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Apapa Traders Protest Planned Demolition Of Market

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10 years ago

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Traders at Idi-Ose Market
in Apapa, Lagos, have staged protest to the House of Assembly over alleged plan by the monarch of Ijora, Oba Fatai Aromire to demolish the market.
The traders claimed that the traditional ruler had given them May 21 deadline to vacate the market or have their property destroyed.
They carried placards with various inscriptions such as: ‘’Oba Ojora wants to become Baba Oja’’, ‘’Lagos! Save our souls from Oba Ojora from selling Idi-Ose market to an hotelier,’’ `’Oba Fatai Ojora, leave Idi-Ode market alone don’t sell it to a hotelier.”
Alhaja Nike Owoseni, the Iyaloja General of Apapa Iganmu, who spoke on behalf of the traders, said she was informed about the proposed demolition on May 14, and she appealed for peace.
She said: “When they called me on May 14 that they wanted to pull down the market, we went to the police station to complain.
“We tried to see the Oba but we were told that he was engaged in festive activities, so I told my people to maintain peace.
“This morning, I was called again that some youths numbering about 20 were in the market harassing the traders.
“Our people wanted to retaliate by fighting them but we had  to appeal  for calm.”
Mr Idris Mammud, one of the leaders in the market, said the threat for the traders to vacate the market had been on since 2013.
He said the market was approved by the state government in 1979 during the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
He argued that the authority to demolish the market should come from the local government.
Addressing the traders, the Speaker, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, represented by Segun Olulade, Chairman House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, promised that the House would ensure amicable resolution of the issue.
“I want to express our gratitude to you on behalf of the speaker for maintaining peace.
“We have received your petition and I can assure you that within the next 24 hours, we shall invite all the necessary parties that are involved,” Olulade assured the traders.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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5 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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5 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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5 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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