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Investment In Oil, Gas Free Zone Hits $48bn

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14 years ago

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A total of $4.8 billion has been invested in the development of Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone (OGFZ), Rivers State.

The General Manager, DMS, Technical Partners of the Free Zone, Barr, Sybdat Wama, made this known  in his presentation last Monday when the Federal Minister of Trade and Investments Olusegun Aganga paid a facility visit to the free zone  Onne Port, Rivers State.

According to him, the total investments in all areas, Ports development, camps and offices up to 2012 are estimated at US $2.3 billion, adding that further investment planned for 2011 onwards are estimated at US $2.5 billion, bringing the total investments in Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone to US $4.8 billion.

The breakdown further revealed that out of the total investments, US $1.4 billion were estimated to be the cost of projects executed on partnership between NPA/INEELS while the  balance are projects executed by private investors.

He commended Integrated Logistics Services (Intels) for being the pivoter of the success story recorded in Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, saying, in addition to the Port concession lease agreements, which he said cover only the terminal jetty area, Intels has Separate 25-year land leases from NPA, undeveloped. But utilised to provide stacking and industrial areas to meet the operational requirements of clients, with huge financial commitment.

Barr. Wama, noted that as part of the port concession agreements, Intels has remitted substantial payments to the Authorities irrespective of vessel or cargo through put.

He said about 150 companies in the free Zone have generated about 30,000 direct and indirect employment with its attendant multiplier effects, and that a total of US $5.41 billion has been generated by various Government Agencies including customs and NPA.

GM, DMs disclosed that plan for future development and expansion is in three phase, A Free Port to fastrack Logistics operations in the oil and Gas Industry, to up grade it to a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) by introducing Assembling/processing/manufacturing to attrack more investors and to upgrade it to a Specialised Export Processing Zone, which he said will extend to Ikpokiri Island.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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