Business
JUST IN: MAN blames business environment as syringe manufacturer exits Nigeria
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has blamed the current business environment for the continued exit of multinational companies including the latest departure of Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing.
Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing, once regarded as the largest syringe manufacturing venture in Africa, has officially ceased operations in Awa in the Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Inaugurated in 2017 by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the firm cited “unforeseen circumstances affecting our business operations” as the major reason for its decision to leave Nigeria.
Owned by a Turkish national, Onur Kumral, Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Limited was one of the several industries attracted to Akwa Ibom State by the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration.
A memo announcing the exit was addressed to workers of the company. The company had ceased production some months ago, but officially announced that its operations came to an end on December 31, 2022.
Titled “Temporary Redundancy – Service Not Needed Till Further Notice,’’ the memo was signed by the company’s Managing Director, Akin Oyediran.
It said it had “to implement temporary measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company.”
The memo read in part, “We trust this message finds you in good health. With a heavy heart, we write to you today to communicate a challenging decision that Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company Limited has had to make due to unforeseen circumstances affecting our business operations.
“After careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of our current business situation, we regret to inform you that we must implement temporary measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company.
“Unfortunately, this includes placing all positions including yours on temporary redundancy effective January 1, 2024. We want to emphasise that this decision is not a reflection of your individual performance or dedication to the company. The challenging business environment we find ourselves in has compelled us to take these difficult steps. Please return all company belongings in your custody. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during these challenging times.”
The company’s decision to close its factory came over two years after it announced plans were underway to export its products to Germany.
It also came less than a year after the company’s Managing Director, Oyediran said that the company had secured a credit facility of $1m.
The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said companies exiting Nigeria had been stretched to “breaking point.”
He said, “The reason why companies are closing is evident. It is just a matter of resilience. When it gets to the breaking point, you will have to give up because of the employment environment.”
JSM joins a growing list of international firms to exit Nigeria in recent memory. In December, American manufacturing giant, Procter & Gamble announced that it was leaving Nigeria after decades of manufacturing presence in the country.
The company’s departure was preceded by the exit of the likes of GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever Nigeria (Home and Skin Care Category) and Sanofi-Aventis.
Business
MTN , Airtel , Glo Begin USSD Direct Charges from Today
The new billing model would allow mobile network operators to charge customers directly for USSD sessions, with charges deducted from airtime balance at N6.98 per 120 seconds.
Telecom subscribers in Nigeria will now be charged directly by their mobile network operators for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services, starting Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
This was disclosed by Mr Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and the Publicity Secretary, Mr Damian Udeh.
Adebayo said that the change is in line with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) determination of USSD pricing and services, developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other stakeholders.
” The new billing model would allow mobile network operators to charge customers directly for USSD sessions, with charges deducted from airtime balance at N6.98 per 120 seconds,” he said.
Business
CAC unveils new service fees starting August 1
For companies, notable revisions showed that the voluntary striking-off fee has been raised from N25,000 (for small companies) to N50,000, and N100,000 for public entities.
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAc) on Tuesday, announces an increments for its service fees review certain service fees effective the 1st day of August 2025.
In a statement , the Commission said that the new fees are a reflection of the current economic conditions and rising operational expenses.
The CAC added that the new development is expected to have implications for business owners, legal practitioners, compliance officers, and stakeholders engaging with the corporate registry for post-incorporation filings and regulatory services..
Said CAC: ” the reviewed fee structure affects services offered to companies, limited partnerships, business names, and incorporated trustees.
For companies, notable revisions showed that the voluntary striking-off fee has been raised from N25,000 (for small companies) to N50,000, and N100,000 for public entities.
Relisting of a Company now costs N50,000 for LTD/GTE and N100,000 for public companies.
Due Diligence Search (Self-Service) has been fixed at N50,000 across all categories.
The commission said the request for an extension of time to hold the annual general meeting will now cost N100,000 for public companies, and N50,000 for others.
Historical Search Reports: Depending on the type, public users will now pay N20,000 to N30,000 per request.Other charges include N25,000 for restriction of the director’s residential address and N5,000 per certified true copy of documents or extracts.Under Limited Partnerships, the updated fees are as follows voluntary Striking Off and Relisting: N25,000, letter of good standing: N10,000, Registration and CTC of Documents: N30,000, Change of Name: N10,000.
For Business Names, the structure reflects modest increments of N10, 000 for voluntary striking off, relisting: N25,000, application for cessation N10,000, CTC of Documents/Extract: N5,000 each, restriction of Proprietor’s Address: N25,000.
The commission stated that name reservations across the board remain at N1,000 while name reservations for restricted words cost N5,000.”
Business
June Tax Returns: FIRS Extends Office Hours to Weekends
“As you are aware, the month of June marks the peak of the annual Companies Income Tax (CIT) filling season, with many taxpayers whose financial year ends 31st December expected to file their tax returns by June 30.“
THE Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zaacheus Adedeji, has directed the extension of tax office operations to weekends for the month of June.
In a statement on Monday, Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman, explained that the directive is part of Adedeji’s commitment to matching the agency’s customer-centric policy with tangible action.
The statement reads: “The weekends service, which started on June 14, will end on Sunday, June 29, “and it is aimed at helping companies who are mandated by law to file their tax returns by the end of the month meet up with the deadline.”
“With the directive, tax offices are expected to open for business from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday throughout the month of June.”
Consequent upon Adedeji’s approval, the Coordinating Directors of Large Taxpayers Group (LTG), Government and Medium Taxpayers Group (GMTG) as well as Emerging Taxpayers Group (ETG), Ms Amina Ado, Dr Dick Irri and Mr Kabir Abba respectively have conveyed the decision of the management to all staff in the tax offices in the three groups.
“As you are aware, the month of June marks the peak of the annual Companies Income Tax (CIT) filling season, with many taxpayers whose financial year ends 31st December expected to file their tax returns by June 30.“
To ease the process for taxpayers, enhance service delivery, and maximize tax collection during this critical period, management has approved extension of tax office operations to weekends for the month of June 2025,” a directive jointly signed by the three Coordinating Directors said.
The FIRS chairman, on assumption of office, reorganized tax operations for ease of tax payment, leading the transformation of the agency from merely being a tax-collecting entity to a service-providing body.
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