Africa Business News

The Federal Government is to launch three new national identity cards in May this year and has a target of providing them for about 104 million citizens across the country. The three new national identity cards planned by the National Identity Management Commission include a bank-enabled National ID card, a social intervention card, and an optional ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card. The Technical Adviser, Media, and Communications to the Director-General of NIMC, Ayodele Babalola, says Nigerians would start getting the three national ID cards within one or two months of the launch. He added that Digital/virtual versions of all cards will be available for individuals who prefer digital formats, albeit with limited functionalities. Additionally, ECOWAS cards will be issued on an as-needed basis in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service.

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The Nigerian Customs Service announced a 90-day window for regularising import duties on specific categories of vehicles.
The Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, says Customs noted the initiative applies solely to vehicles imported into Nigeria where the requisite customs duty has not been fulfilled or vehicles detained due to undervaluation.
The NCS stated that all vehicle owners, Importers/Agents seeking to regularize import duties on their vehicles are required to apply to the Zonal Coordinators and CAC FCT Command.
They must submit the necessary available documents and process Vreg in line with the Federal Ministry of Finance directives for the registration of imported motor vehicles.

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Qatar has announced new plans to expand output from the world’s biggest natural gas field, saying it will boost capacity to 142 million tonnes per annum before 2030. The new North Field expansion, named North Field West, will add a further 16 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year to existing expansion plans. Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said at a news conference on Sunday. Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi says recent studies have shown that the North Field contains huge additional gas quantities estimated at 240 trillion cubic feet, which raises the state of Qatar’s gas reserves from 1,760 [trillion cubic feet] to more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet. He says these results will enable them to begin developing a new LNG project from the North Field’s western sector with a production capacity of about 16 million tonnes per annum. The QatarEnergy chief says the firm will immediately commence with engineering works to ensure the expansion is completed on time.

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Qatar has announced new plans to expand output from the world’s biggest natural gas field, saying it will boost capacity to 142 million tonnes per annum before 2030. The new North Field expansion, named North Field West, will add a further 16 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year to existing expansion plans. Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said at a news conference on Sunday. Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi says recent studies have shown that the North Field contains huge additional gas quantities estimated at 240 trillion cubic feet, which raises the state of Qatar’s gas reserves from 1,760 [trillion cubic feet] to more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet. He says these results will enable them to begin developing a new LNG project from the North Field’s western sector with a production capacity of about 16 million tonnes per annum. The QatarEnergy chief says the firm will immediately commence with engineering works to ensure the expansion is completed on time.

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Kenya has exempted passport holders from South Africa and six other countries from paying an unpopular entry fee introduced last month. A memorandum from Kenya's interior ministry and immigration department says the exempted countries had entered visa abolition agreements or signed bilateral visa waiver agreements with the East African state. Only travellers from the East African Community regional bloc were exempt from paying the money. In addition to South Africa, the exemption has been extended to passport holders from five other African states - Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros and Mozambique. San Marino, Europe's third-smallest nation, is the only other country on the exemption list.

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Kenya has exempted passport holders from South Africa and six other countries from paying an unpopular entry fee introduced last month. A memorandum from Kenya's interior ministry and immigration department says the exempted countries had entered visa abolition agreements or signed bilateral visa waiver agreements with the East African state. Only travellers from the East African Community regional bloc were exempt from paying the money. In addition to South Africa, the exemption has been extended to passport holders from five other African states - Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros and Mozambique. San Marino, Europe's third-smallest nation, is the only other country on the exemption list.

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Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune officially opened The Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest mosque in Africa. It is also the third-largest in the world, after the mosques in Saudi Arabia's Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The mosque was constructed over seven years, costing more than $800m. It is expected to host prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in two weeks.

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Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune officially opened The Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest mosque in Africa. It is also the third-largest in the world, after the mosques in Saudi Arabia's Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The mosque was constructed over seven years, costing more than $800m. It is expected to host prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in two weeks.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has pegged the duty rates to be paid by importers to the Nigerian Customs Services during goods clearance. The bank instructed the Customs to utilise the FX closing rate on the date of the ‘Form M’ submission by importers for the clearance of goods and import duty assessment. The Director of Trade and Exchange Department, Hassan Mahmud, says this measure aims to tackle the volatility and frequent updates on the customs website concerning the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has pegged the duty rates to be paid by importers to the Nigerian Customs Services during goods clearance. The bank instructed the Customs to utilise the FX closing rate on the date of the ‘Form M’ submission by importers for the clearance of goods and import duty assessment. The Director of Trade and Exchange Department, Hassan Mahmud, says this measure aims to tackle the volatility and frequent updates on the customs website concerning the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.

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