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NIMASA Assures Of Cabotage Implementation

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12 years ago

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The Director-General of
the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi, has assured all indigenous operators in the maritime sector of the agency’s commitment to protect their rights under the cabotage regime.
He said this in a good will message at the launching of two 45,000 metric tones sea-going vessels, MT Abiola and MT Igbinosa, owned by Ocean Marine Tankers Limited in Warri, Delta State.
Special Assistant to the President on Maritine Affairs, Mr. Leke Oyewole, said the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has provided the enabling environment for effective implementation of the cabotage regime in Nigeria.
Akpobolokemi commended the management of Ocean Marine Tankers Limited, owners of the vessels, for taking a bold step to invest in the Nigerian maritine sector.
He urged more Nigerians to invest in the ownership of Ocean going vessels.
Also, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Local Content Developing Monitoring Board, Mr. Enest Nwakpa, praised the Jonathan administration for providing the political muscle to break the monopoly enjoyed by foreign flagged vessels an the freight of Nigerian crude.
In another development Arik Air and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have signed a Weblink agreement that allows accredited travel agents direct sales into the Bilng Settlement Plan (BSP) system.
The agreement was signed by the Arik Air Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue and the Director General of IATA, Mr. Tony Tyler at the IATA Aviation Day Africa 2013 held in Lagos recently.
Weblink as an alterative means to Global Distribution Systems (GDS) Channels (Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, World Span etc. It allows the IATA accredited travel agents to access the Arik inventory and pricing directly via Mercator Airline Reservations System (MARS) by passing the GDS.
With Weblink, all reservations and ticketing transactions are direct via webline to Mars, with sales reported as individual transactions to the BSP Date Processing Center (DPC).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ndulue said the agreement was one step forward in making things easier for travel agencies and passengers.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 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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3 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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3 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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