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2013 Budget: Zero Tarrif Excites Stakeholders

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Stakeholders in the aviation sector have in Lagos lauded
President Goodluck Jonathan for announcing that there would be zero tariff on
newly imported aircraft and spare parts.

Jonathan said this during his 2013 budget presentation to
the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The stakeholders, in interviews with our correspondent
described the announcement as a welcome leap for the growth and development of
the sector, the good of the country and the West African sub-region.

The Secretary General, Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON),
Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, said, “this is what the AON has been fighting to achieve
for the industry for several years.

.“This shows that the present administration is a listening
one , concerned about the safety and security of its citizens and is thus doing
the right thing.

“Granting zero tariff for the importation of new aircraft
and spare parts is what is obtainable all over the world”.

He recalled that the retired Air Chief Marshal, Paul Dike
Committee set up by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration
after Bellview, Sosoliso and ADC Airlines aircraft crashed, also made similar
recommendations.

“That was what other committees set up after it had also
been recommending as the way forward for the aviation sector”, Tukur said.

.He also commended the Minister of Aviation , Princess
Stella Oduah, for believing and supporting the cause that the AON has been
fighting for and seeing it to reality.

Also, retired Capt. Dele Ore of the Aviation Round Table
(ART), a non-governmental organisation (NGO in the aviation sector, commended
the announcement as part of the successes of ART to national development.

He recalled that ART had over the last 10 years been in the
fore front of the struggle for the actualisation of zero tariff for imported
new aircraft and spare parts.

“We at ART congratulate the president on this noble gesture
because in the 52 years of the existence of the aviation sector in Nigeria,
this is the greatest and most vibrant decision to be taken by any administration,”
Ore said.

He advised the FG to set up a monitoring team that would
ensure that operators do not import fake or substandard aircraft and spare
parts into the country.

“With that, operators would not abuse the policy which I
consider as the first major relief and waiver to be granted by the FG to
improve the growth and development of the sector.

.“ I think that the FG would think of coming up with other
relief measures that would include the establishment of aircraft maintenance
hangars in the country, if this one is not abused,” he said.

Ore, also suggested that the Nigeria Customs Service and the
Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) should be saddled with the responsibility of
ensuring that only genuine aircraft and spare parts were imported into the
country.

.“Through that, both the aircraft operators and passengers
would enjoy the benefits that would accrue from it, such as reduction in
passengers air fares, ” Ore said.

Also,  President, Air
Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Mr Benjamin
Okewu, said that the policy, if well implemented, would bring a new lease of
life to the aviation sector.

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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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