***Salih-Farah, Ohiani, Ibrahim, others to speak at forum  

Key stakeholders in the transportation and logistics industry would on Tuesday discuss the possibility of developing auto gas as transportation fuel in the country
This is coming against the backdrop of the high cost of fuel in Nigeria.
The event scheduled to hold on 11th July 2023 at the NAF Centre, Kado Abuja, is a 1-Day Stakeholder Engagement Forum on the provision of technical manpower and facility for the development of Autogas as
transportation fuel in Nigeria and organised by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology ( NITT), Zaria.
It has as its  theme,  “Autogas as Alternative Fuel for
Transportation in Nigeria”.
In a statement issued by the Institute on Friday, it said the aim of the forum is to engage stakeholders (Vehicle Users, Transport Union, Manufacturers and Vehicle Mechanics) to deliberate on the adequacy and
preparedness in switching from using fossil fuel to Autogas as transport fuel in Nigeria
The forum is expected to attract major stakeholders such as Transport operators(public/private); Mass transit; Oil/Gas investors; Automobile
workshops/Mechanics; Conversion kits manufacturers/investors, Technical
Institutions; Unions/Associations of Transporters such as NURTW, NARTO, RTEAN, NATE, NARTA, and Tricycle unions.

 Also, policy makers and
regulators such as the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources; Federal Ministry ofIndustry, Trade and

Investment; Federal Ministry of Finance; State Ministries of Transportation Trade &
Commerce; national and State Chambers of Commerce and Industry; NGEP; CBN; Nigeria 
Customs service, NADDC, ICRC; SON; and NBTE are expected to be in attendance.
Ths forum which will be declared open by the Director General/ Chief E executive of NITT Dr Bayero Salih- Farah, will have notable key speakers such as Dr. M.M Ibrahim (Chairman, NGEP) and Mr. Joe Aniku Michael Ohiani (Director General,  Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, amongst others 

The Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria is the apex management development Institute for transport and logistics in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region. It is a career development and professional certification centre. NITT provides corporate leadership and strategic management, training, conducts research and advisory services, engages in transport Intelligence and monitoring activities as well as develops and adapts transport technology to suit the country’s needs.

It was established on 14th March, 1986 via Decree No.6 (now CAP 116, LFN, 2004) to among other things address mainly the problems of the transport sector such as inefficient and low productivity, fast depreciation of capital investments, deficient management and maintenance of infrastructure, low level of professionalism and high expenditure on overseas training, through the supply of professionally competent leaders, managers, technologists and other specialists; and the provision of the expertise that will improve the industry’s performance for efficiency and effectiveness

The Institute is mandated by its Enabling Act to specifically provide management training for personnel employed in all modes of transport. NITT serves as a Transport Intelligence Centre for monitoring transport and logistics systems and provides equipment and facilities for the encouragement, promotion, and conduct of applied research in all modes of transport

The statement advised interested participants at the stakeholders meeting to contact the NITT Director, Transport Technology Center (TTC) or visit the Institute website (www.nitt.gov.ng) for more information and general
inquiries.

***Send Appeal Letter To Buhari

Point Of Sale operators (POS) across the country under the auspices of the Association Of Mobile Money And Bank Agents Of Nigeria, on Friday stormed the National Assembly to plead with Lawmakers to prevail on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to review upward, the current threshold for daily cash maximum withdrawal. 
The group also sent a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over similar request for his intervention
The new policy had fixed cash withdrawal for individuals at N100, 000 and corporate bodies at N500,000 weekly. 
National President of AMMBAN, Mr. Victor Olojo, who addressed journalists on behalf of the association said over 1.4 million people will lose their jobs if the policy was not reviewed upward.

A letter addressed to President Buhari, dated December 16, the group requested an upward review of the maximum withdrawal limit to N500, 000 weekly for individuals and N3m for corporate organisations. 

It added that the series of engagement with critical stakeholders would continue. 

Olojo at the news conference said, “AMMBAN believes the cashless policy in its current state hasn’t provided for Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria adequately. 

Even as the CBN Governor made reference to the fact that Mobile Money and Bank Agents are spread across the country, is one of the reasons why he strongly feels the country is ready for the cashless policy, the document puts the jobs of over 1.4million agents on the line in its present state. 

“This and many other germane reasons informed the decisions of the Association to engage the CBN, the National Assembly and other relevant stakeholders. 

“This is to ensure that while we show support for the cashless policy of the government through the CBN, the policy should recognise the categorisation of Agents’ accounts as it does individuals and corporate entities.”

The group said it had interacted with the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance And Other Financial Institutions, Senator Uba Sani, his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, on the matter. 

He said, “They were all in agreement that owing to the high relevance Mobile Money and Bank Agents have in the successful implementation of the Cashless policy, there has to be Categorisation of the accounts to be able to serve the Nigeria people especially in areas where there are no banks or basic infrastructure to enhance the usage of alternative channels of transaction. 

“It is worthy of note that AMMBAN and her members have always been at the forefront since the inception of the Financial Inclusion drive in ensuring the achievements of the set goals. 

“It is strongly believed that no success story can be pointed to without the selfless efforts of agents who, against all odds, go to the creeks and hinterland in the drive to deepen financial inclusion goals as set by the CBN.”0

Stakeholders committed to the National Financial Inclusion in Nigeria set to converge in Abuja to scale up the intervention that would further crash the exclusion rate from 39.5% actualized in 2020.
At the meeting the financial dashboard would be launched for Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), CEO Isaiah Owolabi, said in a statement

The statement reads in part: “As part of strategic activities in line with the conference, EFInA is scheduled to launch the National Financial Inclusion Dashboard on its website.

According to him: “This tracks the National Financial Inclusion 2020 targets, and will participate in a panel session titled “Deepening digital financial services adoption and usage” to share innovative digital financial inclusion models that has opportunity to advance adoption of digital financial services among women, youth, and low-income Nigerians.

“The International Financial Inclusion conference is an opportunity to showcase all innovative strategies we have implemented since the launch of the National Financial Inclusion 2012 strategy to get us to 51% of Nigerians served by the formal financial system,” said EFInA CEO Isaiah Owolabi.