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Boat Operators Identify Danger Spots On Lagos Waterways

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11 years ago

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The Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria yesterday identified about 30 possible tragedy-prone spots on Lagos waterways.
Mr Ganiyu Balogun,  President of the association stated this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
“We have demarcated about 30 spots with danger floating sign; we implore the government to clear the wrecks to forestall mishaps.
“We are calling on the government to remove all debris in order to keep the waterway safe without delay,” Balogun said.
According to him, wrecks and logs on waterways constitute the major source of hazards on waterways in recent times.
“The major causes of accident on our waterways are wrecks and logs on waterways, government through all its agencies should as a matter of urgency remove the wrecks,” he said.
He said that the Nigerian Maritime Association and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had told the association to help identify the areas and promised to work on them.
“NIMASA has told us to help them spot areas where there are debris, and we have identified 30 areas; it is left for us to go there together and show them,” he said.
Balogun said that safety of lives should be paramount to government than the quest for taxes.
“If we are paying taxes to the government, it is the responsibility of government to make the waterway safer. And if the waterways are safer, the lives of commuters will be safe.
“Safety of lives should be paramount to government. Although the government is trying, there are rooms for improvement,” he said.
According to him, the operators pay charges to the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), adding that some local authorities had written for theirs.
He said that the taxes had been affecting services and fares.
Balogun said that the Federal Government had not maximised the water resources to boost transportation, saying that water transportation was the safest and easiest to maintain unlike road, rail and air.
“Water transport is just starting again; the government has not put the necessary infrastructure in place for it to thrive to encourage it,” he said.
Balogun commended NIWA for donating life jackets to the association as part of its effort to ensure safety of lives and property on waterways.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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23 hours 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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24 hours 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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24 hours 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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