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Sanusi Slams NNPC Over Oil Theft

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13 years ago

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Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido
Sanusi, has passed vote of no confidence on the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) over poor management and regulation of the nation’s oil
sector.

Sanusi expressed the concern while reacting to the recent
revelation made by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke
that Nigeria lost about $7 billion to oil theft in 2011.

He specifically expressed doubt over Nigerian crude oil
production, which currently stands at 2.7 million barrels per day according to
NNPC’s report as against the 2.4mbpd oil benchmark projection for the year
2012.

Sanusi, who appeared alongside his deputies, Tunde Lemo and
Sarah Alade, before Abdulmumin Jubrin-led joint House committee on Finance,
Legislative Budget and Research, National Planning and Aid, Loans and Debt
Management, also called for “bombing of illegal refineries” in the Niger Delta
region.

The CBN governor, who was drilled by members of the joint
committee for over 3 hours, queried whether NNPC has required facility for
measuring of the actual crude oil explored across the country.

To curtail the extent of corruption and shady deal in the
sector, the CBN chieftain, called on the National Assembly to strengthen NEITI
and ensure quick passage of the long awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

In his submission, the Chairman of the joint committee,
Abdulmumin Jubrin, noted that the projection for exchange rate for MTEF was
consistently N160 for 2013 to 2015, except for 2012 that was N155.

He said “most of the time we give analysis, we make
comparative analysis with countries around the world and when we talk about the
issue of benchmark, what most of these countries does with  their surplus at the first instance is
subsequently to balance their budget.

“When they borrow, what they do with the money can be
physically seen as it is tied to specifics. When they save. They save
transparently in a way that even the layman in the street will understand. My
worry is that we have been doing these processes, budgetary process, fiscal
planning, monetary policies but if am going to limit it to budgetary process,
it has always been the same or similar.

“The process is the same, the parameters are similar, the
modules are the same, same institution, same system and many of the
personalities are even the same. We want to get things differently in 2013 and
moving forward in 2014 and 2015 and subsequent years, it means that something
have to change”.

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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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