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Senate Approves 2019 Expenditure Framework, Fiscal Strategy
The Senate on Tuesday, passed the 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
The MTEF and FSP are documents that provide the framework of designing a budget as enshrined in section 11 (3)of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on November 6, 2018, sent a letter to the National Assembly detailing the provisions of the two documents.
In it, he made proposals for budget deficit, crude oil benchmark price, exchange rate, among others.
The Chairman Senate committee on Finance, John Enoh who presented said the committee maintained the daily production output of crude oil at 2.3 million barrel per day, USD $60.0/6 as crude oil benchmark price, N305/1US$ as the exchange rate and N500 billion as special intervention fund – as proposed by the president.
On crude oil production, the committee advised that target be achievable due to the “continuous effort of all stakeholders in checkmating the issues of oil facilities vandalism and other vices associated with such regard.”
The committee, however, reduced the proposal for the budget deficit largely financed by borrowing from N1.86 trillion to N1.64 trillion.
It was recommended that the Central Bank of Nigeria continue to adopt strategies on exchange rate that will aid in the “strengthening of the Naira and bridging the gap between the official and parallel market rate of the foreign exchange.”
The committee also urged relevant agencies to continue exploring way of generating additional revenues to bring down the fiscal deficit.
Other suggestions from the committees asked that “the Federal Government should harness the full optimal potential of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in terms of Revenue Generation to minimise the level of borrowing.
“The Federal Government should consider reducing the granting waivers and exemptions while ensuring that the Nigerian Customs Service personnel are at all oil terminals for accountability and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) should consider increasing Tax on luxury goods and services.
“Twenty per cent operating surplus to be remitted by Government owned Enterprises should be deducted at source.”
The Senate’s approval comes weeks after Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, appeared before the Senate to explain why the federal government made slight adjustments on the 2019 MTEF/FSP approved by the Executive Council of the Federation.
He said the adjustment was to accommodate some ‘unanticipated expenditure items’ in the 2019 budget proposals and the adjustments only affected the projected expenditure.
Premium Times
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria is ready to work with other nations to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable world for all.
Tinubu spoke in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on the second day of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
The president spoke on the topic, “From Climate Imperatives into Economic Prosperity: Bridging Africa with the Global Energy Future.”
He declared that no single nation could walk the road to sustainability alone, stressing that global interconnectedness demand collective action, knowledge sharing, and mutual support.
According to Tinubu, “The fight against climate change is not merely an environmental necessity but a global economic opportunity to reshape the trajectory of our continent and the global energy landscape.
“As leaders, stakeholders and citizens of our planet, we stand at a critical juncture in human history. To succeed, we must innovate, collaborate and act decisively as one global community.”
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, Tinubu assured the audience that the Nigerian government had developed actionable programmes in line with global expectations, bearing in mind Nigeria’s economic and political expectations.
He said, “We have embraced a vision of sustainability that aligns with global aspirations while addressing local realities. Our efforts are anchored on three pillars: Energy Transition, Climate Resilience, and Sustainable Development.
“My administration recognises the importance of reducing carbon emissions and a just transition to clean and renewable energy, promoting environmental sustainability and economic growth.
