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Gas Flaring Prohibition Law Passage Excites TUC

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16 years ago

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The Trade Union Congress (TUC), has expressed satisfaction over the second reading of the petroleum industry Bill and the passage of the Gas flaring prohibition Act 2009 by the senate, saying it foresees the emergence of a new national oil company after the passage of both bills.

In a statement, the President-General, Peter Esele, and the secretary, John Kolawole said “These bills will definitely change the way business in the oil and gas sector which is the number on revenue earner for the country, is run.

“The passage of the Gas prohibition Act and the successful second reading of the petroleum Industry Bill, are commendable as they are coming at a period when the entire National Assembly is under intense public bashing over what they perceived as under-performance. It shows that our law makers are waking up to their primary responsibility which is to make good laws for the country.

“We reckon that when the petroleum industry bill is finally passed into law, it will aiming others, remove the country from the shackles of International Oil Companies (IOC) that have constantly harassed and undermined our system”.

They added that it would also help in the specialisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as it would remove the organisation from the present status of “Jack of all trades and master of none”, and make it to a more serious business entity capable of challenging other oil majors, the world over.

The congress said the bill would give birth to a corporation that is financially in dependent and that can stand on its own, ‘without having to rush cap-in-hand to the federation Account committee to beg for funds as it can raise funds both the domestic and international markets”.

TUC also foresees a new national oil company that would emerge out of this process as having the boldness to enter into partnership agreement with key players in the private sector through significant equity holdings and also take care of some legal and institutional framework that would allow NNPC to continuously use the multiple instruments of policy making, regulations and different strategies of commercial operations to create an industry that would conform at all times to global best practices in all relevant parameters.

“We therefore urge members of the House of Representatives to without further delay; commence deliberations on the bill, as the bill is essential to the survival of the nation’s oil and gas industry.

A gas flaring point in Ogoniland

A gas flaring point in Ogoniland

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days 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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2 days ago

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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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2 days 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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