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NDDC Threatens To Revoke Road Contract

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15 years ago

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The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr. Chibuzor Ugwuoha, has threatened to revoke the contract for Izombe/Obokofia Road construction.

Ugwuoha issued the threat when he led the NDDC management team on an inspection tour of projects in Imo State on Tuesday.

The NDDC boss complained that what he saw on ground did not suggest that the firm handling the project was capable of meeting the standard set by the commission.

”In NDDC, we want to do road projects that will last up to 15 years or at least five years before the project starts having any problem.

”What I am seeing here does not show that the contractor is capable of meeting NDDC standard of my desire, nor can the road be compared with the Izombe/Oguta road constructed in the late 1970s,” he said.

Ugwuoha, who expressed disappointment at the level of work on some of the projects inspected, insisted that henceforth, all road projects awarded by the commission must be stone-based.He said that in line with its repositioning posture, NDDC had set a standard which must not be compromised and warned that any attempt to do otherwise would be punished.

”Besides our consultants, we must also be on site continuously to ensure that the contractors are doing the right thing,” Ugwuoha said.

Speaking on the Izombe project, Ugwuoha directed that the contractor should be monitored more closely and warned that “if he doesn’t change, we will be left with no option than to sanction him.

”The NDDC boss urged host communities to cooperate with contracting firms in their efforts to deliver on projects.”While we commend the peaceful disposition of host communities, we shall not hesitate to relocate projects if benefitting communities frustrate the efforts of contractors,” he said.

The Managing Director of the firm handling the road project, Mr. Jasper Jumbo, had promised that the company would do standard job.

Ugwuoha also inspected the 10km Obinze-Umuokanne-Umuapu road project, construction of Ukwugba junction Egbema-Etekwuru-Umuapu road, and the Nworie River dredging by the Imo Government.

The Izombe/Obokofia road project, according to findings, was first awarded by NDDC in 2001 and re-awarded in 2004 with huge sums paid to the firms but little has been achieved.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 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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4 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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4 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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