By David Torough, Abuja 

A call has been made on the Nigerian Government to engage prominent Nigerian Christian leaders, including the Founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, alongside his spiritual sons, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Dr Paul Enenche and Pastor Korede Komaiya, to explore how their institutions could contribute to addressing some of Nigeria’s development challenges.

The call, contained in an opinion article titled “Why the Nigerian Government Must Invite Bishop David Oyedepo and His Spiritual Sons Immediately,” argues that the churches led by the four clerics have established institutional structures and community-based initiatives that could provide useful lessons for national development.

According to the article, the ministries have made contributions in areas such as education, healthcare, transportation, employment generation, infrastructure development, poverty reduction and human capital development.

It noted that their respective church organisations operate transportation arrangements that enable worshippers and other participants to attend services and programmes without paying transport fares, describing the initiative as an example of organised social support.

The article also highlighted their investments in education, particularly the establishment of primary and secondary schools as well as universities, with modern learning facilities aimed at developing academic excellence and character among young Nigerians.

On healthcare, it cited medical outreaches, financial assistance for patients, support for surgeries and sponsorship of individuals requiring specialised medical treatment outside Nigeria as some of the interventions attributed to the ministries.

The opinion further drew attention to scholarship programmes operated by the churches, arguing that educational support has created opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to acquire professional qualifications and improve their economic circumstances.

It also identified electricity generation and infrastructure development as areas where the religious institutions have demonstrated capacity, pointing to their investments in uninterrupted power arrangements, roads, pedestrian bridges and water facilities within their operational environments.

On employment, the article claimed that the four church organisations collectively provide jobs for more than 300,000 people, describing them as significant employers whose activities extend beyond religious services into administration, education, healthcare, hospitality, logistics and other sectors.

It further argued that their large-scale conventions and international conferences attract participants from different parts of the world, creating economic opportunities for hotels, transport operators, traders, food vendors and other businesses in host communities.

Beyond physical infrastructure and economic activities, the article emphasised the role of religious institutions in social transformation, particularly through counselling, moral instruction, family development, entrepreneurship training and programmes aimed at discouraging destructive lifestyles.

It maintained that these activities could offer useful insights into addressing social challenges, strengthening families and promoting responsible citizenship.

The article also acknowledged the importance of resource management, institutional discipline and long-term planning, arguing that the sustainability of large religious organisations could provide useful case studies for public administrators and development practitioners.

It therefore proposed that the Federal Government initiate a structured engagement with Bishop Oyedepo and the other three clerics to examine their institutional experiences, identify transferable practices and explore possible areas of collaboration in national development.

The proposed engagement, according to the article, should not be politically motivated or limited to ceremonial recognition, but should focus on practical discussions around education, healthcare delivery, employment, infrastructure, social welfare, entrepreneurship and community development.

It concluded that Nigeria could benefit from drawing lessons from successful non-governmental institutions, faith-based organisations and private-sector initiatives, particularly where their experiences offer approaches that can complement existing public development programmes.

The proposal comes amid continuing national conversations about the role of religious organisations, private institutions and civil society in supporting government efforts to improve living conditions and expand development opportunities across the country.

By David Torough, Abuja 

The Ministry of Regional Development has commenced a capacity-building training programme for desk officers from the seven Regional Development Commissions on the revised Quarterly Reporting Template and the newly introduced Regional Development Commissions (RDC) Quarterly Reports Application.

Declaring the training open at the Permanent Secretary’s Conference Room, 10th Floor, Federal Secretariat, Phase I, Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary Ogbe, emphasised the importance of accurate, timely and transparent reporting in strengthening institutional accountability and monitoring the performance of the Regional Development Commissions.

Dr Ogbe noted that the Ministry submits quarterly performance reports to the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRCDU) of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, highlighting the Commissions’ contributions to implementing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda across the regions.

She explained that the revised reporting template was developed to address recurring challenges associated with previous submissions, including inconsistencies in reporting formats, incomplete financial information, inadequate supporting evidence and delays in submission.

According to her, the revised template harmonises the CRCDU reporting requirements with the Commission’s quarterly performance templates and the Harmonised Performance Bond Matrix, thereby ensuring consistency, accuracy and alignment with the Presidential Reporting Blueprint.

The Permanent Secretary further disclosed that the revised template now provides for comprehensive reporting on project and programme implementation, including appropriated funds, contract sums, releases, expenditure, physical progress, percentage of completion, challenges and recommendations, alongside verifiable supporting documents such as geotagged photographs, letters of award and completion certificates.

A major highlight of the initiative is the introduction of the RDC Quarterly Reports App, a digital platform designed to simplify the reporting process, enhance data accuracy and improve the timely submission of quarterly reports by the Commissions.

Dr Ogbe explained that the application will enable each Commission to prepare and submit its reports online, validate financial figures, upload supporting evidence and transmit submissions securely using individual submission keys.

She added that the platform will also enable the Ministry to consolidate submissions into a unified report and provide the Honourable Ministers and the Permanent Secretary with access to a live dashboard to monitor submission status.

She charged the participating desk officers to take full advantage of the training and ensure that the knowledge acquired translates into improved reporting practices within their respective Commissions.

The Permanent Secretary particularly stressed the need for accurate financial reconciliation, credible project documentation, strict adherence to reporting deadlines and effective communication between the Commissions and the Ministry.

She disclosed that the first quarterly returns under the new reporting arrangement would cover the fourth quarter of 2026, urging the desk officers to safeguard their respective submission keys and share the knowledge acquired with their management and colleagues.

Dr Ogbe reiterated that effective reporting goes beyond routine administrative documentation, describing it as a critical instrument for demonstrating the value of public resources, strengthening government decision-making, promoting accountability and showcasing the developmental impact of the Regional Development Commissions across the country.

The training is expected to equip participants with the practical skills required to complete the revised reporting template accurately, reconcile financial information, provide credible supporting evidence and effectively utilise the newly introduced digital application.

The initiative underscores the Ministry of Regional Development’s commitment to strengthening institutional capacity, promoting transparency and accountability, and ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of development projects and programmes across Nigeria’s regions.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commenced the digitalisation of sub-national fiscal data reporting across the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to improve the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of economic data used for monetary and fiscal policy decisions.

The initiative is designed to replace the largely manual system of collecting and processing fiscal information with a digital platform that will standardise data submissions, strengthen validation procedures and facilitate more frequent reporting by state and local governments.

The CBN also plans to transition the Sub-National Fiscal Survey from its existing twice-yearly reporting arrangement to a more sustainable quarterly data submission system, providing policymakers with more current information on government revenues, expenditures, financing requirements and fiscal pressures.

Speaking at a Sub-National Fiscal Statistics Stakeholders’ Engagement held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Director of the CBN’s Statistics Department, Dr Usman Moses Okpanachi, said the exercise was part of the bank’s broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economic data architecture and improve evidence-based policymaking.

Okpanachi explained that reliable, timely fiscal statistics are essential for effective economic management because they enable governments and policymakers to assess public-sector financial activities and understand their implications for aggregate demand, liquidity, borrowing conditions, and inflation.

He noted that the quality of fiscal information available to policymakers was particularly important as the CBN strengthened its forward-looking, data-dependent monetary policy framework and moved towards a more explicit inflation-targeting regime.

According to him, the existing manual approach to the Sub-National Fiscal Survey had presented several operational challenges, including delays in data submission, logistical difficulties, validation constraints and lengthy processing periods.

He said the digital platform would address these shortcomings by providing a more structured reporting framework, simplifying data submissions, standardising entries and improving the monitoring of returns and traceability of corrections.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen the information chain between fiscal transactions undertaken by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), state governments and local government authorities and the production of reliable economic statistics for national policy decisions.

Okpanachi stressed that the adoption of technology would not eliminate the need for proper financial record-keeping, reconciliation and professional judgement, urging state and local government authorities to ensure that the digitalisation process was supported by sound institutional practices.

He called on participating governments to prioritise timely submission, data integrity and continuity by ensuring that fiscal information was properly validated and reconciled before transmission.

The CBN director also urged states and local governments to appoint designated focal officers responsible for coordinating the reporting process and maintaining institutional continuity, particularly as trained personnel deploy the new system across their respective institutions.

He said the success of the initiative would be measured by improvements in the completeness and consistency of fiscal returns, faster submissions, stronger validation processes and the availability of more reliable information for economic decision-making.

The CBN, he added, would continue to provide technical and operational support through its branches nationwide and the Statistics Department to ensure effective implementation of the digital reporting framework.

The nationwide stakeholders’ engagement, which commenced on October 26, 2026, is expected to cover the remaining states by December 4, while the FCT is scheduled to participate in the exercise on December 9 and 10.

As of November 6, 2026, the CBN had conducted the exercise in 16 states and their respective local governments, with the bank reporting strong government support and attendance reaching 100 per cent in almost all the states visited.

The practical sessions are designed to equip fiscal officers with the necessary skills to operate the digital questionnaire, understand data validation requirements and carry out submission and correction procedures through the platform.

Following the training, participating officers are expected to transfer the knowledge acquired to other relevant personnel within their institutions and commence the submission of fiscal returns electronically.

The Statistics Department will subsequently consolidate the outcomes of the nationwide exercise into a national implementation report.

The digitalisation programme forms part of the CBN’s broader data architecture and institutional transformation agenda, with implications for fiscal planning, budgeting and policy evaluation at the state and local government levels.

Beyond improving the quality of sub-national fiscal statistics, the initiative is expected to provide the CBN and other relevant authorities with more timely information on government financial activities, strengthening the statistical foundation for monetary policy formulation, financial stability assessment and broader fiscal and economic management.