba, Team Rafa, Westbrook Racing Team, Aoki Racing Team, Blue Rising Team, Team AlUla, Team Miami, Team Brady, and Team Mexico battle for supremacy.

To ensure the smooth hosting of this landmark championship, the Lagos State Government has announced temporary road closures around 1st Lekki Junction inward Ozumba Mbadiwe, with diversions clearly mapped out for motorists across Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and the Mainland.

Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, urged residents to embrace alternative routes, assuring that traffic management officers will be on ground, while the Coastal Road will remain open throughout the two-day event.

The Lagos leg of the E1 Series is not just about racing-it is a showcase of cutting-edge green technology, a boost for Lagos tourism, and a celebration of the city as a hub for world-class sporting spectacles.

President Bola Tinubu may go into record as the first number one citizen to return to Lagos to mark Independence Day since the relocation of the capital city to Abuja.

The Independence Day was first held on October 1, 1960, when the Union Jack was lowered and replaced with Nigeria’s Green-White-Green flag.

At that inaugural event which held when Lagos was Nigeria’s capital city, Princess Alexandra of Kent who represented Queen Elizabeth II, presented the constitutional instruments of independence, while Azikiwe was sworn in as Governor-General.

Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa delivered a national address at that auspicious occasion which marked the country’s sovereignty.

After Nigeria’s capital was relocated to Abuja, virtually all leaders, military and civilian, have been marking the symbolic occasion in the capital city.

This year was not going to be an exception until Tinubu, an indigene of Lagos, decided otherwise.

Early signs that this year’s celebration would be marked outside Abuja were noticed after Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement on September 26, 2025.

While the opening line of the statement indicated that the president was in Lagos, the subsequent paragraphs were unclear.

The itinerary showed that Tinubu was to visit Imo on the last day of September, then commission the remodelled National Theatre, which has been renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

But the statement didn’t say if Tinubu would return to Abuja from Imo or would fly to Lagos for the commissioning after marking the historic occasion in Abuja.

However, by Monday, the cancellation of the Independence Day parade was announced. No key reason was given for this development.

The canceled military parade is a significant part of the Independence Day Celebration.

Before the announcement of the cancellation, some had thought the line-up of activities would go on under Vice-President Shettima, but as of the time this report was filed, the Vice President had not returned to the country from his trip to Germany.

Shettima had departed New York, where he represented Tinubu at the United Nations General Assembly, and headed for Germany.

Text of the speech of the president released by his media team showed it was read in Aso Rock, but the Independence Day celebration certainly goes beyond speech. It is usually accompanied with a whole lot of activities.

The absence of the usual parade and the schedule to commission projects in Lagos have therefore set this year’s celebration apart from all others in recent history.

For many, it rekindled memories of Nigeria’s earliest independence anniversaries when Lagos still served as the capital.

But for others, it raised questions about how future commemorations may be shaped by the personal choices of those in power.

What remains clear is that Tinubu’s ‘decision’ has opened a new chapter into the narrative of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations.

The declaration of a low-key celebration should not be for Independence Day alone. This has been the style in recent years, as the nation comes to terms with its realities. However, scaling down on celebrations should not be merely symbolic. It should be part of a national strategy to confront the tragedy that has happened to the country so that the time to celebrate can come.

This is a hard fact that Nigerians have come to accept because the mood of the nation at the moment does not agree with any form of flamboyant or elaborate festivities.

This is why many young Nigerians, especially the Gen Z generation and younger, have lost or missed the joy of nationhood. Every year, the citizens look forward to a celebration of the beauty of being born in Nigeria. However, for several years now, this expectation has turned out to be a mirage.

Nigeria’s conditions at the moment make celebrations of any sort irrelevant or impractical. Nigeria is besieged on virtually all fronts. The country is facing financial difficulties, making grand celebrations impractical.

Nigeria is facing perhaps the worst national turbulence. On the economic front, times are hard for many citizens. On the social front, there is evidence of discontent. On the physical plane, Nigerians have not been so unsafe and vulnerable. Indeed, the nation is besieged on every side, grappling with crises, conflicts, health, and security emergencies. These warrant a more subdued tone of any form of merrymaking.

Nigeria’s crisis state is not sectional or regional. What we have is a nationwide conflagration that requires deep thinking and reflection, and then strategies to confront it. It is not a short-term phenomenon either. It has lingered for years now and has since widened. It is also evident that without concrete efforts being deployed to arrest it, the crisis portends wider and deeper social, economic, and physical dislocations.

There are a million reasons why Nigeria must suspend all forms of celebrations. Celebrations cost money, to start with, and whatever the government can do now to cut expenses must be done from now on. A time when the government is experiencing an economic crunch, the emphasis must be on cutting off all forms of extravagant expenditures, and the national independence celebration at a time such as this is one of such events. After all, the value of everything must be viewed contextually.

Often, these celebrations merely reflect the notions of national greatness that countries or governments confer on themselves. Sometimes, these notions of national greatness are misplaced, especially at times when the overall well-being of the citizens is at stake. The truth now, however, is that any such notions that we carry of ourselves and the country have been greatly impacted. Nigeria’s notion of greatness has been seriously dented, and the government must focus on the restoration of the greatness of the country first. Based on the above facts, celebrations should wait.

Besides, who indeed will be celebrating in Nigeria now? Celebrations are done within physical and social milieus. Which of these is fit for elaborate or even moderate celebrations, if we are not out to deceive ourselves? Celebrations are not held in environments of fear and intimidation, which is what Nigerians are going through currently. We are harvesting the deaths of citizens on different fronts. Nigerians are being plucked off their vehicles – whether cars or buses – and marched into the forests by bandits. At home, they are not safe because death – whether from armed robbers or kidnappers – also comes calling with so much ease.

The above realities have left deep cuts or disruptions on our economy, the very foundation of our national life. The economy is feeling the impact of insecurity on different fronts. Farmers are running away from their farms because of bandits who now see them as easy prey. So, farming communities are getting deserted as those who are expected to produce the food for the nation run for their lives. Any wonder then that the country suffers or will suffer from a food crisis? If it is not evident now, it will soon be, should the trend continue. Who would be holding lavish celebrations at such a time?

What is happening to farmers in the rural areas is also confronting some in the cities. The roads are not safe for them as they travel in their luxury vehicles or by public transport. Therefore, the economy faces constraints because goods can no longer be transported easily from where they are produced to where the consumers are. This is a redefinition of economics because being produced and not getting to those who need them means that there is a break in the cycle of economic activities.

What Nigeria needs now, more than any other thing, is a cap on irrelevancies and a focus on the matter of the moment. That matter is the restoration of the nation’s sense of dignity- the dignity of the country and the dignity of each citizen, big or small. We need a return to the stage where each citizen counts.