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Dangote named most tax complaint business organizations by FIRS

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L- R, Dangote Ports Managing Director, Akin Omole, Dangote Industries ltd, Group Head, Strategic Tax & Compliance, Dr.Titilayo Fowokan, receiving the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS)’s Most Compliant Taxpayer Award from the FIRS Director, Tax Payers Service Department, Dr. Loveth Onanuga; FIRS Tax Controller Large Taxpayers Office, Ikeja Lagos, Abisola Olabiyi; FIRS State Administration Lagos Mainland, Ishola Akingbade,at the presentation of the award in Lagos at the weekend.

It was a season of award at the weekend for the Dangote Group and its subsidiaries following their recognition as best Nigeria’s best compliant tax payer business organization and FMDQ Gold award winner for being the most active corporate organization in the foreign exchange market.

Dangote Indusries Limited (DIL) and Bluestar Shipping, a subsidiary, were recognized as the most compliant in tax payment in the country ahead of the MTN Communication while the country’s leading cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc at another occasion won three awards at the FMDQ Gold Awards held in Lagos.

During the Special Day of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) at the just concluded Lagos International Trade Fair, the nation’s tax regulators adjudged Dangote Industries Limited as the most compliant taxpayers in Nigeria.

In another development, Dangote Cement Plc emerged as the Largest Commercial Paper Quotation on FMDQ and Single Largest Corporate Debt Issue on FMDQ. Dangote Industries Ltd also emerged as the “Most active corporate in the foreign exchange market”.

The FMDQ GOLD Awards, (Global Competitiveness, Operational Excellence, Liquidity and Diversity), is a corporate tradition that recognises the resilience and agility of the Nigerian financial markets’ participants.

The award acknowledges the valuable efforts of these stakeholders, whose participation in the FMDQ markets and across the financial market infrastructure value chain of FMDQ’s businesses – Securities Exchange, Central Counterparty and Depository – have positively shaped the course of the markets and invariably impacted the development of the Nigerian economy.

Two companies from the Dangote stable, Dangote Cement and Blue Star Shipping were recognised at the weekend by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as being among the most compliant taxpayers. As part of its Special Day activities at the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair, the FIRS celebrated several business organisations for their high levels of tax compliance.

Dangote Cement was recognised in the biggest taxpayer category in the part of the programme tagged “FIRS compliant taxpayers awards and recognition”. Several speakers at the event including FIRS State Administration Lagos Mainland, Ishola Akingbade, who represented the Chairman of FIRS commended these companies for their high levels of compliance which makes tax administration easy.

Head of Tax Compliance at Dangote Industries Ltd, Dr. Titi Fowokan speaking on the journey leading to the recognition by FIRS  stated that “Dangote as a Group has a Tax Policy that is based on zero tolerance for tax non-compliance. As good corporate citizens, we comply with all relevant laws, including tax laws. Also, complying with the tax payment statutory deadlines ensures that we do not fall foul of the law, which stipulates penalties for non-compliance.”

We pride ourselves in the Dangote Brand and seek to promote a tax compliance culture, which demonstrates our corporate responsibility to the government for the provision of public goods and services for the citizens”, she added.

Fowokan explained that the company as part of steps to achieve compliance maintained its best practice tax governance culture, ensured ⁠accurate tax computation and timely remittance to avoid penalties & interest arising from tax compliance defaults. She affirmed that these steps helped to minimise tax audit risks & avoid incidence of tax litigations.

Dangote Industries Limited (Dangote Group) is one of Africa’s largest industrial conglomerates. It is a diversified and fully integrated conglomerate. It has been a key investor in the Nigerian economy. The Group’s interests include cement, sugar, salt, fertiliser, agriculture, transport, packaging and real estate, the oil and gas, petrochemical, and steel sectors of the economy.

The core business focus of the Group, which started operations in 1978, is to provide local, value-added products and services that meet the ‘basic needs’ of the populace. Through the construction and operation of large-scale manufacturing facilities in Nigeria and across 17 other African countries, Dangote Group is focused on building local manufacturing capacity to generate employment, prevent capital flight and provide locally produced goods for the people.

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Atiku Has No Chance In PDP, Won’t Get 2027 Presidential Ticket ,Says Wike

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Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), recently cast doubt on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s prospects of securing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination for the 2027 presidential race.

During a live media interview on Wednesday in Abuja, Wike pointed out that Atiku’s policy proposals have been repeatedly presented to the Nigerian people and consistently dismissed by voters.

It can recalls that Atiku, the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2023, recently asserted that his administration would have provided relief from the current hardships faced by Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu.

Responding to this, Wike questioned the viability of giving Atiku another chance, saying, “Did he (Atiku) not present his blueprint to Nigerians? Did they choose him?”

“He is lobbying for another chance, but that chance will not be there. In which party? How can we rely on one individual for so many years?”.

Drawing an analogy with U.S. politics, Wike compared the decision-making process to American voters’ choices, emphasizing that citizens often prioritize the nation’s welfare when casting their ballots, regardless of individual opinions on candidates.

He suggested that while criticisms are part of the democratic landscape, the Nigerian public had assessed Atiku’s vision in 2023 and opted for a different path.

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We’ll chase out terrorist group, Lakurawa, out Of Nigeria – NSA Ribadu

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The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said the administration of President Bola Tinubu will prove to the so-called new terrorist group ‘Lukarawa’ in the North-western part of the country that things have changed, and that the group will be flushed out of Nigeria.

Ribadu made the statement while representing President Tinubu at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Comptroller-General of Customs Conference, on Wednesday, in Abuja.
The NSA said that, without deferring to politics which would always be played, progress has been made in many sectors in Nigeria since President Tinubu was sworn in on May 29, 2023.

“We will chase the so-called Lukarawa out of our country. We’ll put critics to shame and shut their mouths in no time. Boko Haram, which has been ravaging our country, is now on the run. Its members are now moving to other neighbouring countries because Nigeria is no longer conducive for their operations,” he said.
He also said signs that things are getting better with the economy are there for all to see, citing increased crude oil production in the Niger Delta and the fiscal reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as part of such efforts.

“Crude oil production has hit 1.8 million bpd and the Central Bank has been sanitized; no one is taking a dime from the CBN. When we promised that we’ll fix this country, we will do so because President Tinubu has never been a failure,” he said.
In the text of the president’s speech, delivered by the NSA, President Tinubu said he set out with a clear and unwavering vision to strengthen Nigeria’s economic base and deliver positive growth and development for the benefit of all, promising that 18 months later, the vision remains unchanged.

“In pursuing this vision, we have built upon existing foundations while introducing necessary reforms to adapt to our evolving economic realities. Our focus has been on strengthening what works, refining what needs improvement, and introducing new initiatives where gaps exist.

“We recognised that specific economic policies, though useful in their time, needed to be realigned with current global economic dynamics to better serve our national interests and the well-being of our people.”

The president commended the NCS for keying into his vision by strengthening Nigeria’s position as a trade-friendly nation through strategic reforms, particularly in export promotion and port efficiency, and stressed that the service has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s improved global ranking and ease of doing business.

According to the president, the theme of this year’s NCS conference, “NCS Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose” couldn’t have come at a better time, as it reflects his administration’s broader vision of fostering strategic partnerships and collaborative approaches to governance and economic management. He said the Nigeria Customs Service has shown remarkable progress in revenue generation, enhancing the government’s capacity to fund critical national development projects.

The president also said Nigeria is determined to deepen its integration into global value chains and strengthen its position as a reliable trading partner: “Our commitment to sustainable economic reforms, trade facilitation, and creating an enabling business environment is firm and irreversible. We see our international partnerships as crucial catalysts in our journey towards becoming a more competitive player in global trade, particularly as we position ourselves to harness the opportunities presented by expanding regional and continental markets.”

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UNICEF and Kaduna State Hold Health Retreat for Local Government Chairmen

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By Kabiru Basiru Fultan

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, concluded a two-day health retreat aimed at orienting local government chairmen towards their responsibilities in improving health care delivery in their respective LGAs. The event, which took place in Kano, was facilitated by Dr. Idris Bawa, the health specialist overseeing UNICEF interventions in the Cardinal Field Office, and was attended by key state officials, including Deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe and Commissioner of Health Umeki Ahme.

“The essence of this meeting is for us to begin to orient our local government chairmen towards their responsibility as the number one citizens in their respective local governments,” Dr. Idris Baba stated.

“Health is one area that we can’t stop talking about. It’s one area that we must deliver on because it is the fulcrum around which human survival hinges.”

Dr. Baba emphasized the importance of involving local government chairmen in changing the current health indices in Kaduna State. “The whole objective of the meeting is to have them on board as quickly as possible so that they know where to invest their resources moving forward,” he explained. He added that UNICEF’s role was to convene the meeting and provide technical support, while the Deputy Governor of the state played a more significant facilitating role.

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Deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe highlighted that the retreat focused on service delivery in health, particularly primary health care services, which she described as the foundation of the healthcare system. “We’ve had our challenges, but we’ve also recorded some gains. We realize that if we get it right at this level, we will get the other levels right as well,” she said.

The retreat organized attendees into three groups to discuss key issues: motivation for health workers, maternal health issues, and child health issues including nutrition. “One group was talking about how health workers can stay motivated to do their work better, another group discussed maternal health issues, and another focused on child health issues including nutrition,” Deputy Governor Balarabe noted.

Commissioner of Health Umeki Ahme reiterated the state’s commitment to health as a priority under Governor Uba Sani’s administration. “The local government chairmen are the gatekeepers of the local government. Our hospitals, from primary health care centers up to the secondary health facilities, need to work hand in hand with the local government chairmen to ensure quality and accessible health care,” Ahme said.

Ahme also mentioned the involvement of various health agencies including the Primary Health Care Board, Kaduna State Contributory Health Agency, Kaduna State Drug Supply Agency, and CADBUSA. “We are doing this to ensure that we provide quality and accessible health care to our people at the grassroots,” he added.

The retreat emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to tackle health challenges, improve service delivery, and ensure sustainable development in the health sector across Kaduna State.

 

 

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