General
Lagos Remits N25bn to Retirement Savings Account
By Adedapo Adesanya
Over N25 billion has been paid into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) of retirees by the Lagos State government, the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said.
Mr Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure at the 81st retirement bond certificate presentation to retirees of the state public service in Lagos recently.
The Governor, who was represented at the presentation by Mrs Olubunmi Fabanwo, Chairman of the Lagos State Civil Service Commission, noted that this has been the tradition since his administration came on board 18 months ago.
He said that retirees were workers in the mainstream, local government, State Universal Basic Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and other parastatal agencies of the state government.
“I am happy to report that 5,819 retirees are enjoying their retirement benefits under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the past 18 months of my administration.
“It is gratifying to note that since the advent of this administration, the state government has paid over N25 billion into the RSA of the state’s retirees,” he said.
According to him, the state government has also remitted over N2 billion to the respective RSAs of 471 retirees through the Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) for the month of December.
Mr Sanwo-olu said that with such commitment and performance, it was not surprising that retiring officers in the state looked forward to retirement with more confidence and joy.
The Governor said that Lagos State had continued to be the leading light, not only in the administration of pension benefits but generally in good credible governance.
“Let me assure you that the state government through the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) will continue to ensure that public service retirees not only get what is due to them statutorily but also receive, through other agencies and programmes, additional support and assistance that will add value to their lives in retirement.
“I will continue to run an open government of inclusion that will ensure no one is left behind.
“We must therefore be determined to contribute to the change that is much expected to bail our country out of her present situation and make life worth living for everyone,” he said.
In her address, Mrs Ajibola Ponnle, Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, lauded the Governor for ensuring the availability of funds to the commission for the payment of retirement benefits as and when due.
“Despite the global pandemic and its impact on the Nigerian economy, the state government has made continuous monthly payments of accrued pension rights into the RSA of retirees a priority to enable them to have access to their retirement bond benefits,” she said.
Mrs Ponnle said following the emergence of Lagos State as the winner of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) award for the best compliant state in the Federation consecutively and consistently, the ministry and LASPEC were committed to maintaining the rating.
She said this would be done by improving on timely payment of retirees’ pensions and other applicable benefits upon disengagement from service.
The Commissioner congratulated the retirees and advised them to embrace the joy and challenges of their new phase of life.
“Do not hesitate to contact LASPEC or even the Ministry of Establishment, Training and Pensions, should you require clarification or advise regarding the modalities surrounding your retirement benefit matters,” she said.
Mr Babalola Obilana, Director-General, LASPEC, said the event was designed as the state government’s special gift for the retirees for the festive season.
Mr Obilana informed the retirees about the official launch of the RSA transfer window system by PenCom on November 16, which permits RSA holders to transfer their accounts from one PFA to another once a year.
“The activation of the RSA transfer process will engender competition and improve service delivery in the pension industry while asserting the rights of RSA holders to determine which PFA manages their pension contribution and retirement benefits,” he said.
The DG appreciated stakeholders, PFAs and Insurance companies for their relentless efforts toward the success of the CPS.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time.
In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said the extension was intended to ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make substantive contributions to the proposed legislation.
“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” the statement read.
The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs, while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.
“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” the statement said.
The former lawmaker said legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of the extended window to submit their memoranda and position papers, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before the new deadline.
According to him, developing an effective policing framework required careful consideration of a number of critical issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.
“These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the federation,” he added.
He noted that at the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.
The Presidential Working Group appreciated stakeholders who had already made submissions and encouraged others intending to participate in the process to take advantage of the extension.
The National Policing Bill portal went live on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila first announced the public consultation window during a press briefing on the reform, at the time indicating that submissions would close after roughly two weeks.
The Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Bola Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the prevailing insecurity in parts of the country is negatively affecting its operations and revenue generation.
The Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Mrs Nsikak Umoh, disclosed this in Minna while inspecting the Niger/Kogi Area Command Headquarters and engaging with vehicle importers on the operational challenges confronting the command.
Mrs Umoh said insecurity was not peculiar to the Niger/Kogi Area Command, but affected several Customs formations across the North-West, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara states.
“The security challenge is not peculiar to only Niger/Kogi Area Command. The whole of North-West comprising Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara States, which are all under my command, are facing the same security challenge,” she said.
According to her, the security situation had exposed customs personnel to increasing threats, with some officers killed or injured in the course of performing their duties, adding that the development had forced some commands to scale down their operations or adopt more cautious approaches, thereby affecting revenue collection.
Mrs Umoh explained that the service was encouraging its officers to adopt intelligence-led operations to minimise risks while ensuring that legitimate Customs duties continued.
“But we are trying our best to encourage them to use an intelligence-based operating system to do their job, and that is why in most of the commands, we have a reduction in revenue collections,” she added.
The ACG also expressed concern over the impact of insecurity on the physical and psychological wellbeing of Customs personnel, noting that some officers had developed health complications, including hypertension, due to fear and stress associated with their duties.
Despite the security challenges, Umoh said the Niger/Kogi Area Command had continued to perform strongly in revenue generation, disclosing that the command had surpassed its monthly revenue target of N17 million, generating more than N200 million as of August 12.
She commended the officers and stakeholders in the command for sustaining revenue collection despite the difficult operating environment.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered more than N115 billion in statutory levies owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by defaulting oil companies between 2021 and 2023.
The recovery comprises N76.883 billion and $81.076 million, according to an EFCC representative, Mr Francis Oka-Phillips Usani, who disclosed the figures before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday.
Mr Usani spoke while the committee was investigating the 2021–2023 Oil and Gas Sector Audit Report of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
He said the EFCC investigated 43 oil companies over outstanding three per cent statutory levies payable to the NDDC.
According to him, 24 of the companies operating in the Niger Delta were found to have outstanding liabilities of N76,883,705,907.17 and $81,076,655, while the remaining 19 companies were cleared of any outstanding liability.
“At the commencement of the investigation, EFCC invited 43 oil companies, out of which 24 operating within the Niger Delta were found to have outstanding liabilities in the sums of N76,883,705,907.17 and $81,076,655.00, while the remaining 19 other oil companies were given a clean bill of health,” Mr Usani said.
The agent explained that following the investigation and pressure mounted by the commission, some of the affected companies paid their outstanding liabilities directly to the NDDC.
He said the direct payments amounted to N6.709 billion and $16.994 million.
Mr Usani further disclosed that of the funds recovered by the EFCC on behalf of the NDDC, N73.373 billion and $67.070 million had so far been released to the commission, noting that the balance of N3.510 billion and $14.005 million remained in the EFCC’s recovery account.
He, however, stated that the commission was also mindful of other possible outstanding statutory obligations and taxes payable to the federal government.
