General News
NAGAFF Says Finance Ministry Deliberately Underfunding Customs
National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has alleged that the Federal Ministry of Finance deliberately underfunds the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and stressed the need, for partial autonomy of the Service,.
In a petition addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan by the group expressed strong concern with perceived, deliberate underfunding of the Service.
Already, the group has dispatched a letter, ref: NAGAFF/HQ/01/F/101/36 dated August 5, 2014, to President Jonathan, stressing the un-acceptability of underfunding of the Customs, if the revenue yielding platform should be expected to continue to facilitate trade, in addition to intensifying its security watch, on the nation’s borders.
“We have observed from our strategic point as critical stakeholders that at the moment, it is apparent that the Nigeria Customs Service is being under funded which may be currently affecting its operations and the freight forwarding business”, the group declared in its letter, signed by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, NAGAFF founder, stressing that its understanding of the President Jonathan’s transformation agenda implies a genuine desire “to usher in development and prosperity to the Nigerian people”.
Highlighting that the body wrote in view of its role “as very critical stakeholders in the maritime transport, freight forwarding and Customs facilitation sector”, Dr. Aniebonam also advised President Jonathan to un-burden the Customs of the lack-luster performing Webb Fontaine, as its increasing equipment breakdown was already taking severe toll on Service delivery to the port users.
“The constant down time of the ASYCUDA System being handled and managed by Webb Fontaine most time slow down automation. We suggest that the Nigeria Customs Service be allowed to build a robust system that can accommodate and resolve the problem of down time syndrome. This is capital project which cannot be satisfactory handled with the current under-funding of the Nigeria Customs administration and management”, he posited further, adding that the need for timely release of funds is underscored by the fact that the anti-smuggling officers were already facing tougher resistance daily, from smugglers who have sophisticated arms.
“Your Excellency, it is in the public domain that between 2010 and 2014 (up to July) the approved budget for the Service may be N378,974,132,999.80.
“Our checks revealed that Nigeria Customs Service may have just received N279,423,858,602.50 leaving a balance of N99,550,274,397.30. We have observed that the morale of officers is very low because their entitlements are not being paid on time and most times, they are not attended to.
“It is a fact that the Nigeria Customs Service is a very critical Agency of the Government saddled with huge responsibilities which include but not limited to revenue collection, anti-smuggling functions, inter agency support service, business development and trade information services, post audit function, provision of trade statistics and trade facilitation etc.
“Under the Destination Inspection Policy the Nigeria Customs Service has been given additional duty to manage and maintain scanners, capacity building in the area of training of officers and building super structures and other capital projects that will enhance and sustain its operations.
“We are concerned because its current problem of under-funding does not add value to our businesses in the Customs ports. As Nigerians, we are equally worried because the Nigerian State is facing some security challenges. We wish to remind your Excellency, that the anti-smuggling function of the service is strategic on matters of border security.
“It is no longer news that our borders are porous which is aiding the activities of criminal elements like the Boko Haram”, the group noted further, urging Jonathan to investigate why the Service, despite its strategic importance to the success of the transformation agenda, was still being underfunded.
“It is our view that the Nigeria Customs Service should be excised from Finance Ministry and granted partial autonomy because of the strategic nature of the agency. The Nigeria Customs Service administration and management should be proactive and efficient to the glory of the Nigerian people and the economy.
“The way forward should include the much expected new Customs law pending at the National Assembly seeking to grant the Service partial autonomy”, the NAGAFF founder, concluded.
Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for expanding access to technology-driven skills with the inauguration of a Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri.
L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi; First Lady of Imo State, Barr. Chioma Uzodimma; Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; EVC/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu and other dignitaries during the commissioning of the NASENI Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri North LGA, Imo State yesterday.
The governor described the initiative as a strategic investment in youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and economic development.
The centre, established under the NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme (NSEP) in partnership with the Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical and industry-relevant skills.
Speaking at the inauguration, Uzodimma said technology remained central to Nigeria’s economic growth and lauded NASENI for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through initiatives that empower citizens.
He said the project would provide young people with practical skills needed to build sustainable livelihoods.
“This is not about giving people fish; it is about teaching them how to fish,” the governor said.
Uzodimma urged that beneficiaries of the programme be supported with start-up capital to enable them establish businesses and create employment opportunities for others.
He also commended NASENI for its continued developmental interventions in Imo and called on the host community and relevant stakeholders to protect the facility.
Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, described the centre as another demonstration of the agency’s commitment to developing the human capital required to drive Nigeria’s industrialisation.
According to Halilu, the centre reflects NASENI’s conviction that industrial development begins with investing in people and equipping them with practical skills.
“The commissioning of this centre is not merely the opening of another facility. It is the opening of opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire practical skills that solve real problems, create businesses and generate employment.
“At NASENI, we believe our greatest investment is in the talent of our people,” he said.
Halilu said the centre would offer training in high-demand areas, including solar installation and maintenance, graphic design and printing, phone repair, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as other vocational and technology-based disciplines.
He explained that the project aligned with NASENI’s strategic focus on creation, collaboration and commercialisation, aimed at strengthening innovation, expanding local capacity and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
The NASENI boss commended Onyewuchi for partnering with the agency to deliver the project.
Onyewuchi said the centre was established to address youth unemployment through skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
He disclosed that beneficiaries would receive support to establish small businesses after completing their training, enabling them to become employers of labour.
The lawmaker said the initiative would contribute to economic growth by empowering young Nigerians with skills relevant to today’s economy.
The commissioning of the centre, according to NASENI, reinforces the agency’s commitment to equipping Nigerians with practical skills, fostering innovation and building the workforce required for Nigeria’s industrial and economic development.
Federal government has launched Credit for Laptops, Internet, Connectivity and Knowledge Digital Devices (C.L.I.C.K.D.), a new consumer credit initiative, to provide affordable financing for locally assembled laptops and other digital devices.
L-R: Mr Uzoma Nwagba, managing director and chief executive officer, CREDICORP, and Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, at the launch
The initiative by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, is aimed at equipping Nigerians with the tools needed to participate in the country’s growing digital economy.
During the launch, Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, described access to credit as critical to improving productivity and driving economic growth.
Dr Tijani said no nation could achieve sustainable development without a strong credit system that enables individuals and businesses to access resources needed to become more productive.
He noted that in today’s digital age, technology has become indispensable for education, innovation and wealth creation.
The minister explained that many talented young Nigerians possess the skills required to succeed in the digital economy but remain constrained by their inability to own computers and other digital tools.
Drawing from his personal experience, Dr Tijani recalled how his first laptop as a student in the university opened doors to international opportunities and eventually inspired him to establish one of Nigeria’s pioneering technology hubs.
He said the new programme would ensure that more young Nigerians are not denied similar opportunities because of financial barriers.
According to him, the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by expanding access to technology, boosting productivity and supporting local manufacturing.
Mr Uzoma Nwagba, managing director and chief executive officer, CREDICORP, described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future workforce and digital transformation.
Mr Nwagba said that while improvements in internet connectivity and digital skills training have positioned Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, access to devices remains a major challenge preventing many young people from fully participating in the digital economy.
He explained that C.L.I.C.K.D. would bridge that gap by providing affordable consumer credit that enables beneficiaries to acquire laptops and other internet-enabled devices while they develop in-demand digital skills
Federal Government has announced the disbursement of about N333 billion to eight electricity generation companies (GenCos) as part of measures to resolve outstanding debts in the power sector.
The government also disclosed the issuance of a second bond valued at N729 billion to settle verified legacy obligations and improve liquidity within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
The disclosures were made on Tuesday at an investors’ forum organised by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc in Abuja.
Government representatives said the latest bond issuance marked the completion of the initial phase of the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme, which was designed to address verified liabilities and attract private sector investment across the electricity value chain.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, said the implementation of the first series of the programme demonstrated the administration’s commitment to meeting its financial obligations and improving investor confidence.
Verheijen disclosed that the Federal Government in February 2026 allocated about N501 billion under the first tranche of the programme, comprising N300 billion in cash and N201 billion in non-cash bond instruments to offset verified debts owed to power producers.
She said N333 billion had so far been disbursed to eight participating GenCos operating 17 power plants.
According to her, the government also paid the first coupon of about N63.5 billion on the seven-year bond in full on July 14, 2026.
She explained that the payments had enabled generation companies to meet critical obligations to gas suppliers, lenders and operations and maintenance contractors, thereby improving their operational capacity.
“Markets do not reward promises; they reward performance. Capital follows credibility,” Verheijen said.
She added that the second bond series would further strengthen liquidity in the electricity market and create a more stable financial environment capable of attracting long-term private investment.
The Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme is part of broader Federal Government efforts to address challenges affecting electricity generation, distribution and investment in Nigeria’s power sector.
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