News
Indian Firm Takes over NIS Job, Hijacks Sensitive National Security Project
Continental Transfer Technique Limited (CONTEC), an Indian firm, has hijacked a sensitive national security project – the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card – which was supposed to be managed by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), according to Punch Newspapers.
Apart from controlling the sales of the residence permits to foreigners, each of which goes for $1,000 (about N250, 000) and is valid for two years, the company has also sidelined the NIS and it is the sole manager of the project.
The CERPAC project was for the automation of the issuance of residence permit (Green card) as well as Aliens Registration (Brown card) to expatriates who are either residing or working in Nigeria or visiting for long periods (that is beyond 56 days) and seamen who stay ashore beyond 28 days.
Punch findings indicate that the contract was awarded to CONTEC in 1999 by the Ministry of Interior on a build-operate-and-transfer basis and it took off in May 2002 after installation of equipment and systems by the contractor.
Investigations by our correspondent indicated that the project should have been handed over to the NIS in 2006, but this was not done as the firm had refused to train immigration service officers on the nitty-gritty of the project and had been using its own workers ever since.
Apart from controlling the production of the vital security cards, CONTEC also excluded the immigration service in the sale of the security document, according to sources.
The implication of this, according to NIS officers, is that the firm can unilaterally issue the CERPAC cards to foreigners and illegal migrants who may pose a security threat to the country.
Face-off over CONTEC’s incompetency
According to the contract agreement, the company was supposed to produce 900,000 CERPAC cards at the profit-sharing formula of 60 per cent for the Federal Government, 30 per cent for CONTEC and 10 per cent for the ministry for operational expenses.
But the firm failed to meet the target as it was producing only 37,000 cards per annum instead of 300,000.
Punch reported that the Federal Government had attempted to take over the project in 2007 following the inability of CONTEC to meet the production targets of 300,000 residence permits and 200,000 aliens’ registration certificates annually, but the move was resisted by the firm which demanded N5bn pay off.
Minister Calls for Revocation of Contract Agreement
In 2009, the then Minister of Interior, Godwin Abe, wrote a letter to then President Umaru Yar’Adua informing him about the need to review and possibly revoke the contract with the firm.
In the letter dated February 17, 2009 and obtained by our correspondent, Abe narrated how the CERPAC project was awarded to the detriment of the nation. He stressed that those who signed the contract agreement with the firm “did a disservice to our country as it was heavily skewed in favour of Messrs CONTEC.”
Abe further explained that he arranged for a meeting with the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Andoaaka, adding that he was accompanied by the Minister of State, the Permanent Secretary, Comptroller-General of Immigration and Director, Finance & Accounts and the legal adviser.
At the meeting on April 17, 2008 with CONTEC, the minister stated that the sum of N3.67bn was offered as exit option to the firm, adding that he also offered to pay off the company the sum of N1bn.
He said, “CONTEC resolutely rejected our offer and even refrained from making a counter-offer, despite promptings from the members including the representative of the Attorney-General of the Federation, to indicate what they wanted.”
In spite of Abe’s advice to the government to either review or revoke the contract, checks showed that nothing had changed as CONTEC is still in control of the project and may remain so for a long time.
A brief on the NIS presented by the CG, Immigration Service, Martin Abeshi, to the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau (retd.) on November 26, 2015 indicated that the reviewed contract agreement on the project favoured CONTEC.
Code of Silence
When asked for comment on the discrepancies in the project management, the spokesman for CONTEC, Tunde Ayansanwo, directed all inquiries on the project to the immigration service, stressing that it was being managed under a tripartite arrangement between the firm, the Federal Government and the immigration service.
He said, “The project is being managed under a tripartite arrangement between CONTEC, the Federal Government and the Immigration Service. So, we cannot comment on it, please direct your enquiries to the immigration service.”
The CG, Martin Abeshi, also declined to comment. He said questions on the project could best be answered by the ministry.
“I am sorry; this question can best be answered by the Ministry of Interior, not NIS please. NIS did not sign any contract with CONTEC,” he said in a text message.
The Director of Press, Ministry of Interior, Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf, in turn passed the buck to the immigration service.
Moro Turns Blind Eye, Inks New Deal
Findings indicate that past interior ministers had turned blind eyes to the anomalies observed in the contract as pointed out by Abe in his letter to Yar’Adua.
For instance, rather than address the discrepancies in the CERPAC project, the immediate past Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, awarded a new project to CONTEC in which he awarded a higher percentage of the profit to the company against the Federal Government.
Investigations reveal that Moro approved the award of an e-Pass biometric project to CONTEC on behalf of the NIS without advertising it for competitive bidding in violation of the Public Procurement Act.
According to Section 17 of the Act, requests for proposal for contracts must be advertised in at least two national newspapers of general circulation and the Federal Tender’s Journal, but this was not done.
More Profits for CONTEC
Moro, according to the document obtained by our correspondent, favoured the private firm in the sharing formula for the proceeds of the project which was based on Private-Public-Partnership arrangement.
Visitors who stay in the country beyond 56 days but not exceeding 90 days would pay a fee in the equivalent of $200 while 91 days to 180 days will attract a fee equivalent to $1,000 which must be paid to Sterling Bank Plc only.
According to the scheme, an aggregate stay by immigrants beyond 180 days but not exceeding 365 days would attract a fee equivalent to $2,000 while an over-stay without due permission from the Federal Government would attract a penalty which is 100 per cent of the prescribed fees.
An additional fee of N8, 000 will be charged for each application form by the receiving bank.
Parradang had, in his letter to Moro on the e-Pass project, proposed that the government should abolish the issuance of re-entry visa while adding a $100 fee to the $1,000 being charged for the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card.
Parradang had proposed that the service provider, CONTEC be given 15 per cent of the $100 added to the CERPAC fee while NIS collects 15 per cent.
But Moro, who signed the letter, amended the sharing formula by giving 30 per cent to the service provider against the 15 per cent suggested by the immigration service.
Security Experts Weigh in
A retired Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, called on the Federal Government to investigate the observed discrepancies in the management of the CERPAC project.
He warned about the security implications of allowing a foreign private firm to manage such a sensitive project which has a bearing on national security, particularly now that the country is fighting an insurgency.
Tsav said, “The Federal Government must direct the company to hand over the project to the immigration service immediately given the security implications; allowing a private foreign company to handle such a sensitive national project have serious consequences because they could bring in anybody into the country.
“They can use the alien cards for diabolical purposes just like the way Nnamdi Kanu brought in transmitters for his Radio Biafra project. The government needs to find out the people behind the company.”
The Federal Government has received a major boost in its drive to strengthen teacher education and digital learning, as the Government of Japan, through the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), donated ICT equipment and learning materials to 15 teacher training institutions across Nigeria.
Speaking at the official handover ceremony held at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the intervention as a significant contribution to the country’s efforts to improve teacher quality, digital literacy and inclusive education.
She said the donation forms part of a regional initiative launched in 2024 by UNESCO-IICBA, the Government of Japan and the African Union to strengthen teacher training and promote continuous access to safe, quality education for girls in West Africa.
According to the minister, the project, which covers Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Mauritania, aligns with the Federal Ministry of Education’s priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of equity, quality education, digital transformation and inclusion.
“Teachers remain the backbone of every education system. No education reform can succeed without well-trained, motivated and digitally empowered teachers,” Ahmad said, noting that the equipment would modernise teacher training institutions and improve access to digital learning resources.
The beneficiaries comprise 15 federal and state colleges of education spread across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, including the Federal College of Education, Kontagora; Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe; Federal College of Education, Yola; Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba; Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.
Others are Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze; College of Education, Zuba, FCT; Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education; Enugu State College of Education (Technical); Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano; Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu; Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto; Adamawa State College of Education, Hong and Taraba State College of Education, Zing.
The donated items include 65 laptop computers, 71 tablets, four desktop computers, five interactive smart boards, 19 all-in-one desktop computers, 14 projectors, 15 printers and 15 backup hard drives.
Ahmad said the facilities would enhance both pre-service and in-service teacher training by promoting innovation, digital competence and learner-centred teaching approaches, while preparing educators for the demands of a technology-driven world.
The event also featured a national consultation on school safety and infrastructure security, with participants discussing strategies for creating safer and more inclusive learning environments.
The minister stressed that safe schools remain critical to achieving quality education, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners, adding that the ministry would continue to prioritise policies and programmes aimed at strengthening school security.
She further highlighted the ministry’s focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), girl-child education, quality assurance, data management and digital transformation as key pillars for improving educational outcomes nationwide.
Ahmad also disclosed plans to implement new interventions aimed at empowering female teachers and school leaders in crisis situations through mobile-based learning platforms, as well as programmes designed to integrate out-of-school children into formal education.
She commended UNESCO-IICBA, the Government of Japan, the African Union and other development partners for supporting teacher education in Nigeria and urged beneficiary institutions to utilise the equipment responsibly to improve learning outcomes and build a more resilient education system.
“The equipment will enhance digital literacy among our pre-service teachers and boost the attainment of education goals in Nigeria,” she said.
In their separate remarks, the Director of the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), Dr. Quentin Wodon, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, Hitoshi Kozaki, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting efforts aimed at improving teacher education and expanding access to quality learning opportunities across Nigeria and the West African region.
They noted that the donation of ICT equipment to the beneficiary colleges of education reflects the shared commitment of UNESCO, the Government of Japan and their partners to strengthening the capacity of teacher training institutions, particularly in the area of digital learning.
According to them, equipping teachers with modern technological skills is critical to improving learning outcomes and ensuring that education systems are responsive to the demands of the 21st century.
African electric vehicle (EV) platform Spiro has raised $215 million in equity to scale electric mobility and energy infrastructure across the continent.
The funding is backed by institutional investors including Impact Fund Denmark and Equitane.
The investment will accelerate the expansion of Spiro’s battery-swapping network, industrial footprint and next-generation EV infrastructure across high-growth African markets, the company said.
This funding comes as economies in the region aim to reduce dependence on imported fuel, reinforce energy and industrial sovereignty, and modernise urban transport systems.
Driven by rising fuel costs, growing demand for affordable transportation and increasing policy support for clean energy, investors are backing scalable EV platforms poised to support Africa’s next phase of urban and industrial growth.
Building on support from long-standing institutional partners such as the Fund for Export Development in Africa, Spiro’s latest equity round draws capital from Europe and Africa, reflecting growing global confidence in scalable infrastructure-led business models in emerging markets.
With operations in seven African countries—Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon—and plans to expand local production and enter new markets such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, Spiro is building one of Africa’s most advanced EV and battery-swapping ecosystems.
Its industrial footprint includes manufacturing plants in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, alongside a battery recycling facility in Nigeria.
“This past year marked a defining strategic milestone for Spiro. Across seven active markets, our deployment of 100,000 electric vehicles and 2,500 smart-swap stations has made sustainable mobility an affordable, everyday reality,” said Gagan Gupta, founder of Spiro and chairman of Equitane.
“Spiro has become a major driver of local industrialisation, value creation and manufacturing across African markets, providing 6,000 sustainable direct and indirect jobs. Supported by our global investors, we are entering our next growth chapter to deliver clean, cost-effective energy and transport alternatives to millions of riders across the continent.”
Lars Bo Bertram, CEO of Impact Fund Denmark, added: “We are investing in Spiro and bringing Danish pension capital into one of Africa’s most promising growth markets because we see potential for significant commercial growth in Spiro and electric mobility across Africa, as well as measurable climate impact. That is exactly the type of investment we want to make.”
Federal Government on Tuesday distributed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and materials to 15 federal and state colleges of education across the country to strengthen teacher training, promote digital literacy and improve access to quality education.
Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, Minister of State for Education
The intervention was facilitated through support from the Government of Japan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (UNESCO-IICBA) under the project titled, “Capacity-building of Teachers to Promote Continuous and Inclusive Access to Safe and Quality Education for Girls in West Africa.”
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the initiative as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s education sector and one that aligns with the ministry’s strategic priorities.
Ahmad commended UNESCO-IICBA, the Government of Japan and the African Union for launching the regional project in March 2024, saying it reflected a shared commitment to strengthening teacher preparation systems and expanding educational opportunities, particularly for girls.
According to her, the project, which covers Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria, is in line with the Federal Ministry of Education’s priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Teachers remain the backbone of every education system. No education reform can succeed without well-trained, motivated and digitally empowered teachers,” she said.
The minister said the ICT resources would enhance both pre-service and in-service teacher training through improved access to digital learning content, innovative teaching methods and learner-centred instructional approaches.
She noted that the beneficiary institutions include Federal College of Education, Kontagora; Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe; Federal College of Education, Yola; Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba; Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo; Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze; College of Education, Zuba; Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education; Enugu State College of Education (Technical); Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano; Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu; Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto; Adamawa State College of Education, Hong; and Taraba State College of Education, Zing.
According to Ahmad, the equipment distributed includes 65 laptop computers, 71 tablets, four desktop computers, five interactive smart boards, 19 all-in-one desktop computers, 14 projectors, 15 printers and 15 backup hard drives.
She added that the event also provided an opportunity to discuss school safety and infrastructure security.
“Safe schools are essential to achieving quality education, especially for girls and vulnerable learners.
“We must continue to ensure that our institutions remain secure, supportive and conducive spaces for teaching and learning,” she said.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), out-of-school children education, girl-child education, quality assurance and digital transformation.
She also disclosed plans for additional interventions aimed at empowering female teachers and school leaders through mobile-based learning platforms and integrating out-of-school children into formal education.
Speaking at the event, Mr Hitoshi Kozaki, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Japan, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting educational development in Nigeria.
“I want to thank Nigeria for the collaboration that we have had for many years. I really hope that this project makes a difference for the future and the institutions represented here,” he said.
Kozaki said Japan’s partnership with African countries was built on mutual respect and local ownership, stressing that development efforts should be driven by the priorities of beneficiary nations.
He urged the institutions to make effective use of the ICT resources to improve teacher preparation and expand learning opportunities, especially for girls.
Also speaking, the Director of UNESCO-IICBA, Quentin Wodon, commended Nigeria’s commitment to education reforms and active participation in international education programmes.
Wodon stressed the importance of promoting female leadership in schools, noting that studies had shown positive learning outcomes when women occupied leadership positions.
“If there was one thing I would love Nigeria to do, it would be to see whether we could launch some kind of programme to encourage more women to become school leaders. It is really important,” he said.
He added that teachers in Nigeria remained critical to efforts aimed at improving learning outcomes and advancing inclusive education across Africa.
PalmPay Young Star Awardee Hopes to Become a Governor
Japan, UNESCO Boost Digital Learning in 15 CoEs with Donation of ICT Equipment
Kaspersky Reveals Credential Abuse Techniques Rank as Attackers’ Most Effective Tactic
Aba to Host MTN’s “The Gathering” with Pitchathon Offering ₦5 Million Prize Pool for Emerging Startup Founders
DisCos Generate N597.6bn Revenue in Q1 2026 Amid Ongoing Power Supply Challenges
MTN, VDT, Zoracom, Digital Realty Back 2026 Girls in ICT Campaign
Vitel Wireless Partners Fintechs to Expand Access to Services
CPN Begins Crackdown on Quack IT Professionals, Vows Tougher Action against Cybercrime
Nigeria Hit by 24.1m Data Breaches – Surfshark
FG to Launch Nationwide Free Digital TV Platform June 17
E-Business3 days agoAI and IoT Hold the Key to Nigeria’s Economic Future – NCC
Telecom2 days agoLegend Internet Reports Losses despite N505m Revenue
Broadcasting3 days agoGood News for DStv Users: Watch over 160 Channels Without Paying Extra
News3 days agoEasybuy Partners WAWUAfrica to Upskill 10 Million Youths and Women, Boosting Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Inclusion
E-Business3 days agoKaspersky Reports on the Aspects of SOC Effectiveness to Consider for Blind Spot
Telecom3 days agoFlutterwave Announces Massive Staff Shake-Up, Promotes Over 100 Employees
News3 days agoQuest Merchant Bank Reports Strong FY2025 Performance @ 11TH AGM
E-Business2 days agoINEC Probes Claims of Leaked Voter Data from CVR System