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Dana Counts Losses Over Suspension …To Lose N50m Daily

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13 years ago

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Dana Air last Thursday said that it would lose N50 million daily following the grounding of its operation in the aftermath of Sunday’s crash.

The airline’s Director of Flight Operations, Capt. Oscar Wilson, gave the figure in Ikeja at a joint press conference by the Dana Group and Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

It held as events continue to unfold after an MD 83 aircraft in the Dana fleet crashed into a residential area in Iju-Ishaga on the outskirts of Lagos.

All the 153 persons on board the aircraft which was heading for the Lagos airport from Abuja, died in the crash which also claimed the lives of some people on the ground.

Wilson said that the airline would be losing 2,000 passengers and N50 million daily due to the suspension of its operations in the wake of the crash.

According to him, the loss would amount to N1.5 billion in one month.

The Director reaffirmed that the airline’s insurer, Lloyds of London, was capable of paying the families of the crash victims N30,000 US dollars (N4.6 million) within the first 30 days of the accident.

Wilson appealed to commentators and the public to stop speculating in the media about the causes of the crash.

“There have been many speculations from aviation experts on the crash. They said that the aircraft lost its two engines but it is when the result of the investigations come out that we will know the true position of things,’’ he said.

The Secretary of AON, Capt Mohammed Joji, said that the purpose of accident investigation was not to punish people but to find a way to prevent a repeat of mistakes that could have caused mishaps.

He explained that aircraft were made and flown by man and the human error element in the cause of accidents was about 75 per cent.

Joji said that the airline business was capital intensive globally, and urged the Nigerian government to give concessions to airline operators and assist in bailing out those in difficult situations.

“The economy here is very good, that is why we have 24 foreign airlines operating in the country,’’ he said.

He also appealed to aviation experts and the public not to heat up the country over their comments on the crash.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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19 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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19 hours 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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19 hours 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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