Aso Villa Reads for 30/01/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has responded to technological innovations and applications in financial services with the establishment of a new “FINTECH AND INNOVATIONS UNIT” to align with contemporary trends in advanced economies. The development is also in consonance with the Corporation’s Strategic Vision, which is to become one of the best Deposit Insurers by the year 2020. The new Unit, which is domiciled in the Insurance & Surveillance Department of the Corporation, is expected to engage and collaborate with innovators in the financial and non-financial sectors of the economy to identify, develop and promote technology-driven solutions that would protect depositors and improve the safety and soundness of Insured Financial Institutions. The Unit is expected to enable the Corporation identify disruptions and associated risks of Fintech and Innovations on deposit insurance; articulate the use of Fintech for Early Warning Signals (EWS) and Prompt Corrective Action (PAC); Identify other digital currency deposits for the purpose of insurance coverage; evolve supervisory measures for digital banks; and enhance existing consumer protection measures as they relate to digital deposits in collaboration with other safety net players.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and security chiefs met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. This is a routine meeting to review the security situation of the country, The PUNCH reports. Those in attendance include the Chief of Defense Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar; Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rafa’i Abubakar; and the Director-General, Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said the ministry impacted on 514 highways and delivered 826.8 kilometers of road between Aug. and Dec., 2019. Fashola briefed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said he presented a 138-page periodic scorecard of the ministry to council. “So, we reported impact on agriculture, movement of food, mining, demand for building materials, construction sector, petroleum products, and education in terms of schools and health in terms of healthcare programmes implemented by the ministry under the Special Projects Unit for zonal intervention projects, sustainable development projects and constituency projects. “We also showed impact of 514 highways projects producing a total of 144, 395 jobs broken down into 49, 080 direct jobs and 95,350 indirect jobs. Vanguard reports.
The federal government has started the installation of airfield lighting at major airports in the country to boost visibility, enhance safety operations, enable airlines to operate for longer hours and boost government and airlines’ revenues, THISDAY has learnt. The lighting system, when fully installed on the runway of an airport, enables night landing because it provides the visuals needed for pilots and also works with navigational instrument to enhance precision for safe flight operation. It is projected that Nigerian airlines would generate additional revenue annually if they operate to additional eight major airports up till 10 p.m. daily and also utilise their aircraft, which need certain hours of flying to remain airworthy. THISDAY gathered that the airfield lighting system would be installed in Port Harcourt, Kano, Lagos, Akure, Yola, Ibadan, Kaduna and Sokoto airports. This is in addition to the ones being installed at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, which is currently under rehabilitation.
The federal government is set to repatriate fresh $321 million looted funds stashed away in the United States’ banks by the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to Nigeria. The government is also negotiating plans to repatriate €6,863,977.12 allegedly looted by a former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, from Europe to Nigeria. The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, told State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja that the agreement on the repatriation of Abacha loot would be signed between the US and Nigeria next week. According to him, upon arrival, the federal government will disburse the loot to fund major ongoing road projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kano Road and the Second Niger Bridge. This Day reports.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has urged MTN and all other telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria to improve the quality of their services in order to satisfy their customers across board. Pantami gave the charge to the MTN Board, led by the Group Chairman, Mabisi Jonas when they paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja recently. The minister pointed out that federal government was committed to providing conducive and enabling environment for all mobile telecommunications operators that are operating in the country, to enable them do their business without any hindrance in any part of the country. Pantami said: “I am happy that you also appreciate our modest efforts in addressing most of the challenges being faced by mobile telecommunications in Nigeria. I believe every county has its own peculiar challenge. We have achieved a lot in addressing most of the challenges like issues of vandalism, Right of Ways (RoW) and several others.” The minister added: “We are working on strengthening the policy to ensure that telecommunications infrastructures are well protected in the country and President Muhammadu Buhari has given directives to security agencies to provide security to critical telecommunications infrastructure in their different locations in the country.” This Day reports.
