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President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, marking a significant step toward strengthening Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework for national identity management.

The President assented to the legislation on Friday during a ceremony held at the State House in Abuja.

The development was announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post shared on his verified X account.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026, in the State House on Friday,” Onanuga stated.

The newly enacted law is expected to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the operations, administration, and responsibilities of the National Identity Management Commission, while enhancing the country’s identity registration and verification system.

The legislation is also expected to strengthen the management of Nigeria’s national identity database, improve coordination of identity-related services, and support the government’s broader digital governance and public service reforms.

Observers believe the Act will help reinforce the legal foundation for the issuance and management of the National Identification Number (NIN), promote more efficient identity verification processes, and improve access to government and private-sector services that rely on secure identity authentication.

Although the Presidency has yet to release the full details of the new legislation, more information on its key provisions, implementation timeline, and expected impact is anticipated in the coming days.

The signing of the NIMC Act 2026 forms part of the Tinubu administration’s ongoing efforts to modernise public institutions, strengthen digital infrastructure, and improve the efficiency of identity management across Nigeria.

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….Deporting Foreigners Won’t Solve South Africa’s Problems”

MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas has condemned rising xenophobic vi%lence and anti foreigner sentiment in South Africa, insisting that the country’s economic future is inseparable from the rest of Africa.

Speaking at the funeral of Zimbabwean born activist Thokozani Damasane, Jonas rejected claims that deporting foreigners would solve South Africa’s problems.

“Foreigners can leave tomorrow, inequality will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow, unemployment will be with us,” he said, arguing that corruption, poor governance and state failure, not immigrants, are the country’s real challenges.

He blamed the government for failing to manage immigration, secure its borders, enforce the law and deliver essential services, warning that these shortcomings have allowed some politicians to exploit public frustration by blaming foreigners for the nation’s hardships.

Jonas also criticized tribalism and ethno nationalism, describing them as colonial legacies that continue to divide Africans. He urged South Africans to reject identity politics, saying, “We must banish” ethnic divisions that fuel discrimination and vi%lence.Reflecting on Damasane’s legacy, Jonas praised him for embracing South Africa and dedicating his life to its progress.

He also recalled Damasane’s warning that worsening inequality, corruption and the betrayal of the ideals of liberation could one day push South Africans to seek opportunities abroad.

Emphasizing continental unity, Jonas declared, “South Africa is nothing without Africa, and Africa is nothing without South Africa,” stressing that the country’s growth is closely tied to the continent’s success.

He concluded by saying people should never be judged or have their legal status determined by their country of origin.

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The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof. Ikechukwu Dozie, has announced the reversal of the appointment of 24 personal aides.

This comes as the Vice-Chancellor has been summoned to attend a meeting with officials of the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja on Monday, June 29.

FUTO Registrar, Chiedozie Uba, in a circular dated June 24 and addressed to the university community, disclosed that the appointments previously conveyed through a memo had been withdrawn with immediate effect.

The memo read, “Please refer to our memo Ref: FUT/REG/CR/CIR.4 dated June 22, 2026, on the above subject.

“I have been directed to notify the University Community that all the appointments previously conveyed through the above-quoted memo are hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” the registrar said.

The reversal came after the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, summoned the Vice-Chancellor to Abuja over the alleged irregular appointment of 24 aides in his office.

The letter was signed by the Acting Director of University Education, Dr. Kareem Olalekan, on behalf of the Minister of Education, but was leaked.

The minister described the appointments as irregular and inconsistent with regulations governing Nigeria’s federal universities.

The ministry said the appointments were “at variance with the extant regulations, established procedures, and the principles of due process governing appointments within the Federal University System.”

The ministry ordered the immediate withdrawal of the appointments and demanded documentary proof that the directive had been implemented.

Part of the letter read, “The attention of the Honourable Minister of Education has been drawn to your Memorandum Ref. No. FUT/REG/CR/CIR/4 dated 22 June 2026 (copy attached) concerning the appointment of twenty-four (24) aides in various capacities within the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.

“Upon careful consideration of the contents of the memorandum and the circumstances surrounding the appointments, the Honourable Minister is constrained to observe that the appointments, as presently constituted, are irregular and are at variance with the extant regulations, established procedures, and the principles of due process governing appointments within the Federal University System.

“In light of the foregoing, I am directed to request that the said memorandum be withdrawn forthwith and that documentary evidence confirming the withdrawal be forwarded to the ministry without delay in compliance with the directive of the Honourable Minister.”

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor is expected to appear at a meeting with ministry officials on Monday, June 29, 2026.