The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, has called for stronger leadership and broader stakeholder support to advance Early Childhood Development (ECD).

Verghis made the call on Monday during a visit to the First Lady, Sen.

Oluremi Tinubu, at the State House, Abuja,

Members of the delegation included the Early Years Programme Lead, Dr.

Ritual Tilley-Gyado; Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist, Dr. Awa Diane; Education Specialist, Dr. Mixture Rural; and External Relations Officer, Mansir Nasir.

Verghis said the World Bank regarded ECD as Nigeria’s most critical long-term investment, adding that its current development framework focused on key areas of joint programme implementation over a five to six-year period.

He said the bank’s early childhood development strategy aimed to improve nutrition, health and overall well-being among Nigerian children.

According to him, investments from pregnancy to the age of five generate high annual returns by improving cognitive development, reducing healthcare costs and helping to break cycles of multidimensional poverty.

“Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s key partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.

“Within this framework, investing in people is an important focus of the World Bank. We are partners in education, nutrition and skills development because we recognise the importance of investing in people.

“As we shape our next development framework, one conclusion we arrived at is for Nigeria to benefit from our Early Childhood Development programme,” he said.

Verghis appealed to the First Lady to use her platform to promote a multisectoral approach to ensure the success of the programme across the country.

He acknowledged that many of the initiatives being implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative aligned with the World Bank’s priorities.

He described Nigeria as a strategic partner whose success was critical to the World Bank’s global development targets.

“Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and its success is crucial to the Bank achieving its target.

“We have targets in healthcare delivery, broadband and energy access. If Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding,” he said.

Verghis said global economic research had consistently shown that investing in young children was one of the best public sector investments because it yielded high returns.

He, however, noted that the challenge was that the returns came much later, adding that such long-term investments required visionary leadership because the benefits were not immediate.

Responding, Tinubu said the Federal Government remained committed to initiatives that would promote national development and improve citizens’ welfare.

She said ministries and agencies had continued to implement programmes that supported environmental sanitation, public health and child development.

She said the country had been implementing a multisectoral approach with ministries and agencies of government, adding that President Bola Tinubu had assembled a wonderful team that understood the vision of the present administration.

“The population size of Nigeria alone is our advantage, because Nigeria is a great nation.

“When it comes to tuberculosis children, we went out for sensitisation, and promoted the campaign, and now we are focusing on them because they are the future of our nation,” she said.

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja

The costs of Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) approvals on some imported goods and equipment, which commenced in March 2020 climbed up to N34trillion,  five years afterwards, with the policies of government at different times affecting the revenue generating capacity of Customs positively or otherwise.

The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale, who made the declaration yesterday in Abuja during an investigative session with the Senate Committee on Finance, revealed that Customs, as a leading revenue generating agency would have generated far above the figure, but for some government policies and other extraneous factors that inhibited it.

He specifically informed the Committee that Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDEC) on some goods and equipment introduced in March 2020 was one of such policies inhibiting Customs revenue generation.

“IDEC approvals reached about ₦34 trillion in 2025.  60% of it was rightly done by the government as it relates to military hardware procurements. The hardware attracted duty exemptions because of Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.

“Other government-backed waivers, included Importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, Healthcare equipment and medical supplies; Industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs and

Food import intervention programmes”, he said.

He however explained that fiscal policy should not be viewed solely from the perspective of revenue generation but also in terms of achieving broader economic and social objectives but suggested that government should establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to assess whether beneficiaries of duty waivers were delivering the intended economic benefits, such as lower prices, increased production and improved healthcare access.

In his submission, he said out of the N11.04 trillion revenue projected for 2026, N4.5 trillion was generated by 30th of June, leaving the balance of about N7 trillion as the set target for the fiscal year.

However, Bello Gulmare who represented Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) as Deputy Director, Monitoring &: Evaluation, alleged that Customs as at 2019, has N8.9billion liability of non – remittance of operating surplus into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR), which was vehemently kicked against by Customs.

Similar liability on non-remittance of operational surplus was made to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), totalling N13.9billion from 2023 to 2025 which the Registrar – General of CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji said was being upset gradually. 

The Committee chaired by Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) however directed that CAC, the FRC and the Committee should hold a meeting to reconcile the details in order to ascertain the exact outstanding balances.

“Detailed report on outcome of the planned meeting, should be ready within the next two weeks for another interface with CAC.

“Heads of agencies like NCAA , ITF , SMEDAN , FMC Jabi etc who failed to physically attend today’s session should unfailingly make themselves available at next sitting or risk severe sanction through invocation of relevant section of our rules against them”, he warned.

By David Torough, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu on Monday declared that the legacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari, built on integrity, discipline, honesty and selfless service, will continue to inspire generations of Nigerians, as eminent Nigerians gathered in Abuja to mark the first anniversary of the late leader’s passing.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the memorial, Tinubu said Buhari remained one of the few Nigerian leaders whose popularity and the trust of ordinary citizens endured beyond his years in office because his private life reflected the values he publicly espoused.

“The life he lived is not a life this nation is capable of forgetting,” the President said, describing Buhari as a patriot who served Nigeria with courage and conviction, first as military Head of State and later as a democratically elected President.

Reflecting on their political journey, Tinubu recalled that he and Buhari were “Co-travellers on the long road of politics and national development,” united by a shared vision of building a peaceful, united and prosperous Nigeria.

He urged Buhari’s associates, supporters and mentees to preserve the values that defined the late President’s public life.

“Our duty is to carry forward the inheritance he left us—honesty, simplicity and self-discipline,” Tinubu said, adding that Buhari’s greatest legacy was the enduring trust he earned from Nigerians through consistency, integrity and a life of service.

The President also assured the Buhari family, particularly former First Lady Aisha Buhari and their children, of the Federal Government’s continued support and prayers.

Shettima disclosed that Tinubu demonstrated deep concern during Buhari’s final illness in London by directing him to visit the former President in hospital and ensure he lacked nothing, describing it as one of the greatest honours of his public service to later accompany Buhari’s remains back to Nigeria after his death.

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, described Buhari as a gallant soldier and nationalist whose commitment to Nigeria’s unity never wavered.

Tracing their relationship to their military days, Gowon said Buhari’s eventual emergence as President in 2015 became possible through his political alliance with Tinubu after three unsuccessful presidential bids.

According to him, Buhari later reciprocated Tinubu’s support by standing firmly behind his emergence as the APC presidential candidate and eventual successor in 2023.

Gowon also dismissed claims that Buhari governed only in the interest of Northern Nigeria, insisting that the late President treated every part of the country fairly.

Recalling the 2015 general election, he praised both Buhari and former President Goodluck Jonathan for their statesmanship, noting that Jonathan’s early concession and Buhari’s gracious acceptance helped Nigeria avoid a post-election crisis.

Chairman of the Central Planning Committee and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, described the memorial as an opportunity to preserve for future generations the memory of a leader whose unwavering sense of duty defined his years in public service.

Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda, represented by Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal Jobe, said Buhari’s legacy extended beyond politics to infrastructure, agriculture, security and social development, urging Nigerians to uphold the values of accountability, honesty and national unity.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Buhari’s daughter, Safina Buhari, thanked Nigerians for honouring her father, saying his life was defined by faith, humility, patriotism, integrity and discipline.

She announced that proceeds from the book From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari had been donated to Al-Qalam University, Katsina, for the construction of a Computer Science Complex in fulfilment of the late President’s commitment to education and human capital development.The memorial attracted a broad spectrum of political, traditional and public figures, including former First Lady Aisha Buhari, governors, former ministers, traditional rulers and other dignitaries, who paid glowing tributes to the late President’s years of public service and enduring impact on Nigeria’s political history.