Anti-graft body of Nigeria visits Dangote Group in forex probe

Nigeria's economic and financial crimes agency on Thursday inspected Dangote Group's books as part of investigations into possible past misuse of foreign currency sourced from the central bank, two sources at the agency said.

The Dangote Group, which counts cement and fertiliser manufacturing and sugar refining among its businesses, is owned by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote. Dangote is also readying a 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery that cost $20 billion to build.

Under former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele, the bank had multiple exchange rates and sold dollars cheaply to some businesses, including Dangote, to help them import raw materials.

A Dangote spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Two people at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Thursday's search at Dangote offices in Lagos, was part of an investigation set to be expanded to other companies.

"We went to the head office of Dangote Group today to look into their books on the ongoing investigation on the abuse of the extant laws that govern the foreign exchange transaction during the tenure of Godwin Emefiele as CBN governor," one of the sources told Reuters.

"Here, we are talking about multiple exchange rates and others. It is an ongoing investigation and it was the turn of Dangote Group today," said the source, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak on the issue.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined to comment.

A second source confirmed the investigation, adding that at least one other listed Nigerian conglomerate would be targeted.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

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Wilfred Ndidi out of Nigeria side for Cup of Nations

Midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn from Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations through injury and been replaced by Belgian-based Alhassan Yusuf, the country's football federation said on Wednesday.

Ndidi, 27, was injured during his club Leicester City’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City on Dec. 29, although details of the injury were not made clear by either his club or Nigeria.

Leicester team mate Kelechi Iheanacho is also struggling with injury but was still being assessed at Nigeria’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, the federation added in a statement.

Iheanacho, also 27, had missed the last two matches for his club, who are runaway leaders in the Championship in England.

The 23-year-old Yusuf is uncapped but helped Royal Antwerp to the Belgian league title last season and competed in all their Champions League group matches between September and December.

Nigeria open their Cup of Nations campaign on Jan. 14 with a Group A game against Equatorial Guinea. They also meet hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau in their group matches.

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Nigeria to begin passport application automation on January 8, 2024

The minister revealed this during an inspection of facilities of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) alongside the Comptroller General (CG) of the Service, Wura-Ola Adepoju.

Nigerians will now have the convenience of applying and completing their passport application online, eliminating the need for in-person interactions.

The minister had previously announced in December that the Federal Government was actively working towards the complete automation of the passport application system in the country.

During that announcement, the minister stated that the automated application system was "99% done," and it would encompass processes such as uploading passport photos and supporting documents.

What the minister said:

“We are good to go live. We are starting the training and on January 8, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr President,"

“We have been able to reduce human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum.”

He stressed that this initiative would enhance the country's security architecture by enabling swift detection of fake passport applications and reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks.

As part of this effort, he revealed the deployment of document verification officers across all local government areas in the country. These officers will play a crucial role in meticulously scrutinizing passport applications, ensuring a more secure and reliable application process.

The minister had earlier cleared the backlog of over 200,000 passports awaiting processing within Nigeria.

In a bid to address concerns raised by Nigerians living abroad regarding the slow pace of passport renewal and collection procedures, the Nigerian Government had unveiled plans to establish passport front offices in key cities across the United Kingdom.

This initiative, set to launch in February 2024, would streamline and expedite the passport renewal and collection processes for the Nigerian diaspora, particularly in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Cardiff (Wales).

By Adekunle Agbetiloye, Business Insider

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