Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s migration and visa policies in collaboration with key stakeholders.

This initiative aims to simplify and improve the immigration processes for Nigerians both within the country and abroad. The move is part of the Ministry of Interior’s efforts to bring about positive changes in the nation’s immigration system.

Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Head of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols Unit at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), made this announcement in a statement on Tuesday. He disclosed that the Minister made the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Tunji-Ojo expressed concern over certain imbalances in migration and visa policies that have led to Nigeria being perceived as a dumping ground. He emphasized that the upcoming policy review will prioritize the principle of reciprocity in accordance with international standards, reaffirming an announcement he made earlier last month.

The Minister had last month, issued a stern warning to embassies and foreign ministries, declaring that Nigeria would adopt a strict “eye for an eye” approach in response to visa and immigration policies.

“… The director of the Center for Illegal Migration in Turkey came to my office, and I told him in the next couple of weeks expect reciprocity in terms of travel policy.

“Any country that does not give me the visa on arrival cannot have a visa on arrival in Nigeria. I’m sorry but it is the truth. We’re not a dumping ground. If you say you are useful, people will see you as being useful.

“But if you tell people you are useless, people will tell you why are you this useless. We want to partner with you and so on the table, we must be partners. We must be equal partners and our relationship of investment must be on the basis of the principle of reciprocity.

“So we are doing that to all the countries in the world. The committee is working. I will receive the report tomorrow, you charge me $100 for a visa, I will charge you $100 for a Nigerian visa.

“If you give me visa on arrival. I give it to you. If you say the condition for me to enter your country today is that I must have American visa, Schengen visa, UK visa etc, you will have the same conditions to enter my country. It is not fight; it is about the issue of mutual respect,” he said.

He also commended the efforts of NIDCOM, particularly the proactive nature of its Chairman, in enhancing the welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora and promoting a positive image of the country internationally.

Tunji-Ojo also raised concerns about the challenges associated with passport processing, capturing, and collection. He expressed hope that steps would be taken to enhance the efficiency of these processes.

In her remarks, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa emphasized the need for a more effective passport-capturing and collection process for Nigerians living abroad. She called for a collaborative effort between NIDCOM and the Ministry of Interior, citing the various activities the Commission has undertaken since its inception.

Dabiri-Erewa stressed the urgency of establishing a structured platform for addressing complex diaspora issues that require coordinated efforts from different Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

The comprehensive review of migration and visa policies, with a focus on reciprocity and international standards, is expected to have a significant impact on easing immigration processes for Nigerians at home and abroad, as well as improving the overall image of Nigeria on the global stage.

Apple has unveiled new MacBook Pro and iMac computers along with three new chips: M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. These announcements were made on Monday during an online event primarily focused on professional users.

These new devices and chips are geared towards professional users. Apple’s Mac business has experienced significant growth since transitioning from Intel to its custom-designed chips in 2020, with its market share nearly doubling to around 11%.

Apple has gained a competitive edge by combining both central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) in its Apple silicon chips. This integration is said to provide better performance and battery life compared to traditional setups, where CPUs and GPUs often come from different manufacturers.

Key details of the new releases include:

Redesigned GPUs: Apple has redesigned its graphics processing units (GPUs), which are critical components of the new chips. This move positions Apple to compete with established players like Nvidia in the GPU market.

Pricing and Availability: The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 in the U.S., and the 16-inch version starts at $2,499. The new iMac desktop with the M3 chips starts at $1,299. Some of these products will be available as soon as next week, while others will ship later in November.

Market Share Growth: Apple’s Mac business has experienced significant growth since it began using its custom-designed chips in place of Intel processors, nearly doubling its market share to nearly 11% since 2020.

Secure Screen Sharing: Apple introduced a new secure screen-sharing feature aimed at business users. This feature allows users to access their machines remotely.

Apple Silicon: Apple’s custom-designed chips, using technology from Arm Holdings, have contributed to its Macs’ improved battery life and performance compared to Windows-based machines.

Unique Chip Integration: Unlike other laptop makers, Apple combines both central processing units (CPUs) and GPUs in its Apple silicon chips, claiming to offer better performance than rivals.

Competition: Apple’s success with its custom chips has encouraged competitors like Qualcomm and Nvidia to develop their Arm-based chips for laptops and PCs.

Corporate Buyer Impact: Apple’s changes to its product lineup, including eliminating a lower-priced 13-inch MacBook Pro, could affect corporate buyers’ choices between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.

3 Nanometer Technology: The new chips are the first for laptops and desktops to use 3 nanometer manufacturing technology, promising better performance and energy efficiency.

Comparison to Intel: Throughout the event, Apple emphasized the improved performance of its new machines compared to older models with Intel chips.

Apple’s ongoing expansion of its chip technology is aimed at maintaining its competitive edge and catering to professional users’ needs. As the technology landscape evolves, these developments will continue to influence the broader computing industry.

The tech giant has focused on attracting professional users, exhibiting the improved performance and capabilities of its new devices compared to previous Intel-based machines. The company aims to highlight the advantages of upgrading to Apple’s own chips for tasks such as content creation and AI research.

Amid the outcry over the N75 billion spent by Nigerian lawmakers on official vehicles in the face of a biting economic situation, the federal government is planning to spend N1.5 billion on vehicles for the Office of First Lady.

The move, which comes amid calls on the government to cut the cost of governance, is believed to be part of the reasons President Bola Tinubu is pushing for a supplementary budget. The Nigerian government has requested a supplementary budget of N2.17 trillion (about $5 billion) from the National Assembly.

This additional budget comes amid economic challenges in the country and the removal of petroleum subsidy that has led to a significant hike in fuel prices.

However, a review of the supplementary budget conducted by Premium Times reveals expenditures that many have considered extravagant, given the nation’s current economic situation. For example, the budget includes N1.5 billion for vehicles for the Office of the First Lady, which is not recognized by the country’s constitution.

Additionally, N2.9 billion is allocated for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the Presidential Villa, while another N2.9 billion is earmarked for replacing operational vehicles for the presidency. Renovations of the presidential and vice-presidential residences are also included, with N4 billion allocated for the president’s residence and N2.5 billion for the vice president’s residence. A total of N28 billion is proposed for the State House, and N12.5 billion is allocated for the Presidential Air Fleet.

The Presidential Air Fleet comprises a range of aircraft, including a Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or NAF 001), one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters, and two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters. These aircraft are typically used for official presidential travel and transportation.

This budget allocation is expected to be funded with loans that the government is currently seeking to secure.

The budget has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives, suggesting that the lawmakers, who are already beneficiaries of extravagant spending, will have no problem approving it.

Government spending has remained a big issue in recent times, especially as the nation’s revenue continues to spiral downward – forcing it to depend mainly on borrowing. Nigeria’s public debt stock has risen to N87.38 trillion as of the second quarter of the year.

With the treasury empty and debt servicing taking about 96% of the nation’s earnings, the government has begun to apply a strategy that entails obtaining an immediate cash loan based on the anticipated revenues from a specified portion of future crude oil production

Against this backdrop, the Tinubu administration is planning to incur a total fiscal deficit of N30.6 trillion across the years 2024, 2025, and 2026, as detailed in the government’s medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF).

Notably, the 2024 budget proposal anticipates a fiscal deficit of N9.04 trillion. This would constitute a fiscal deficit to GDP ratio of 3.83%, surpassing the 3% limit outlined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2007.

Economic experts have warned of a dire financial crisis if the rising cost of governance is not urgently addressed.