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FG promises to decrease transport fares nationwide from October 1

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The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) says transportation fares are expected to decrease nationwide from October 1.

This was stated in a communique issued Thursday at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting to review readiness and progress in implementing affordable CNG and electric vehicle transportation.

The stakeholders’ engagement, convened by Pi-CNG & EV, brought together representatives of state governments, including transport commissioners in various states.

“Several states are already making progress towards meeting the federal government’s target through the deployment of CNG and electric mobility solutions,” the communique stated.

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Reports from various states captured in the communique showed that several states had deployed CNG and electric buses, tricycles, motorcycles, conversion centres, refuelling facilities, and charging infrastructure.

It also showed that commuters using supported clean mobility services in some states were already paying fares significantly lower than prevailing rates.

The communique said that Niger, for instance, has procured 200 CNG buses, with 35 already operational, alongside 11 electric vehicle charging stations. It said Abia deployed 40 electric buses and 20 charging stations, with plans to increase its fleet to 100 buses by December.

Some stakeholders met in Abuja to review their readiness and progress in implementing affordable CNG and electric vehicle transportation.

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Ismaeel Ahmed, the executive chairman of Pi-CNG & EV, said the engagement would focus on addressing infrastructure gaps in states where CNG and electric vehicles were already available but needed additional refuelling, charging, and conversion facilities.

Mr Ahmed said that states agreed to identify their busiest transport corridors and provide relevant data to guide the deployment of additional CNG infrastructure. They are also expected to submit three priority interventions that can realistically be delivered in line with the October 1 target.

Each state is to establish an implementation team comprising officials from the transport, energy and related sectors to work directly with Pi-CNG & EV. The initiative will assign coordinators to facilitate implementation and monitor progress at the state level.

“Private-sector participation will also be prioritised, with state investment promotion agencies expected to work towards a common framework for attracting investments into CNG and EV infrastructure.

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“The engagement is to ensure that the lower operating costs of CNG and electric mobility translate into actual savings for commuters. The Federal and state governments are working to make affordable public transportation available to more Nigerians,” Mr Ahmed said.

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Customs Starts Final Recruitment Screening Of Candidates

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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has began the final phase of its recruitment screening, with shortlisted candidates undergoing documentation, physical fitness assessments and medical screening.

The NCS Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, who made this known on Thursday, said the screening was being conducted at the service’s Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

Maiwada said the two-week exercise, which commenced on Monday, would run until September 19 and cover shortlisted applicants for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, ASCII, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.

He said candidates were being screened in batches arranged alphabetically according to their states of origin to prevent congestion and ensure an orderly exercise.

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Addressing the candidates, Frank Onyeka, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, said the service was evaluating character and professional conduct alongside physical fitness.

Onyeka congratulated the candidates for reaching the stage and urged them to comply with the guidelines of the exercise.

He said the candidates should remain orderly and strictly adhere to the guidelines, adding that their attitude, discipline and conduct were critical factors in determining who would ultimately join the service.

He also said the NCS was working closely with the Customs Police and other relevant units within the service to safeguard the integrity of the recruitment process.

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Also speaking, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Dow Gaura, said administrative innovations and inter-agency collaboration had helped streamline the exercise.

Gaura said the activities of the recruitment exercise reflected the policy vision of the Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, which emphasised continuous operational improvement, collaboration and innovation.

He described the process as seamless and hitch-free, noting that it had been conducted without any casualties.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that screening for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs, ASC, cadre ended on Thursday, while evaluations for the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres would continue until September 19.

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The NCS had announced an annual recruitment cycle and released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise on August 4.

The exercise received 573,680 applications for 3,852 positions, with 1,275 candidates selected for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.

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See Black Market Dollar to Naira exchange rate today 11th September, 2026

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You can access of exchange rate today below:

Note: The exchange rate changes hourly. It depends on the volume of dollars available and the Demand.

This means…you can buy or sell 1 dollar at a certain rate, and the price can change (high or low) within hours.

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The official naira black market exchange rate in Nigeria today, including the Black Market rates, Bureau De Change (BDC), and CBN rates.

The exchange rate fluctuates hourly based on the supply and demand of dollars in the market.
What’s the dollar to naira black market today, 11th September 2026?

The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players sell a dollar for ₦1390 and buy at ₦1380 on Friday, 11th September, 2026, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC).
Please note that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize the parallel market (black market), as it has directed individuals who want to engage in Forex to approach their respective banks.

Dollar to Naira Black Market Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) Black Market Exchange Rate Today
Selling Rate ₦1390
Buying Rate ₦1380
Dollar to Naira CBN Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) CBN Rate Today
Highest Rate ₦1329
Lowest Rate ₦1326.

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Auditor-General Flags ₦522.4m Aviation Ministry Payments for Undelivered Guns, Ammunition

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The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has come under scrutiny after the Auditor-General for the Federation flagged payments totalling ₦522.49 million for firearms and ammunition without sufficient evidence that the items were delivered.

The allegation is contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The report identified two separate procurements involving firearms and ammunition intended to strengthen security operations at airports across the country.

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In the first case, the ministry reportedly paid ₦270.02 million through two payment vouchers for the procurement of AK rifles, red-dot sights and AK ammunition.

The payments, identified as IPC 1 and IPC 2, were made through vouchers referenced FMA/ABJ/CAP/1047/22 dated January 10, 2023, and FMA/ABJ/CAP/1445/21 dated May 23, 2023.

According to the audit report, the payment documents contained no evidence of approval from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the procurement of the ammunition.

The auditors also found several documentation gaps, including the absence of the supplier’s quotation and documents relating to the company’s compliance with requirements of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

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More significantly, the auditors said there was no Store Receipt Voucher (SRV) attached to the payment documents to confirm that the firearms and ammunition had actually been received by the ministry.

Firearms allegedly kept at NSCDC armoury

The audit report noted that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in a request for Payment Certificate, claimed that the firearms had been supplied to the armoury of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Headquarters in Abuja for safekeeping.

The weapons were reportedly to remain there until FAAN completed its own armoury.

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However, the Auditor-General said the ministry provided no supporting evidence confirming that the firearms were actually in the custody of the NSCDC Headquarters.

The audit authority consequently linked the lapses to weaknesses in the ministry’s internal control system, warning that such deficiencies could expose public funds to diversion and loss.

Ministry insists procurement was proper
In its response, the ministry maintained that the procurement was properly conducted and that all required approvals and procedures had been followed before payment.

It cited award and acceptance letters, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) documents, due-process review reports, Federal Executive Council (FEC) approvals, contract agreements and payment vouchers among the documents supporting the transactions.

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The ministry also said a security clearance letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser relating to the company had been provided.

The Auditor-General, however, rejected the response as unsatisfactory, stating that its findings remained valid until the recommendations were implemented.
It recommended that the ministry’s Permanent Secretary be made to account to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly over the transaction.

It also recommended the recovery and remittance of ₦270.02 million to the Treasury.

Another ₦252.5m firearms payment flagged

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The audit report raised similar concerns over a second payment of ₦252.47 million for sub-machine guns, pistols and ammunition meant to enhance aviation security at airports.
The money was paid through two vouchers referenced FMA/ABJ/CAP/1042/22 dated February 10, 2023, and FMA/ABJ/CAP/1441/21 dated May 23, 2023.

Again, the Auditor-General attributed the irregularities to weaknesses in the ministry’s internal controls.

The ministry maintained that all procurement requirements had been met and that the transaction did not violate the Financial Regulations or relevant government circulars.

It again referred to award and acceptance letters, BPP documents, due-process review reports, FEC approvals, contract agreements, NSA security clearance and payment vouchers.

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The ministry further said a letter from FAAN’s Director of Finance and Accounts, dated August 7, 2025, forwarding a delivery note, had been provided as evidence that the contract was executed.

The Auditor-General nevertheless deemed the response unsatisfactory and maintained its findings pending implementation of the recommendations.

Auditor-General also queries ₦163.9m airport tower payments
In a separate finding, the Auditor-General flagged ₦163.92 million paid to six contractors for the construction of control towers at six airports.

Five contractors reportedly received ₦30.95 million each on June 1, 2023, while the sixth received ₦9.18 million.
The contracts were originally awarded on May 24, 2018, at a combined value of ₦4.46 billion.

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The auditors said the projects remained incomplete, particularly their technical components, years after the contracts were awarded.

They also questioned agreements dated November 18, 2021, involving five of the contracts, which were executed by proxy between the ministry and representatives of local contractors acting on behalf of foreign companies based in the United Kingdom.

According to the report, there was no evidence of work corresponding to the amounts paid through the proxy contractors.
The auditors warned that executing agreements by proxy could make some contractual provisions difficult to enforce and expose the Federal Government to financial losses if the contractors defaulted.

Ministry blames delays on funding
Responding to the finding, the ministry said it had no direct contractual relationship with the foreign companies mentioned in the report.

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It explained that agreements between the local contractors and the foreign firms demonstrated the commitment of the six contractors to the companies.

The ministry accepted the recommendation to take proactive measures to complete the projects and prevent further cost escalation.

However, it attributed delays to issues surrounding the release of funds by the Federal Government, while insisting that the contracts were awarded in compliance with procurement regulations.

The Auditor-General’s findings raise broader questions about documentation, delivery verification, contract execution and internal controls within the aviation sector.

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The transactions are now expected to face further scrutiny from the relevant authorities, particularly the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees, as they determine whether the funds were properly accounted for and whether the firearms, ammunition and airport infrastructure were delivered as claimed.

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