News
FG Unfold Plans To Cut Down on Cost of Expenditure, ensure tax incentives
Joel Ajayi
The federal government has revealed plans to ultimately cut down on the cost of tax expenditure and ensure tax incentives which would positively impact the economy.
The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, recently approved the inclusion of an Incentive Monitoring and Evaluation Platform (IMEP) in the current Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) process.
The IDEC automation, which was introduced as from 1st March, 2020, is a Fiscal incentive by the federal government under the Ministry of Finance to boost sectors of the economy by exempting critical players from paying import duty and all other statutory customs charges respectively.
In his statement: This is to provide the Federal Ministry of Finance with a robust automated tool for more effective Monitoring and `Evaluation (M &E) measurement of the impact of all customs duty exemptions issued by the Ministry to government entities, companies, non- governmental oganisations (NGOs) and international organisations.
According to him, the system is designed to provide a framework to exclude and restrict ineligible applicants, enforce strict compliance to fiscal policy measures and provide a robust impact analysis of tax incentives on the economy. This will further eliminate the misuse of tax expenditures; support the delivery of economic outcomes from fiscal incentives and strengthen the direct measurement of the impact of tax incentives on the economy.
He listed the key features of the IMEP to comprise: duty waiver claw back mechanism for issuance of demand notices to defaulters which would prevent misuse of issued incentive, e-report generation, a centralised database, factory geo-location tagging, industry qualification status validation, and inter- ministries department and agency (MDA) integration.
Mr Edun stated further that a webinar would be conducted on Tuesday, 23 April 2024, to provide clarity on the revised IDEC process.
He therefore called on all key industry stakeholders, including manufacturers, importers, MDAs, NGOs to attend, stating that the link for the webinar would be published on the Ministry of Finance website, and on the IDEC’s YouTube channel.
Signed 
Foreign news
Algeria’s Glorious Revolution: Embassy Marks 72nd Anniversary in Abuja
Joel Ajayi
The Embassy of Algeria in Nigeria has commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the country’s Glorious Revolution of November 1, 1954, with a reception in Abuja, highlighting Algeria’s liberation struggle and strengthening diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
The event, held on November 9, 2026, at Continental Suites Hotel, attracted prominent personalities, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, members of the Federal Government, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and other friends of Algeria.
Speaking at the reception, Algeria’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, welcomed guests and paid tribute to the country’s freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the struggle for independence.
He described the November 1, 1954 revolution as the foundation of modern Algeria, noting that the sacrifices of the nation’s martyrs made it possible for the country to reclaim its sovereignty.
On Algeria’s development agenda, Mezoued said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration had continued to pursue economic reforms, diversification and national development under its New Algeria vision.
He noted that the country was recording progress in non-hydrocarbon exports, while improvements in the business environment had boosted investor confidence and attracted significant foreign investments.
On foreign policy, the ambassador reaffirmed Algeria’s commitment to non-interference, respect for national sovereignty, peaceful conflict resolution and the right of peoples to self-determination.
Addressing security challenges in the Sahel, he stressed that lasting peace could not be achieved through military measures alone, insisting that economic development, inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes remained essential.
Turning to Nigeria-Algeria relations, Mezoued described the partnership as one founded on shared values and the commitment of both countries’ leaders to advancing African development.
He identified the Trans-Saharan Highway, Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic Backbone as major strategic projects receiving attention from both countries.
The ambassador also disclosed that Algeria had continued to provide scholarships to Nigerian students to strengthen human capital development and capacity building.
He further announced that Air Algérie expanded its Nigerian operations on October 26, 2026, with the introduction of two weekly flights to Lagos, expressing confidence that the service would boost trade and tourism.
Looking ahead, Mezoued said 2027 would offer fresh opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly through the fifth Joint High Bi-National Commission scheduled to hold in Abuja.
He expressed optimism that the meeting would provide an opportunity to assess existing partnerships, identify new areas of cooperation and move Nigeria-Algeria relations towards a more practical and results-driven phase.
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