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UAE Firm Holds Talks On Ports Dev

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A United Arab Emirate (UAE)-based maritime firm, DP World,
says it has commenced discussions with some investors on new port development
in Nigeria.

Mr Abdol Reza, the Guest Relations Coordinator of DP World,
disclosed this in Dubai during a facility tour of Dubai port by maritime
correspondents and officials of Nigerian Ports Authority.

Our correspondent reports that with the discussion, the
container terminal operator may soon join the ranks of concessionaire in
Nigeria.

According to Reza, DP World, which is the third largest
container terminal operator in the world, controls 60 terminals in 30
countries.

He said that, in Dubai, the firm administers two terminals,
and one of the terminals had a capacity of nine million TEUS (twenty-foot
containers equivalent).

Reza said that in terminal 1, there were 460 cameras and
scanners that monitored the activities of the firm and has a man-made harbour
with a draught of between 11 to 17 metres.

Reza added that the company’s terminal 2 in the Dubai port
was opened in 2007 and has a capacity of five million TEUS.

He said that the terminal has more modern technology with 60
Real Mountain Gantry Cranes to save time and energy in cargo throughput.

He said that the terminal TEUS would go up to 19 million by
the time the necessary expansion was completed.

“Besides, there is an airport at the port to evacuate cargo
and there is a rail network under construction. Cargo can be received at
anytime of the day because the port operates for 24 hours,” he said.

Reza said that there had been trans-shipment and land
transportation of cargo through the Dubai port to neighbouring countries.

Reza added that the firm had commenced development of a new
terminal with an envisaged capacity of four million TEUS, which would commence
operations in 2014.

Our correspondent reports that the firm, formally
established in September 2005, was born from the corporate integration of Dubai
Ports Authority and DPI Terminals (Dubai Ports International).

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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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