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2008: First Aluminium Posts N35m Profit

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Despite difficult trading conditions in 2008, First Aluminium Nigerian Plc made a trading profit of N35 million, compared to a trading loss of N140 million in 2007.

The Chairman of First Aluminium Group, Alhaji Sulaiman S. Bafa, said the trading profit is a substantial improvement on last year’s business operations and indicated how the manufacturing operations are fighting their way back to efficiency and profitability.

In his speech at the 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company in Port Harcourt, Baffa said the sales volume and turnover of the rolling mill of the company dropped by 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively within the period under review.  Production volume however increased by 4 per cent.

The chairman explained that all the divisions of the company including the head office contributed immensely to the marked improvement in reducing its cost base.

He explained that the company took several strategic decisions in 2008 that enhanced the company’s operations in the year under review.  Such decision includes that all coils produced at the rolling mill should be sold by the rolling mill and not through Aluminium City as well as the closing down of the project side of the business.

He said though, it was an area that had unpredictable turnover due to low margins and high bad debt, the decision reduced sales turnover but more importantly improved its financial trading performance.

He, however, commended management’s decision to make provisions against the company’s many debts, which had impacted on the Aluminium City results by N92 million.

During 2008, Baffa said, the company had an estimated 10 per cent growth for coated coils as the construction industry continues to expand.  According to him, this demand has been met last year by both the local suppliers and cheap imports.

“In July 2008, the cost of aluminium reached an all-time high of over $3,200 per tonne, making easy pickings for importers.  This situation has since reversed with the LME value falling automatically as the world recession showed effect to under $1,500 tonne by the end of the year,” the chairman said.

He regretted that even though the board did not recommend dividend for the year, the company needed enough cash for future growth and to overcome the difficulties caused by the repeated gas and electrical power outages.

He expressed gratitude to the staff of the company and customers for their faith in and standing behind the company even in moment of economic challenges.   He assured that management would continue to give the best quality and price to ensure growth in the business.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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