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Nigeria Records 11% Airline Passenger Growth

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The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. George Uriesi, has said that at 11 per cent airline passenger growth, Nigeria was one of the few countries experiencing double digit growth rate in the world.

Uriesi told newsmen that between January and June 2013, the number of airline passengers in Nigeria was estimated at eight million.

He said the industry was on a five-year consecutive double digit growth track, but it derailed in 2012 because of the accident recorded by Dana Airline.

“The figure for the first half of the year – January to June – is about eight million passengers; it’s represents almost 11 per cent growth.

‘‘We have had consecutive double digit growth for four years and we were on track to get consecutive double-digit growth for five years last year if not for the crash of Dana Airline aircraft – the unfortunate accident after which a lot of airlines went out of the market for a while.

“So there was a big lull in the second half of last year which then, for the first time in a five-year cycle we dipped below double-digit growth.

“And this year again we are racing very fast to achieve double-digit growth even on the year before because the airlines are back, the airplanes are full, so it’s an indication of a very strong underlying economy. One of the indices is the growth of airline passengers.

“The trajectory was unfortunately diminished between July and December because so many airlines went out, so it wasn’t a real indication of the potential of the industry but as of January this year the industry is back and is climbing very nicely.

“We are on track to do about 16 million passengers this year and if we do 16 million passengers that will be going towards 16 per cent to 18 per cent growth.’’

Uriesi told newsmen that the double digit growth was attributable to the major remodeling works going on in several airports in the country.

He added that many airlines were also increasing their fleets and that it was an indication that the investments made in the aviation sector was beginning to yield results.

He said that that the newly remodeled Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu attained international status on Saturday when it recorded a flight of 153 passengers to Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Airlines, he said, would operate in and out of that airports four times a week.

“If we hadn’t remodeled that terminal we would not be able to do this there because we created the facility for international traffic in that terminal so the same thing will be replicated elsewhere.’’

Uriesi said if the decision to remodel the airports had not been made, the industry would have been stifled and the progress so far made would have been impossible.

“We’re experiencing very strong growth this year, so we are rushing to create the capacity for this growth not only in the international airports but all the airports that we are remodeling.

“I dread to think if we had continued to stay where we were two years back, we would stifle the growth of the industry.

“Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, now has the capacity for any international airline that wants to come and we are actively working in the background trying to encourage a number of airlines.

“Those that had stopped coming there and those who might want to come there; we are trying to encourage them to start flying into Kano also.

“So there’s a linkage between the growth, infrastructure and the impact on the country,’’ Uriesi said.

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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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