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News_Naija

Kwara Seeks Identification Of Lifeless Body Recovered From Asa River

The Kwara State Ministry of Environment is seeking formal identification of the lifeless body of a man found floating on the Asa River in Ilorin, the state capital. Men of the State Fire Service on Tuesday night, recovered the corpse of the man, said to be about 45 years old. The discovery was in following up on a report of the incident by officials of the state Ministry of Environment. The ministry officials had alerted the Fire Service to the discovery of the body floating on the Asa River. The spokesperson for the State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, in a statement on Wednesday, said, upon receiving the report, a team of firefighters deployed to the scene, successfully retrieved the body from the river. “The incident was reported by officials from the Kwara state Ministry of Environment, who arrived at our operational centre in a vehicle with registration number 17B-D4KW. They discovered the body floating on the river and immediately alerted the Fire Service. “Upon receiving the report, a team of firefighters was swiftly deployed to the scene to prevent potential environmental hazards. The crew successfully retrieved the body from the river. “The recovered body was subsequently handed over to the Ministry of Environment, which is now awaiting formal identification and claims from the deceased’s family,” the statement read. The statement quoted the director of Kwara State Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, as urging the people of the state to prioritise safety and be more careful in their day-to-day activities. He particularly warned parents to desist from sending underage children to fetch water in domestic wells.”

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News_Naija

Kano Healing Water Site Demolished Over Fraud Fears Hisbah

The Kano Hisbah Board has given reasons for the demolition of a “healing water” site located in Hotoron Arewa, within the Kano metropolis. The site has attracted thousands of residents and visitors who believe in the site’s purported spiritual healing powers. There were particularly widespread claims that the site contains the footprint of Prophet Mohammad. The site consequently drew large crowds of Muslim faithful after a muddy imprint resembling a footprint purportedly appeared on the ground, with water seeping from the spot. Rumours quickly spread that the site contained “Holy Water” and bore the footprint of the Prophet, prompting people to visit in search of spiritual healing and blessings. The board said it acted swiftly after receiving reports of mass gatherings and unverified spiritual claims. Confirming the demolition to The PUNCH on Wednesday, the Director-General of the board, Dr Abba Sufi, said the demolition took place on Monday. “The place was demolished on Monday after we discovered that some disgruntled elements are using the place to mislead desperate patients seeking treatment,” he said. He stressed that the board would not allow anyone to exploit the vulnerable under the guise of offering spiritual healing. Sufi also cautioned residents of Kano and visitors from outside the state to disregard any claims about the sanctity or healing powers of the location. According to him, the site had become a platform for exploitation and fraud, prompting the board to take action.

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Futbol

Uefa Women's Nations League: Wales v Denmark Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Date: Friday, 4 April Kick-off: 19:15 BST Coverage: Live on BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary Highlights: S4C and iPlayer, 21:50 GMT and later on demand. Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson says her side have the talent to cause an upset against any nation ahead of their first major tournament appearance. Wales, who have qualified for Euro 2025, continue their Nations League campaign as they entertain Denmark - ranked 12th in the world - at the Cardiff City Stadium. After a spirit-lifting 1-1 draw with sixth ranked Sweden in Wrexham that followed a 1-0 defeat in Italy, Wilkinson says Wales will never under her management focus primarily on limiting the opposition. "The word is always consistency. On their day this team can beat anyone, I truly believe that," she told BBC Sport Wales. "There is always some luck involved, but you also make your luck. Against Italy we lost 1-0 but left frustrated and we tied with Sweden and could have won. "Now we go again. I am proud of two strong performances, but the true measure of a team is how you go back-to-back-to-back, continuously putting out strong performances. This is the next test of that." Wilkinson feels Wales are continuing to grow more comfortable at the level they find themselves at, with Nations League A status and qualifying for Euro 2025 meaning they play nations in the world's top 20 in nine successive games this year. "Wales has to be Wales, we are not trying to be anything else other than ourselves and there will be no team ranked lower than us, that we are playing. "That's just one measure. If Wales perform to our levels, I honestly believe the opposition are the ones who have to look out for us." Wilkinson says she will continue to rotate her squad, having made five changes for the Sweden game from the team that lined-up against Italy. "Every coach has a different philosophy of that (rotation) but from day one I told the players I would be doing that, I am a coach that likes to make changes," she said. "I am fairly clear on my line-up, but all the way up to the Euros and into the tournament, injuries will happen because this is a contact sport. "If I do not give my players opportunities to prove what they can deliver for me, then why am I bringing them? That's not what it is about. We have 23 players and all 23 need to be ready to play." Wilkinson was enthusiastic about the news that Wales will jointly host the 2035 Women's World Cup. The United Kingdom is set to host the 2035 Women's World Cup as the sole "valid" bidder for the tournament, Fifa president Gianni Infantino says. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted a joint expression of interest in March to hold the World Cup across the home nations. Under Fifa rotation rules, the tournament must be in Europe or Africa. "It's obviously incredible news, really exciting. As a Canadian who hosted (the women's World Cup) in 2015, I know what hosting a big tournament like that can do for a country," WIlkinson said. "It becomes that much more visible and knowing how the women's game is currently moving, knowing this is such a catalyst time for us in Wales, it comes at the perfect time. "But equally, it is that far down the line I can just put it over there (in the distance). But that it is coming is something we are looking forward to." Wales and Everton midfielder Hayley Ladd also spoke excitedly about the tournament heading to the UK. "It's great for Wales to have the elite level of women's football in Wales," she said. "Hopefully in 10 years the game is going to be in an amazing place." Wales are still without long-term injury absentee Sophie Ingle, their former captain and key midfielder as she continues her rehabilitation from a ACL surgery. Striker Kayleigh Barton, who scored Wales' goal against Sweden in Wrexham last month, also misses out through injury after withdrawing from Wilkinson's 26-player squad, with Josie Longhurst called up to replace her. Longhurst, who plays her club football in Canada for Vancouver Rise FC, is one of three uncapped players in the Wales squad alongside goalkeeper Poppy Soper and striker Tianna Teiser. Midfielder Rachel Rowe has returned to the squad after missing last month's Nations League qualifiers with injury. Wales 1-5 Denmark - 26 September, 2023. Denmark 2-1 Wales – 31 October, 2023. Wales will be keen to show their improvement as a side since their last meetings with Denmark in the 2023 Nations League, where they lost 2-1 away in Viborg and were hammered 5-1 in Cardiff, their worst home defeat since 2014. Southampton winger Rachel Rowe played in the 5-1 defeat, but says Wales are confident that Friday's contest will be very different. "In that home game, we conceded a couple within five to ten minutes," she said. "We're far more prepared now on how to manage those moments, whereas in that game, we clearly weren't. It was probably us not having the best game and them probably having a good game, and it was two different ends of the spectrum. "There definitely isn't that fear factor of, we know what happened last time against Denmark. The slate is clean and we're going into this off the back of two good performances."

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News_Naija

Dangote, Mikano, 103 Others Get FGs Tax Waivers

The total number of local and foreign companies exempted from remitting tax revenue to government coffers increased to 105 as of December 2024, The PUNCH reports. Dangote Fertilisers, Mikano International Limited, and 103 others are included in this list. This came amid uncertainties over the programme’s effectiveness and the government’s announced plan to discontinue the policy as part of a broader strategy to boost its dwindling revenue base. The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, approved tax holidays for 22 new companies under the Pioneer Status Incentive scheme, raising the total number of beneficiaries to 105 in the final quarter of the year. This comes after the number of participating firms rose to 104 in the first quarter, declined to 88 in the second quarter, and dropped to 83 in the third quarter. This was disclosed in the latest Pioneer Status Incentive reports released by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday. Findings by The PUNCH also revealed that since the Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, announced in September 2023 that the committee would conduct a comprehensive review of tax waivers, aligned with the roadmap set by the previous administration, a total of 25 companies have received regulatory approval for tax exemption for the next three years. The pioneer status is an incentive offered by the Federal Government, which exempts companies from paying income tax for a certain period. This tax exemption can be full or partial. Offered under the Industrial Development Income Tax Act with tax reliefs for a three-year period, the incentive is generally regarded as an industrial measure aimed at stimulating investments in the economy. The products or companies eligible for this pioneer status are those that do not already exist in the country. However, the incentives have been a contentious issue due to the high amount of revenue lost to waivers granted every year. The special tax exclusion has reportedly cost the government an estimated N8tn in lost revenue annually. Last week, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, at the 2025 Tax Expenditure Workshop revealed that revenue lost to tax expenditure remains difficult to quantify due to poor data availability across relevant government agencies. He said this is because tax incentives are not properly weighed against their real economic benefits, which makes it hard to know their true cost and creates room for unverified tax expenditure figures in different quarters. Adedeji said, “It has been argued that the government is losing revenue through tax incentives, which have been difficult to quantify due to limited data availability. In granting tax incentives by the government, there are expected benefits to be derived from the entities that enjoy these incentives, such that if adequately quantified when analysing the Tax Expenditures in terms of socio-economic impact will show that the actual financial cost to government vis – a viz benefits will be minimised, and a positive developmental curve or growth curve will be observed.” To address the ongoing challenges, the government has proposed four new tax bills aimed at stimulating economic growth and attracting investment, including a new tax credit scheme (the Economic Development Incentive) intended to replace the existing Pioneer Status Incentive. However, the legislative process has stalled at the National Assembly, delaying implementation. The Presidential Tax Committee Chairman, Taiwo Oyedele, said the development incentive is designed to stimulate real economic activity by tying tax relief directly to verifiable investments. The proposed tax credit or EDI is a departure from the one-size-fits-all model. Instead, it’s structured around priority sectors -primarily manufacturing, followed by services and infrastructure – with strong multiplier effects on the economy. Another key design feature is the introduction of minimum investment thresholds to ensure only scalable and impactful projects qualify. For instance, companies operating in capital-intensive sectors like utilities would need to invest at least N200bn to be eligible for the tax credit. “The assets used during the pioneer period are essentially frozen in time,” Oyedele explained. “They’re treated as if acquired after the incentive ends—meaning companies only start claiming deductions once the holiday period is over. This creates long-term tax advantages that go well beyond the policy’s original intent.” Meanwhile, an analysis of the quarterly PSI report showed that the requests of 89 firms to be granted tax holiday were newly received, 213 firms are pending; 34 companies had their applications approved in principle, while 14 firms were granted incentive extensions for another three years to 2027. Another 30 are seeking a renewal application for extension. The companies with new applications include Aradel Refineries Limited, Pro Pipes and Metal Industries Limited, Transgreen Nigeria Limited, Zen Cylinders Manufacturing Company Limited, Nixn Paper Mill Nigeria Limited, Burn Stoves Nigeria Limited, MDV Sacks Limited, Everest Pulp and Paper Limited, Jolaj Office Products Nigeria Limited, Heven Hauling Limited, KP Hydro Limited, and Levene Photo Voltaic Technologies Limited. Others are Seelam and Joel Company Limited, Medical Plastics Limited, Padiyath Mayfield Hospital Limited, Afam Three Fast Power Limited, El Tahdam Exploration Limited, Adefolorhunso Energy Network Limited, and Terrahaptix Limited. The applications were received between October 2 and December 17, 2024. The reports also revealed that investments made by the 107 companies during the year amounted to N2.53tn. They operate in sectors that include manufacturing, solid material, pharmaceuticals, information and communication, trade, construction, waste management, electricity and gas supply, tourism, and infrastructure, among others. The companies that are benefiting include Dangote Fertilisers, Mikano International Limited, Sinotrucks West Africa Limited, West African Cubes Limited, Jigawa Rice Limited, JMG Nigeria Limited, Rain Oil Limited, Okpella Cement Plc, Greenville Liquified Natural Gas Company Limited, Etsako Cement Company Limited, Gidan Bailu Cement Company Limited, Auxano Solar Nigeria Limited, AP LPG Limited, Karma Agric Feeds and Foods Limited, and Agrira West Africa Limited. Additional beneficiaries of the Pioneer Status Incentive include H & W Rice Company Limited, Segilola Resources Operating Limited, Sifax Marine Limited, Ocean & Cargo Terminal Services Limited, Hulhulde Rice Mill Limited, and O2O Network Limited, Villextra Technologies Limited, Flex Films Africa PVT Limited, Addmie Nutrition Limited, Century Minning Company Limited, Eastcastle Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Ecovista Industries PVT Limited, The Safron Hotel Limited, Green Recycling Industries Limited, and Fouani Nigeria Limited. Additional companies that have received Pioneer Status Incentive approvals include Al-Wabel Rice Mill Limited, Royal Salt Industries Limited, Mustang Industries Limited, Kam Steel Integrated Company Limited, Alef Recycling Company Limited, IRS Pasta Limited, JMG Limited, Tiloc Nigeria Limited, Johnwood Hotel Limited, Mafa Rice Mills Limited, and Shafa Energy Limited. Economic experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the transparency and objectivity of the Federal Government’s tax waiver approvals, even as they acknowledge the crucial role such incentives play in stimulating economic growth. The Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, also noted that there was nothing wrong with waivers if they were in line with tax policies. He noted that tax incentives were necessary to encourage investment and the establishment of some pioneer businesses. He said, “The whole idea of incentives is to grow the economy. When you are growing the economy, you are not only looking at revenue, you are looking at employment and multiplier effects. In the medium to long term, you will get this revenue by the time you are able to grow these investments. It is inappropriate to see it as revenue loss unless the incentive policy itself is discriminatory.” He stressed that the process should be transparent and seen as an effort by the government to grow the economy.