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Electricity Tariff: Senate Orders Stoppage Of Estimated Billing

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The Senate has  ordered Electricity Services Managers to with immediate effect stop every form of “ estimate billing “ in determining the tariffs of  electricity consumers on the note that such method was not in the best interest of  Nigeria and its people.
The lawmakers   by that tasked the managers of the power sector not only to roll out enough but also efficient pre-paid metres to meet up with modern-day challenges in electricity sector in the country.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Mines and Metallurgy, Philip Aduda, recently handed this down during a courtesy visit by the management team of Electricity Management Service Limited, (EMSL) on his committee at the National Assembly Complex.
Senator Aduda announced that his committee had concluded arrangements to sponsor a bill that would provide legal backing to the operations of EMSL, in view of the on-going privatization exercise in the electricity sector.
According to Senator Aduda, the bill when passed accordingly would allow the government agency to discharge its function without any hindrance to ensure effective monitoring of the activities of the private generation and distribution companies.
His words, “We are looking at creating an enabling legislation so that you will have proper legal backing to be able to carry out your functions because your role in the sector cannot be
underrated.
“The committee is working to see how we can sponsor a bill that will give you the legal authority to function properly and address challenges that may arise from the ongoing privatization.”
The Senator advised the EMSL to work towards boosting power supply across the country by closing the gap between generation and distribution companies for the overall benefit of electricity consumers.
Aduda advised   the power managers to ensure that their output on power improvement equates the determination of the federal government to transform the power sector for the benefit of Nigerians and Nigeria’s economy.
“It would not be out of place for your company to identify programmes that the federal government could embark upon in order to stem the current tide of vandalism which has become a recurring decimal,” he added.
He called for the support of all stakeholders to address the challenges that could arise as the ongoing privatization of the power sector enters the next level just as he pleaded for adequate funds for the agency so as to sustain and consolidate the ongoing power sector reforms.
The senator further said: “We would continue to appropriate funds for your organisation, monitor your activities through oversight and ensure that we can give you the maximum support which you require to succeed.”
Managing Director of the EMSL, Mr Peter Ewesor, in his speech earlier commended the committee for its contribution to the success achieved, so far, in the ongoing privatization of the power sector just as he said the company would do everything within its powers to ensure accountability in its dealings with the privatized companies.

 

Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Dakuku Peterside (with mic), Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Reginald Stanley and AGM-Administration, Moses Mbaba, during an oversight visit to PPPRA, recently.

Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Dakuku Peterside (with mic), Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Reginald Stanley and AGM-Administration, Moses Mbaba, during an oversight visit to PPPRA, recently.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja

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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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