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Rising Rent Worries Ijebu-Ode Residents

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The persistent increase of rent by landlords has become a source of concern for residents of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun.

Some of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent recently in Ijebu-Ode, described the increase in rent as unjustifiable and therefore, exploitative.

The residents appealed to both the state and local governments to rescue them from the arbitrariness of the landlords by persuading them to stop the unnecessary increases in rent.

They noted that if the problem persisted, it could compel tenants to relocate to near-by towns where rent was affordable.

They therefore urged government to commence the construction of low income housing to ease their burden.

A survey conducted by our correspondent, revealed that a three bedroom flat in government reserved areas cost N9,000 monthly with the landlords asking for one year down payment.

This is apart from legal charges and the commission payable to either the agent or caretaker of the house.

The survey further showed that a two bedroom flat could be hired out for N5,000, while a room could go for N2,000, with a self-contained abode going for N6,000 in high density areas.

Mrs Olufunke Ibrahim, a business woman, who spoke with NAN, said her family could not bear the leap in rent.

According to her, the monthly cost of the “room-and-parlour” in which her family is staying, was increased from N3, 000 to N5, 000 by the landlord.

She said the landlord did not bother to offer any explanation for the increase.

“When we packed into the house, it was N2, 500 we paid. After a year, the rent was increased to N3, 500.

“Now the landlord just informed us that the rent has been increased to N5, 000 without giving any reason.

“This situation is becoming unbearable. Government needs to do something urgent to regulate the activities of these landlords,” she said.

In his reaction, Mr Adelodun Abdulkareem, a civil servant in the state, said the N1,500 rent he used to pay monthly for the one bedroom flat he was occupying, had just been increased to N2, 500.

He explained that efforts to persuade the landlord to reduce the rent to N2,000, failed.

He said: “I pleaded with him when he announced the increase in rent but he refused to listen. Instead, he said if I was not comfortable with it I could pack out.

“The irony of it is that he does not maintain the house. It does not have a decent toilet facility. No water, but we are managing.

“We are managing it because if we decide to vacate the house, we are still going to find ourselves at the mercy of some other landlords.

“We implore government to come to our rescue by enacting laws that will regulate house rents and enforce it in the interest of the masses,” he said.

Reacting, Mr Aina Bolajoko, a landlord, told NAN that the rise in rent was due to the influx of people, especially students, to the town.

He explained that with the increase in the population of the town, side by side with shortage of houses, the hike in rent was inevitable.

“The only solution is for more houses to be built. Ijebu population is now growing everyday with the arrival of more and more people.

“If we have more houses for rent, this would bring about competition which would in turn bring the house rent down,” he stated.

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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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