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Lagos-Ibadan Rail: FG, Amaechi Disappoint Nigerians

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6 years ago

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The Lagos-Ibadan railway project cannot be completed in April this year as earlier projected, the Federal Government has declared.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this last Monday while inspecting the project, alongside the Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemi Saraki, and the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde.
Amaechi observed that the current state of work on the over $1.5bn project indicated that it would not be feasible to complete the project in April as planned.
On January 14 this year, the minister had during a television programme stated that the government was working to ensure that the project was completed in April and inaugurated by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in May 2020.
But during the inspection last Monday, the minister said it was not feasible to complete the project as earlier planned.
“Looking at the state of work in Apapa, completing the project in April doesn’t seem feasible, especially the extension of the rail line to the seaport,” Amaechi also stated via his verified Twitter handle.
He added: “We’ll, however, continue to work and redouble our efforts to complete the project and meet set targets.”
Amaechi, Saraki, Makinde and senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Transportation, among others, inspected the Lagos-Ibadan railway from Apapa in Lagos State up to Ibadan in Oyo State.
The minister’s tweet was, however, greeted with diverse reactions, as his followers expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in delivery of the project.
A Twitter user and follower of the minister, Omasoro Ovie, stated that the continued missing of targets was making the government look bad and urged Amaechi not to give targets that could not be met.
Ovie said: “Great job sir; we have missed a lot of targets and it is making this government look bad. The aviation minister also missed his target of launching the new Kano international (airport) wing in December.
“I’m a big fan of both of you, but please don’t give targets you can’t meet.”
Another follower, Ikenna Ochei, said: “Please complete this project and move to another. There is so much work to do in so limited time.
“Nigerians simply want to enjoy the real benefits of their commonwealth. However, you must be commended for your single-minded commitment to your mandate.”

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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9 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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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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September 22, 2025

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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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9 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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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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