ASR AFRICA COMMENCES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 30-BED HOSPITAL FOR THE NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE IN BAUCHI STATE UNDER ITS SECURITY SECTOR SUPPORT GRANT

Bauchi, Nigeria; July 8th, 2024

The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) has commenced the construction of a 30-bed hospital for the Nigerian Customs Service with a groundbreaking ceremony held today at the Nigeria Customs Service Command in Bauchi State. This state-of-the-art medical edifice in Bauchi State is valued at 500 million Naira.

The groundbreaking is coming after the presentation of letters of award to Nigeria’s security agencies in December 2022 by the MD/CEO of ASR Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh.

The Comptroller General (GG) of the Nigerian Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi (MFR) expressed his appreciation to the Chairman of ASR Africa for the grant awarded to the agency. He mentioned that this gesture is worthy of mention as it is the first of such a huge donation to the Nigeria Customs Service from any organization. He added that upon assumption of Office as the CG, he deemed it fit to continue the project as the welfare of the agency’s personnel is his utmost priority. He promised that the Nigerian Customs Service is committed to ensuring adequate deployment of medical personnel for the effective use of the facility when completed.

In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Dr Ubon Udoh (MD, ASR Africa) reiterated the commitment of the Chairman of ASR Africa and the BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, in fulfilling the pledges made to the security agencies across Nigeria. He further stated that ASR Africa has engaged with all the beneficiaries of the security grant and is on track to ensure the implementation of all projects selected by the armed forces and security agencies. He thanked the leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service for partnering with ASR Africa on this project.

It will be recalled that the Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu on his visit to the immediate past President of Nigeria in December 2022, announced a grant of 10 billion Naira to the Nigerian armed forces and security agencies. This grant, part of the Security Sector Support grant, is aimed at providing support for security agencies in the country and the armed forces to effectively and efficiently fulfill their mandate to the Nigerian people.

Other beneficiaries include the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of Secret Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Correctional Service.

About ASR
ASR Africa is the brainchild of African Industrialist, Philanthropist, and the Chairman of BUA Group. Established in 2021, ASR Africa provides sustainable impact-based, homegrown solutions to developmental issues affecting Health, Education, and Social Development within Africa.

…Reiterates Commitment to Empowering Cooperative Societies for Optimal Productivity through CoopHub.

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank ALAT, has reiterated its commitment to empowering cooperative societies for optimal productivity through its digital solution for cooperatives, CoopHub, at the Lagos State Government Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment International Day of Cooperatives 2024 Event held on Saturday, 6th July 2024.

International Day of Cooperatives is a global celebration commemorated annually on the first Saturday of July, to recognise the significant impact of cooperative societies in promoting sustainable economic growth and their role in building a more sustainable future. Themed “Cooperatives: Building a Better Future For All”, the 2024 International Day of Cooperatives commemorated by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with Wema Bank, convened key players in the cooperative ecosystem towards proffering solutions to prevalent challenges faced by cooperatives in Nigeria and creating a more sustainable future for all, through the cooperative industry. CoopHub, Wema Bank’s digital solution for cooperative societies stood out as a key solution to not only overcoming the challenges impeding the growth of cooperative societies but also boosting economic growth and creating a better future for all.

CoopHub is a digital solution launched by Wema Bank to empower cooperative societies with the resources, opportunities and support they need to operate seamlessly, achieve maximum productivity and meet the needs of members in the most efficient way. Simultaneously eradicating the struggles of manual recordkeeping, poor access to loans, inefficient communication and planning, tedious processes and insecurity of funds and data, CoopHub refines the cooperative experience by facilitating secure financial transactions, 100% transparency within cooperative societies, easily accessible and trackable records for both members and leaders, efficient member management for leaders and real-time reporting for informed decision making, all from the comfort of their phones and gadgets, ensuring that cooperative societies can achieve their goals easily and remain productive. This revolutionary solution has proven itself a gamechanger for the Nigerian Cooperative Industry and potentially, will serve as the launchpad of the industry on the global scale.

Recapitulating the role of cooperative societies as an essential avenue for economic growth, Wema Bank’s Divisional Head of Retail and SME, Ayodele Olojede, emphasised the need for intentional, impactful and sustainable efforts towards the advancement of the Nigerian Cooperative Industry. “Cooperative Societies represent a very significant platform for socio-economic development and for us at Wema Bank, we stand proudly as the cooperative-centric bank that is committed to providing the resources and tailored solutions that these cooperatives need to thrive and remain successful. CoopHub is the perfect embodiment of this commitment, and we are thrilled that more cooperatives are discovering this solution and coming on board to optimise their operations and maximise the opportunities provided for their growth. The achievement of a sustainable and ideal future for cooperative societies not only requires that we adapt to the increasingly digital world we exist in, but also drive more inclusivity for the youth to also key in. CoopHub succinctly unites both pillars in one and as the digital solution pioneered by Nigeria’s most resilient and innovative bank, you can trust that the future we are enabling for cooperative societies is one that is built to last”.

“As the Bank that is committed to creating and promoting viable opportunities for women, in celebration of International Day of Cooperatives, we are supporting every woman present here at the Lagos State Government Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment International Day of Cooperatives 2024 Event, with a free healthcare plan through our women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema. We remain unwavering in our lifelong mission of empowering lives through innovation and are committed to proliferating our positive impact across every key vertical that is instrumental to the success of the people and the growth of the Nigerian economy. We take this unique celebration as an opportunity to further reiterate our commitment to empowering cooperative societies for optimal productivity through CoopHub. She concluded.

Since its launch in May 2024, CoopHub, the first of its kind in the Nigerian financial services industry, has onboarded over 1,000 cooperative societies, helping them optimise their operations and secure the resources and support they need to thrive with maximum efficiency. With its unique, simplified and tailored configuration, CoopHub stands as the future of Nigerian cooperative societies.

Cooperative Societies that are interested in getting started on CoopHub, are encouraged to visit https://coophub.alat.ng and get onboarded in minutes.

FIRS Chairman Calls for Strengthening of Internally Generated Revenue Capacity

The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji PhD, has emphasized the need to enhance the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) capacity in order to improve revenue administration processes, particularly at the subnational level.

Dr Adedeji stressed the importance of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of revenue generation at the state and local government levels in order to boost economic growth and development in Nigeria. He emphasized that a strong IGR capacity is essential for sustainable revenue generation and fiscal independence.

“We must work towards strengthening our IGR capacity in order to enhance revenue administration processes and ensure optimal use of resources,” said Dr Adedeji. “By improving our revenue generation mechanisms, we can increase revenue collection, reduce dependency on federal allocations, and support the implementation of development projects at the grassroots level.”

Dr Adedeji called on all stakeholders, including state governments, local governments, and relevant agencies, to collaborate and implement strategies to enhance IGR capacity. He highlighted the need for increased transparency, accountability, and innovation in revenue generation processes.

The FIRS Chairman also emphasized the importance of leveraging technology and data analytics to streamline revenue administration processes and enhance compliance. He urged all stakeholders to embrace digital transformation and adopt best practices in revenue administration to achieve sustainable revenue growth.

Dr Adedeji reiterated FIRS’s commitment to supporting state and local governments in strengthening their IGR capacity and maximizing revenue generation potential. He urged all stakeholders to work together towards building a more efficient and effective revenue administration system that will benefit all Nigerians.