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Unionist Urges NLC, TUC To Sponsor Bill Against Casualisation

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A union leader, Mr Ola Oyegoke,  has proposed to the organised labour to unite and sponsor a bill that will forestall employment of casual workers in Nigeria.
Oyegoke, General Secretary, Shops and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association (SHOPDIS) said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, on Monday.
“Casual labour is irregular employment or a part-time labour.
“It is a term of employment agreement that differs from company to company,’’ he said.
According to him, it is time for the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria to re-strategise to tackle the problem of casual employment in the country.
He commended the organised labour for holding rallies in the past to protest against “casualisation’’, adding that if a bill was sponsored and passed it could help to curtail the problem.
He said that millions of casual workers were poorly paid and dehumanised which contributed to the increase to stealing in some companies.
“If an employer does not pay a worker well, the person could be forced to pilfer when the opportunity arises.
“Some companies have lost billions of naira as a result of internally organised robberies,’’ he said.
Oyegoke said that the distributive union was negatively affected as a result of casual employment policy which had denied many Nigerians the opportunity to live well.
He said that it was regrettable that foreign companies had long cashed in on the desperation of many jobless people to employ them as casuals and treat them recklessly.
The unionist said that the Nigerian labour market was awash with numerous troubles, adding that because work was instrumental to man’s livelihood, “people go out to work under the worst conditions’’.
“Some shops have closed, while some have sacked workers because they depend on foreign exchange to import goods,’’ the union leader said.
Oyegoke urged workers to be patient with the policies of the current administration for it to make the desired impact that would provide positive change to the economy.
However, some workers have attributed the increase in “casualisation’’ to outsourcing of jobs following abolition of some jobs and services in the public sector.
The workers said that when the government concession some private sector organisations, they were engage to perform the jobs often on temporary basis with uncertain wages and conditions and without job security.

L-R: Regional Officer, International Civil Aviation Organization, Mr Albert Taylor, Director, Operation and Training, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, Managing Director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Mr Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Regional Director, International Air Transport Association, Mrs Adefunke Adeyemi and Director, Airport Operations, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Capt. Henry Omegue, at the Runway Safety Workshop in Lagos on Monday

L-R: Regional Officer, International Civil Aviation Organization, Mr Albert Taylor, Director, Operation and Training, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, Managing Director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Mr Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Regional Director, International Air Transport Association, Mrs Adefunke Adeyemi and Director, Airport Operations, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Capt. Henry Omegue, at the Runway Safety Workshop in Lagos on Monday

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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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