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RSG Tasks NIMASA On Cabotage Act

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15 years ago

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The Rivers State Government has tasked the authorities of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the implementation of the cabotage Act.

Speaking through the commissioner for Transport, Mr George Tolofari at the Nigerian Flag Registration Development and Maritime Stakeholders summit held in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Governor Chibuike Amaechi insisted that it was one of the ways of providing jobs for the teeming youths of the region.

Governor Amaechi said the maritime sector has not been able explore its full potentials because the sector was highly dominated by foreign investors.

One way to reverse this trend, the Governor insisted that NIMASA needs to put in place policies that would encourage local participation and regreted that the cabotage Act has failed to make the expected impact.

Governor Amaechi warned that the slight improvement witnessed in the past few years may be marred by high tariffs, which according to him was a major bane in the sector.

Nevertheless, he stated that Rivers State was not relenting as the present administration was poised to exploit the abundant potentials in the sector.

So far, he said, the administration had undertaken some projects which include the acquisition of three ships, training of 10 marine engineers and the acquisition of five fishing trawlers.

He said that the state also embarked on the improvement of dockyards, boatyards through public private partnership and the resuscitation of marine and diving schools in the state.

Earlier, the Director –General of NIMASA, Mr Temisan Omatseye who was represented by a director in the agency had said that the choice of Port Harcourt as  venue for the programme was as a result of the strategic location of the city as a prominent maritime and oil exploration area.

Mr Omatseye called on the state government to tap more into the NIMASA Nigerian Seafarers Development programme as other states have done.

He assured that the agency would take over the running of the Sea Diving School at Isaka and Yaba Collge of Technology Maritime programme by collaborating with the Global Maritime Academy of America to train sea farers in the region.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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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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