The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and a consortium, Trade Modernization Project Limited, on Monday 30th May 2022, signed a concession agreement worth $3.2bn to digitize operations of the border security and revenue collection outfit.

It was equally reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria expects to generate over $176bn from the deal.

At the agreement signing ceremony held at the Abuja national headquarters of the NCS were representatives of technical and financial partners in the deal, including African Finance Corporation and Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of China-based Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

The Comptroller General (CG) of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.), in his remarks after the documents were signed, enthused that Nigeria was setting a pace that other African countries were looking forward to follow.

Ali said, “The journey has been long and tortuous, but we thank God that today we have signed the dotted lines. Today, we are happy to say that in Nigeria, we are going to be fully electronic, digitized and modernized. The success of this project will put Nigeria on the map.

“This project is very important in the sense that it has so many benefits that are lined up. The first benefit, which is tangible, is the fact that we are going to garner for this country, $3.5bn.

“To the Nigeria Customs, this is going to change the entire business process. It is going to put the Customs on the best part in terms of doing the business. It would remove all arbitrariness and human mistakes.

“It is a process that would ease the cost of doing business. It is a process that would also assist those of us who were given the task to manage with a simpler process of managing and monitoring.

The CG added, “Let me also underscore the fact that this project, having come this far, is a project that we must support in its entirety. There are rumours that this project is going to weed away officers. Let me allay that fear. We are even in need of officers.

“We have only 15,000 (of them) and by the mission and vision of the management, we will need nothing less than 30,000 people to be able to effectively and efficiently carry out the mandate given to us. So, there is no question of weeding (out) anybody.

The Chairman, Trade Modernization Project Limited, Saleh Ahmadu, who described the event as a ‘momentous occasion’, noted that the deal was a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in line with the ICRC guidelines.

Ahmadu stated, “The $3.2bn investments required for the project is already being finalized through an AFC-led initiative. As the concession period begins, we wish to assure Nigerians that the revenue target of $176 billion for the Federal Government will be achieved, if not surpassed.

The Acting Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Michael Ohiani, noted that the Commission was mandated to regulate all PPPs entered into under the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act, 2005.

This was indeed a commendable move as being made by the NCS, but it shouldn’t stop at that. Hence, more actions are henceforth required to follow suit towards realizing the actual goal of the digitization project.

It’s not anymore news that digitization is gradually dominating the formal sector, thus any institution or establishment yet to fully key into its numerous benefits is unequivocally still living in the past.

This therefore signifies that every other agency or body in Nigeria and beyond is expected to emulate this lofty effort for greater productivity.

A Supreme Court jury has voted to halt controversial Texas’ social media law dubbed HB20, which was introduced early last year, but has faced unrelenting legal battles amidst backlash from activists since it was enacted in September.

Two tech industry groups, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice, representing major social media platforms, had challenged the law in court. The HB20 was designed to stop social media platforms from blocking users over what they post, and empowers the Attorney General and account holders to sue social media platforms when their rights to post contents are violated.

The HB20 was triggered by the ban of former president Donald Trump and other top members of the Republican Party from major social media platforms post 2020 election. But it has faced a rocky ride through the courts.

Texas, a Republican state, was at the forefront of conservative claims of tech’s liberal ideological bias. The push behind the HB20 is to prevent social media platforms from blocking conservatives over their viewpoints considered unhealthy.

But in May, in a surprise ruling, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had unblocked the law, overturning the earlier judgment of the trial court which prohibited Texas and its Attorney General from enforcing the HB20. But the Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of the applicants.

“Applicants now ask this Court to vacate that stay while the Fifth Circuit resolves the appeal of the underlying preliminary injunction, and the Court grants that extraordinary relief,” Justice Samuel Alito said in the ruling.

“The May 11, 2022 order of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit staying the district court’s preliminary injunction is vacated.”

However, the Supreme Court ruling isn’t the final word on HB20. The CCIA and NetChoice are contending that “the law is facially unconstitutional under the First Amendment,” which protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The argument which is yet to be settled is based on the First Amendment and the state’s sovereignty. Alito, who was among the justices who voted in favor of the state, said in his dissent that Texas has the right to make and enforce its own laws.

“While I can understand the Court’s apparent desire to delay enforcement of HB20 while the appeal is pending, the preliminary injunction entered by the District Court was itself a significant intrusion on state sovereignty, and Texas should not be required to seek preclearance from the federal courts before its laws go into effect.

“The Court of Appeals, after briefing and oral argument, concluded that the District Court’s order should be stayed, and a decision on the merits can be expected in the near future. I would not disturb the Court of Appeals’ informed judgment about applicants’ entitlement to a stay,” he said.