The report that the number of passports issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service rose by 38 per cent between 2020 and 2021 as more Nigerians are relocating abroad and the reduction of approval requests for Personal Travel Allowance and Business Travel Allowance to legitimate users by banks are some of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Punch reports that the number of passports issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service rose by 38 per cent between 2020 and 2021.
This is an increase from 767,164 to 1,059,607 passports issued in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
According to data obtained from the NIS, the passport types ranged from standard, official, diplomatic, emergency travel certificates and refugee passports or conventional travel documents.
A breakdown of that number revealed that out of the total passports issued in 2020, 761,825 were standard; 2,024 were official; 444 were diplomatic, and 2,871 were ETCs.
In 2021, the NIS issued 1,041,537 standard passports, 2,811 official passports, 895 diplomatic passports, 14,214 ETCs and 150 refugee passports.
That’s about 2,081 and 2,853 passports issued every 24 hours in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
For the period under review, the United Kingdom immigration report showed that 13,609 Nigerian healthcare workers were granted working visas. This is second only to India with 42,966 practitioners.
According to the Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey 2021 taken by the African Polling Institute, seven out of 10 Nigerians were eager to leave their country if offered the opportunity.
Also, a World Bank survey taken that year revealed that 56,000 more Nigerians were leaving the country yearly than arriving.
Further checks showed that over 19,000 skilled work and study UK visas were issued to Nigerians in 2019. In 2021, however, that number rose by 210 per cent, 59,000.
The newspaper says that banks have begun to reduce approval requests for Personal Travel Allowance and Business Travel Allowance to legitimate users.
The legitimate users will be able to access forex only once in two quarters, The Punch gathered.
Before this new development, the banks had been granting approval to travellers who applied once every quarter.
Findings revealed that the development arose due to the lingering forex scarcity in the financial system.
First Bank said in a mail to its customers on ‘Updates on FX purchase’ that “The full Personal Travel Allowance and Business Travel Allowance ($4,000 and $5,000) respectively will now be disbursed into your FirstBank Travel Card. All applications will be in line with regulatory requirements.
“Kindly ensure that all PTA/BTA applications along with the approved Form A are submitted at the branch exactly 14 days before your proposed travel date. Sales are limited to two quarters a year.”
The Guardian reports that while many oil and gas producing countries are maximizing the present global crisis to improve output and revenue, rising pipeline sabotage and insecurity in the Niger Delta have continued to hamper the growth outlook for Nigeria’s oil and gas export.
With the country’s gas export at only 60 per cent of its capacity, operators and regulators are concerned about continued shut wells, in protest against theft and sabotage.
In a chat with The Guardian, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, noted that under-production of crude oil was equally affecting gas production, considering that most of the country’s gas is associated gas.
He expressed worry that no less than 800,000 barrels of oil were shut in from wells due to prevailing challenges. Most key oil fields, terminals and facilities have been experiencing teething problems and a recent resurgence in attacks on oil facilities has exacerbated the situation.
Crude exports of the Bonny Light grade have been on force majeure since mid-March following sabotage attacks on its key pipelines.
Bonny Light production averaged just 30,321 b/d in July, the lowest in many decades, compared with 40,083 b/d in June. Bonny Light output normally averages as high as 250,000 b/d.
The 150,000 b/d Nembe Creek Trunk Line feeding one of Nigeria’s key export grades has come under repeated attack from militants.
Komolafe said: “We are yet to take advantage of the global crisis. This is basically in terms of our depressed production because in a way when you have depressed oil production, you will equally have a depressed gas production especially as we are talking in terms of associated gas as against the non-associated gas.
“It is really very sad that our revenue resources and gas production is asymmetric with increasing international oil prices and the international demand. We have recognized the issue, we are very concerned and it is worrisome to us. Central to the challenge we are having, is the issue of crude oil theft.”
The newspaper says that the Founder of BudgIT, Seun Onigbinde, has accused the Federal Government of hijacking the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and using the apex bank to provide extra-budgeting funding for the government.
Onigbinde made the comment in Lagos at the first edition of BudgIT Active Citizens Award. He said: “There is a big problem; the economy is not working and we are all aware of it. Growth is sluggish; in reality, leadership is absent.
This is the time Nigeria should be maximising the production of crude but we are producing far below the OPEC quota. This is the first time oil production has fallen below one million barrels per day and it is painful that we are unable to increase production.
“CBN has been hijacked and used as a funnel to provide extra-budgeting funding for the government and that has led to a significant level of inflation, this cannot continue.
“The budget is not well implemented. It could be better but we are not doing well. It is not effective. I think the fundamental issue is that we’re not planning; we just spend. The quality of our planning compared to what is being delivered is very weak.”
The Nation reports that ahead of the September 28 commencement of campaigns, the European Union (EU) yesterday cautioned politicians to avoid hate speeches and other actions capable of affecting the outcome of next year’s elections.
It also enjoined politicians not to interfere in the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The union which yesterday launched a €39m support fund for strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, said next year’s poll was a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.
The launch of the fund known as Phase II of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) marked the closure of the first phase.
The programme is meant to support the government and key stakeholders, including the Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), the National Assembly, political parties, judiciary, media, Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), and security agencies.
While Phase I of the programme implemented from 2017 to 2022, coincided with the 2015-2019 and 2019-2023 electoral cycles, Phase II will cover the 2023-2027 electoral cycle.
The admonition by the EU and the launch of the second phase of the support fund coincided with the Federal Government’s reassurance of its commitment to free and fair elections in the country.
Head of the EU delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Samuela Isopi, said politicians should make their campaigns issue-based and take a firm stance against violence and hate speeches
GIK/APA