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FG Set To Rehabilitate Apapa-Oshodi, Other Roads, In Lagos

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The Federal Controller of
Works, Lagos, Mr Godwin Eke, said on Sunday that the Federal Government was set to begin rehabilitation of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and other federal roads in Lagos.
Eke told newsmen while inspecting the highway that construction giant, Julius Berger, had submitted cost estimates for the repairs of the Ilasamaja/Berliet/Iyana Itire sections of the Apapa/Oshodi expressway.
He, however, said that the Federal Ministry of Works was waiting for approval of the 2016 budget, to begin the repairs.
Eke said that the site inspection became necessary, “to assess the current situation of the highway’’.
The Controller expressed sadness over the failed portions and apologised to road users on behalf of the federal government, stating that all failed sections will receive priority attention.
He appealed to road users on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway to be patient, adding that government was pained by the hardship faced by motorists due to the bad portions.
Eke said that government was also set to begin the rehabilitation of all federal roads across the country.
“The Ilasamaja/Berliet/Iyana Itire sections of this Apapa-Oshodi expressway are in deplorable condition.
“We have made some proposals and designs on how to fix the highway and other federal roads in Lagos, but it is tied to the 2016, 2017 and the 2018 budgets.
“The Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has given his word that the Apapa/Oshodi expressway and all other federal roads in Lagos and throughout the federation will be fixed soon.
“We are assuring the public that as soon as the budget is passed, we will mobilise the contractors to site to begin repairs on these critical sections, that is, the Ilasamaja/Berliet/Iyana Itire sections,’’ he said.
The Tide gathered that boulders had been used to fill some of the craters on the main carriageway on the Oshodi bound carriageway of the highway around Iyana Itire bus stop.
Crushed stones were also used to fill various potholes around the Ilasa and Berliet bus stop areas.

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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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