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NCAA Resolves 70,450 Passenger Rights Cases In 26 Months

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) resolved 70, 450 passenger right cases on international flights and 510 domestic cases from 2013 to March 2015, the Director-General, Mr Mukhtar Usman, said.
Usman made the fact known in Abuja on Wednesday during the 2015 Consumer Summit with, the theme, “Consumer Rights and Protection in the Emerging Digital Economy in Africa’’.
Represented by Mr Adamu Abdullahi, Director of Consumer Protection Directorate of NCAA, the director-general said the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) had been collaborating with NCAA in protecting passengers’ rights.
In a paper, ‘’Passengers’ Rights in Online Booking and Ticketing, Usman said: “In 2013, a total number of 327 cases were resolved on domestic flights while 30,067 were resolved on international flights.
“In 2014, a total of 31,063 cases were resolved on international flights while 164 cases were resolved on domestic flights.
“From January to March 2015, a total of 9,320 cases were resolved on international flights, while 19 cases were resolved on domestic flights.’’
He said the Civil Aviation Act 2006 grants NCAA autonomy to carry out safety and economic regulations of the Nigerian aviation industry without undue political interference.
“This has necessitated the need to be more proactive in the protection of passengers’ interests and rights on matters bordering on denied boarding, flight delays and flight cancellations.
“Others are mishandled, damaged, pilfered and lost baggage, personal injury and death as well as various levels of compensation for such service failures,’’ Usman said.
He said that with the use of online booking and ticketing, passengers, no longer visited travel agents to book flights.
“This is because online booking and ticketing is convenient for passengers to find, book and pay for flights on the internet.
“It gives room for quick and easy ways to comparing prices on several airlines before making a choice,’’ Usman said.
He added that Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, Part 19.15.1 prohibits any airline, its agent or a tour operator from publishing misleading advertising that does not disclose the full fare to be paid by passengers, especially through the internet.
Usman said the regulations also prescribe, at least, 25 per cent for passengers on domestic flights and 30 per cent for those on international flights or passenger ticket price in the event of involuntary denied boarding and flight cancellation.
Other requirements are that passengers should be notified, at least, two hours in advance if flights will be re-routed or delayed or if a flight departs before the scheduled time.
The regulation also provides that the passenger be given refreshment, hotel accommodation, transport to and from airport and called or e-mailed when flight is delayed more than one hour or cancelled.
Mrs Dupe Atoki, Director General, CPC advised complainants to first seek redress from the service providers to have value for their money.
According to her, CPC intervenes when the service provider fails to address the issues.
Atoki said the summit was appropriate as everything could be done online but advised that online service providers disclose proper information on their products.
She said the council’s mandate was to protect and promote the interest of Nigerian consumers.
She said the council had eliminated hazardous products from the market and ensured that products and services complied with stan

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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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