News
CSOs Asks FG Not Hike VAT, Says It Will Increase Poverty
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have warned federal government not to go ahead with the proposed increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT), saying that such action would exacerbate poverty and increase inequality in the land.
The CSOs under the aegis of Tax Justice and Governance Platform, (TJGP), said it had followed the trend around the Federal Government’s effort to improve revenue mobilization to fund development in Nigeria with diverse views from different interest parties on which measures will be more strategic and sustainable.
Recall that the minister of finance had said it would increase in the VAT rate at the last Federal executive council held on September 11, 2019 after several denials of the possibility of an increase in VAT in Nigeria.
The group is a joint statement signed by Christian Aid, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, OXFAM Nigeria, Imo state Tax Justice and Governance Platform called on the federal government to pay serious attention to widening the tax net rather than increasing the rate which will only place more burden on the few that complies already and still exempt the majority that do not pay taxes.
It also called on the Federal government to improve market information and transparency by implementing the National Tax Policy, promoting the commitment to progressive taxation and taking measures to improve financial transparency while cooperating with regional and international bodies to address the issues of illicit financial flows.
‘‘We welcome the VAIDS is an opportunity to increase the tax net, though it has not yielded the optimum result expected. We want to state our position for advocacy and campaign which is that Government designs and implements policies and programmes that enhance the welfare of the poor and protects disadvantaged groups that constitute much of the Nigerian population and address issues of inequality.
‘‘We have followed with keen interest, the trend around the Federal Government’s effort to improve revenue mobilization to fund development in Nigeria. There have been diverse’ views from different interest parties on which measures will be more strategic and sustainable.
‘‘We welcome the VAIDS is an opportunity to increase the tax net, though it has not yielded the optimum result expected. There are still myriads of companies and other taxable entities in Nigeria who are not in the tax net and still not convicted or punished in any way.
‘‘The Platform hopes that the proposed measures can be effectively implemented to solve the revenue deficit in the country rather than an increase in VAT rate which will only exacerbate poverty and hunger on the “ultimate burden-bearer” ‐ the poor and vulnerable.
‘‘We call on the federal government to concentrate more efforts at ensuring proper collection of appropriate tax from multinationals and large corporations which have continued to benefit from undeserved tax incentives and had for years engaged in tax avoidance practices.
‘‘We call on government and relevant institutions to develop strategies to curb the tax avoidance practices of big businesses in the country and pay attention to challenges of illicit financial flow that had continued to undermine the economy,’’ the group added.
They further called on all Nigerians, especially civil society, the media, labour and citizens working in the development sector and public finance management to continue to raise their voices against measures and policies that will further impoverish Nigerians and introduce new dimensions of inequality.
Union Bank of Nigeria has secured certification under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0.1, a global standard for protecting payment card data.
The certification took effect on August 11, 2026, confirming that the bank’s systems for storing, processing and transmitting customers’ credit and debit card information meet stringent international security requirements.
PCI DSS certification is designed to reduce the risk of payment card data breaches and financial fraud while strengthening customer confidence in electronic payment systems.
The assessment covered key areas of Union Bank’s operations, including network infrastructure, card issuance, ATM and POS transactions, payment processing, reconciliation, settlement, chargebacks, dispute resolution and retail banking.
Union Bank was assessed and certified under the Service Provider category.
The certification process lasted a full year and involved quarterly assessments, with support from departmental, business and functional heads across the bank. Digital security firm Digital Encode supported the process, while the final independent audit was conducted by CyberCube, an accredited Qualified Security Assessor.
Yetunde B. Oni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, said the certification demonstrates the bank’s commitment to protecting customer information.
“The security of our customers’ information is central to everything we do at Union Bank. This certification reaffirms that our payment systems and processes meet a rigorous global standard, and it reflects the discipline of colleagues across the Bank who work every day to keep customer data safe.”
The renewal also ensures that Union Bank maintains continuous PCI DSS certification, in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s requirement for banks to sustain compliance without interruption.
New data from CFA Society Nigeria is reshaping how the country’s financial sector thinks about talent development, with Access emerging as the single largest source of CFA candidates in Nigeria, distinction industry watchers say signals a deeper shift in how leading institutions are building investment expertise from within.
In its Where Nigeria’s Finance Professionals Work series, published in a national daily, CFA Society Nigeria placed Access first among employers of CFA candidates nationwide, with 82 candidates enrolled in the programme, more than double the 38 recorded at the next-placed institution and well ahead of every other bank or financial services firm on the list.
Access also ranked second among employers of CFA charterholders, with 11 professionals who have completed all three levels of the Programme and met its experience and ethics requirements.
For an industry that has long measured itself by balance sheet size and branch count, the rankings point to a different kind of competition: one over who is building the deepest bench of certified, globally credentialed talent.
CFA Society Nigeria compiled the data from its Salesforce Membership Database as at June 2026, and described the exercise as a way of recognising employers whose people “bring rigour, integrity and global best practices into the workplace every day.”
Analysts following the sector say the outcome is notable less for the ranking itself than for what it suggests about talent strategy across Africa’s financial services industry. A single institution developing more aspiring charterholders than the rest of the market combined raises the floor for professional standards nationally, not just within one balance sheet.
Every candidate who advances through the CFA Programme adds to a shared pool of ethics-trained, analytically rigorous professionals that Nigeria’s capital markets, pension funds and asset managers all eventually draw from.
Access Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer Innocent C. Ike, commenting on the rankings, framed the achievement in terms of institution-building rather than recruitment: “Every candidate on that list represents our commitment to building institutions and professionals that endure.”
The remark echoes a broader thesis increasingly voiced by market observers, that talent depth, not scale alone, is what will determine which African financial institutions earn lasting global credibility.
That distinction sits at the centre of Access’s stated ambition to become the World’s Most Respected African Financial Services Group. If the CFA numbers are any indication, the Group’s route to that goal runs less through square metres of branch network and more through the calibre of the people sitting inside it, a bet that Nigeria’s finance professionals, and the institutions that will one day hire them, are already placing alongside Access.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) baggage tracking technology across domestic and international airport terminals to tackle the growing problem of delayed, misrouted and missing luggages
Michael Achimugu, director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, disclosed this at a stakeholder engagement forum in Lagos.
Achimugu said the RFID-enabled system would replace the traditional barcode-based baggage tracking framework and provide airlines and passengers with real-time visibility of checked luggage from check-in to final collection.
According to him, the technology would improve baggage traceability, reduce mishandling and strengthen accountability across the baggage-handling chain.
Unlike conventional barcode systems, RFID technology allows baggage to be automatically scanned at multiple points without requiring direct line of sight, enabling real-time tracking of luggage throughout its journey.
Achimugu said issues involving short-landed, missing, lost or damaged baggage had remained among the major complaints from air travellers, alongside flight delays.
He said the introduction of RFID technology was therefore aimed at improving baggage-handling standards and restoring passenger confidence in the aviation sector.
The NCAA said the initiative also aligns with IATA Resolution 753, which requires airlines to track baggage at key points during the passenger journey.
The authority expects the technology to provide more accurate information on the location of luggage, facilitate quicker resolution of baggage-related complaints and improve the overall passenger experience.
The NCAA said the initiative would also strengthen accountability among airlines and other stakeholders involved in baggage handling at Nigerian airports.
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