By Folasade Akpan
Abuja, Dec. 3, 2020

Mr Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior says N2.17 billion has been generated into Federal Government coffers since inception of its ECITIBIZ (e-citizenship) automation platform.

Belgore said this on Thursday in Abuja at the Fourth Quarter 2020 Public-Private Partnership Consultative Forum (Q4 2020 3PUCF).
The permanent secretary was represented by Mrs Moremi Soyinka-Onijala, the Director, Citizenship and Business.

He said that the ministry had since the inception of its e-citizenship automation platform in September 2018, processed and received more than 38,000 applications for citizenship and 45,000 applications for the business side.

According to him, the platform, a PPP automates the services of the citizenship and business department responsible for the issuance of expatriate quota and related services, issuance of business permits to all companies either wholly or partially foreign-owned.

“It is also responsible for the supervision of all federal marriage registries in the nation and the issuance and renewal of licenses to public places of worship that conduct statutory marriages in line with the Marriage Act.’’

Belgore said that automation had enhanced transparency, reduced the time for processing applications which used to be fraught with a lot of complains.
Other areas the ministry has attracted PPP projects include immigration and borderline management, production of emergency passports and expansion and development of of the Nigerian Correctional Service shoe and garment factories in Aba, Abia state.

Mr Chidi Izuwah, the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), said that as at Nov. 30, the organisation had issued 14 Outline Business Case (OBC) Compliance certificates and eight Full Business Case (FBC) Compliance certificates.

“This brings the total compliance certificates granted since inception of ICRC to 90 OBC and 40 FBC compliance certificates.”
According to him, a joint project monitoring and evaluation team visited and confirmed that construction of DICON Sur corporate wear military and paramilitary clothing and accessories factory was at 48.7 percent completion.

Mrs. Folasade Yemi-Esan, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, urged all ministries, departments and agencies to be proactive in handling PPP projects.
Represented by Mrs. Ibiene Roberts, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, she said that they should endeavour to focus on projects that would generate high returns on investments.

According to her, profits generated will be re-invested in the economy.

https://naija247news.com/2020/12/04/ministry-of-interiors-automation-platform-rakes-in-n2-17bn-perm-sec/#.X8oBKbfTVow