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FG risks losing $10m in World Bank credit over audit, project delays 

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Federal Government of Nigeria may forfeit $10 million from a World Bank credit facility by June 30, 2025, due to audit shortcomings, delays in launching a national budget portal, and slow implementation of a revenue assurance system, according to a restructuring paper issued by the World Bank. The fund is part of the $103 million Fiscal Governance and Institutions Project (FGIP), a public financial management initiative backed by the International Development Association (IDA), the lending arm of the World Bank. The restructuring paper, addressed to the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), highlights issues that have led to the potential forfeiture of funds. Audit Failures and Project Setbacks Lead to Fund Cancellation 
The revenue assurance audit covering the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for 2018–2021 was assessed as not achieved, as the submitted reports did not meet international auditing standards. Additionally, the FMF has requested the cancellation of $0.9 million in unused funds allocated for Technical Assistance (TA) and $9.5 million for 10 performance-based conditions (PBCs) that will not be met before the project’s closure on June 30, 2025. Among the cancelled items is a $4 million audit of the FIRS and NCS, which also failed to meet international auditing standards. Unmet Infrastructure Commitments Delay Project Completion 
“These Intermediate Results (IRs) to be implemented by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) were assessed as not achieved by the independent verification agent (IVA) because the reports submitted for verification did not meet the requisite international auditing standards.”, the restructuring paper reads. Furthermore, commitments such as the deployment of a National Budget Portal to publish capital budgets for the Federal Government and at least 20 states were left unfulfilled, despite an allocation of $1 million. Similarly, the implementation of the Revenue Assurance and Billing System (RABS), which received $4.5 million in funding, faced setbacks. The report notes that out of 55 Federal Government-Owned Enterprises (FGOEs), only 27 set up a Treasury Single Account (TSA) sub-account for foreign earned revenues, falling short of requirements. Additional delays have been attributed to contract management challenges, pending negotiations with vendors, and unresolved indemnity issues requested by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
As a result, the RABS implementation is now expected to be completed by August 2025, two months after FGIP officially closes. Despite Setbacks, FGIP Records Progress in Revenue Reforms. Although several targets were missed, the FGIP project recorded significant advancements in revenue performance. According to the World Bank report Nigeria’s non-oil revenue reached 153% of the budgeted target in 2024, up from a baseline of 64.9% in 2018. The increase in revenue was attributed to Nigeria’s exchange rate unification policy, enhancements in tax administration through the TaxProMax system, and automated revenue remittances from government ministries and agencies. Capital expenditure execution remains below expectations at 50%, compared to the 65% target. Nigeria exceeded expectations in publishing reconciled economic and fiscal datasets, achieving 10 publications, surpassing the project’s target of six. However, the project’s monitoring and evaluation system was rated as “moderately unsatisfactory” by the World Bank, reflecting challenges in execution and oversight.

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Cardano rises as midnight launch triggers rally

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Cardano (ADAUSD) climbed amidst tight trading activities in the crypto market, up by 1.05% in the past 24 hours, showing resilience near key support.

The price ticked up on Sunday amidst negative movements in the global crypto market. The gain has reduced its negative movement in the week to 1%. Cardano is showing strength with a $70 million ADA treasury push and a bullish December setup, but it faces key resistance amidst competing traders.  

The token is trading at $0.4165 at the time of filing the report on Sunday, gaining more than 1% on the day as volume traded reached $359.252 million. The token is in a notable correction from its November highs. Recent trading activity reflects pronounced investor caution. Over a 30-day period, ADA has declined approximately 15%, mirroring the broader pressure on risk assets from macroeconomic uncertainties.

Sentiment trades mixed, as retail and mid-sized investors are accumulating at lows, but large holders remain sceptical. Cardano’s privacy-centric Midnight Network went live after years of development, introducing NIGHT – the first native asset on Cardano.

According to crypto analysts, Short-term speculation around NIGHT airdrops and interoperability boosted ADA demand. ADA rebounded from $0.371–$0.416 after testing an ascending trend line connecting 2023–2025 lows. Traders interpreted the bounce as a bullish divergence, but ADA remains below critical resistance of $0.5113 and its 200-day EMA of $0.68.

ADA’s minor rally reflects optimism around Midnight’s launch and oversold technicals, but scepticism about its ecosystem impact and whale selling caps upside. While the price surges, analysts stated that Cardano balances technical hope against macroeconomic headwinds, with Midnight’s adoption trajectory and $0.51 resistance serving as critical watch points.

While governance upgrades signal maturing decentralisation, crypto analysts are still querying whether ADA can leverage these developments to reverse its 2025 underperformance.

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NDLEA intercepts 7.6m tramadol pills, 76,273kg Colorado

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has recovered over 7.6 million pills of tramadol and a total of 76,273.4 kilograms of different strains of cannabis.

The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Babafemi said that the drugs, including Colorado, Loud and Skunks, had several members of drug trafficking organisations linked to the seizures arrested.

He said that out of the total opioids seized during the raids, not less than 3,874,000 pills of tramadol, 225mg and 100mg, and others, as well as 252.2litres of codeine syrup were recovered. He said that they were recovered from a warehouse at Oko market, Asaba, Delta, on Saturday. He also said that no fewer than 1.2 million tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from a suspect on December 3.

This, he said, was when NDLEA operatives on patrol at Orogwe, along the Onitsha-Owerri road, Imo, intercepted his vehicle conveying the consignment, which was loaded at Aba, Abia, and heading to Onitsha, Anambra. Meanwhile, in Adamawa, NDLEA officers on December 1 intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus marked MGU 554 XB along Maraba-Mubi, coming from Jos, Plateau state, and heading to Mubi, with a total of 1,577,112 capsules of tramadol.

“Other drugs intercepted were Exol-5 tablets, all concealed inside jumbo bags mixed with new rubber sandals and slippers. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure. Similarly, another 27-year-old suspect was nabbed along Zaria-Kano road, Kano state, with 197,000 pills of exol-5,” he said.

The NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the SOU commands in Delta, Adamawa, Imo, Ondo, Lagos, and Kano for the arrests and seizures. Mr Marwa said that their operational successes, along with those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, were well appreciated. NAN

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Lagos, Kaduna, Oyo, FCT, Ogun top 2025 subnational ease of doing business report  

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The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has released the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report, with Lagos emerging as the best-performing state, scoring  85.6 per cent.

The report released by the director-general of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, has Kaduna in second position with  65.1 per cent. Oyo, FCT, and Ogun rounded up the top five with scores of 62.7 per cent, 61.0 per cent, and 59.9 per cent, respectively. Others include Enugu (56.2 per cent) in sixth position, with Plateau (56.2 per cent), Ekiti (55.8 per cent), Kano (54.8 per cent), and Nasarawa (53.4 per cent) rounding out the top 10 states.

The EoDB report is a comprehensive data-driven assessment of how Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT are shaping business competitiveness through regulation, infrastructure, and administrative efficiency.
The report assesses performance across 16 indicators and 36 sub-metrics covering electricity, infrastructure, digital connectivity, land administration, taxation, trade logistics, justice delivery, investor support and skilled labour readiness.

According to the DG, these states distinguished themselves through consistent reform momentum, improved digital processes, and more predictable regulatory environments. “The 2025 Report also highlights five priority interventions states can implement immediately. These include establishing investor aftercare systems, strengthening MSME credit enablement, harmonising interstate trade rules, upgrading commercial justice processes, and improving power reliability for industrial clusters,” she said.

According to her, PEBEC  will continue to support state-led reform adoption, particularly under the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme. She added that “the 2025 Subnational EoDB Report provides a critical foundation for policy action, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness across Nigeria.”
The DG said the  Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report is available for download at www.pebec.gov.ng/reports

PEBEC had earlier released its 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report, covering MDAs’ performance from January to October. This performance report is part of the council’s  effort to track and measure the compliance of federal government MDAs with the BFA’s requirements on promoting Transparency and Efficiency of government-delivered services to the  business community.

The report presents a data-driven assessment of 69 priority MDAs, drawing on monthly compliance submissions, independent mystery shopping, website audits, ReportGov analytics, and targeted process-verification exercises.

According to the report, the top five performing MDAs include the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), with an impressive 90.6 per cent score, followed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at 89 per cent. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), ranks third with 86.6percent, the  Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) secured the fourth and fifth positions, scoring 85.3 per cent and 84.2 per cent, respectively.

PEBEC, currently chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was established in July 2016 by the federal government to oversee Nigeria’s business environment intervention. It has a dual mandate of removing bureaucratic and legislative constraints to doing business and improving the perception of the ease of doing business in Nigeria. NAN

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