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Jamodu, Others Warn FG On Cement Importation

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15 years ago

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Chief Kola Jamodu, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to resist the attempt by some importers to continually flood the market with imported cement.

Jamodu told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos that the government must resist pressures to truncate the set target of exceeding local demand by 2011.

According to him, government should not agree to the ruse that the price of cement is on the rise.

He said the country would soon get to a level where it should not allow all manners of imports.

“It is on record that the country will achieve 28 million tonnes of cement production by 2011 as against local demand of about 18 million tonnes.

“All things being equal, supply will be more than demand and that will force down the price of cement,’’ he said.

According to him, the local industry needs protection to achieve the desired target instead of allowing imports to saturate the market.

Jamodu urged the government to have the political will to vigorously implement the policy which was designed to phase out imports.

 

Mr Jagat Rathee, the Managing Director of Obajana Cement Plc, agreed with Jamodu, adding that the country had abundant resources to be self-sufficient in cement production.

According to Rathee, the Dangote group has the capacity to produce 60 per cent of the country’s requirement, but the poor condition of roads and power had posed serious challenges.

Mr Sola Adeyemi, Plant Manager, Larfage Nigeria Plc, noted that the price of cement would have dropped drastically in 2010 but the deplorable roads, among others, had hindered the effort.

Dr Emmanuel Ukpabi, Group Managing Director of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, said that the company spent huge sums on haulage annually to get goods to consumers.

“A trailer can only make a trip to up north once a week instead of three trips per week. The trucks incur wear and tear because of bad roads,’’ he said.

According to him, the initial agreement with the Nigeria Railway Corporation to buy five locomotives to aid the movement of cement had not worked due to government bureaucracy.

NAN reports that a bag of cement sells for between N1,600 and N1,620 in Lagos and Ogun states.

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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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