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PH Customs Records N22.24bn Revenue In 2009

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Port Harcourt Area I Command of the Nigeria customs Service was able to record a total revenue of N22.24 billion in 2009 as against N16.93 billion collected in 2008 which indicated an increase of about N5.3 billion or 31.29 per cent.

The Customs Area Comptoller, Austin Warikoru, who stated this last Friday while brief journalists in the Command, noted that the N2.84 billion made in December 2009 was the highest monthly revenue collection ever recorded in the history of the Command.

Comptroller Warikoru also noted that the last five months (August-December 2009) was the best in the history of revenue collection in Port Harcourt Area 1, explaining that the command had an increase of 82.25 per cent over and above collections in the corresponding period in 2008.

While N6.29 billion was realised in 2008, the Command collected N11.466 billion, a difference of about N5.175 billion.

The Area Comptroller further explained that the second half year record was fantastic between July and December 2009, stressing that the command collected N13,297 billion while during a corresponding period in 2008, N8.008 billion was collected as revenue with a clear difference of N5.3 billion or 66 per cent.

He also said the fourth quarter result was 106% better than that of 2008, adding that the Command, during the period, collected N7.034 billion while N3.413 billion was collected in 2008.

According to him, the Command made appreciable progress in revenue collection attributing it to the dedication, diligence and hard work of officers and men of the command.

The comptroller however, commended the officers and men of the Command, assuring the Comptroller-General of Customs, his management team and the Federal Government that the Command will not rest on its oars and promised to do better this year to beat 2009 record.

Meanwhile, the break down of the revenue collection of last year indicated that in January the Command collected a revenue of N1.32 billion and N780 million in February.

The command also netted N1.82 billion, N915 million and N1.54 billion in March, April and May, respectively.

In June, the Command was able to record N2.57 billion while in July, August and September, it recorded N1.83 billion, N2.63 billion and N1.80 billion, respectively.

Also in October 2009, the revenue generated by the Command was N2.30 billion, November , N1.89 billion and December, N2.84 billion with a total annual return of  N22.24 billion.

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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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