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Petroleum Industry Bill will protect investors’ interests- Ajumogobia

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16 years ago

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The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Odein Ajumogobia, has said that the petroleum industry bill will protect interests of local and foreign investors.

Ajumogobia made the clarification in an interview with newsmen at the just concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas seminar in Abuja.

He said that the Federal Government had adopted two strategies to attract new investments and re-position the industry while also seeking to create the enabling environment for existing investments to thrive.

The minister said that it was only the bill that could address all the concerns of investors and those of the people of the Niger Delta.

He said that when passed, the bill would protect and restore confidence of investors to continue to partner with the Federal Government.

Ajuomogobia said that concerns bordering on deep water, gas terms, domestic gas pricing and acreage management as well as incorporated joint ventures were being reviewed by the Federal Government.

He said that this was with a view to making changes in response to fears expressed by some international oil companies about tax implications of the new bill.

The minister said that an IMF report on the bill had supported and strengthened government’s position of using the bill to enhance competitiveness and promoting investment in the sector.

Ajumogobia said that the bill now at the National Assembly would bring about more cordial relationship among stakeholders on policy formulation in the industry.

“We have crafted a law that we believe is in the best interest of the country. If passed, the plan is to continue to review it in line with developments in the oil and gas industry.

“What we did was to craft a law that can take care of the most urgent general problems we are having in the oil and gas industry now,” he said.

He described the bill as a legislative instrument to drive the reform and urged the National Assembly to expedite action on it to facilitate the reform agenda.

“We will ensure best industry practices, we are determined to succeed.

“The Niger Delta has continued to enjoy peace due to the amnesty deal which has enabled us to re-take our place in oil production and restored confidence of investors to continue to partner with us,” he said.

Ajumogobia said that the amnesty programme had assisted in reducing tension and insecurity in the Niger Delta as well as led to increased crude oil production. He expressed optimism that more oil firms would return to their sites with the return of peace to the region.

The just concluded conference was attended by more than 9,000 participants including foreigners.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 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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3 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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3 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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