Connect with us

Business

Security: FG Decongests Traffic At Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport

Published

on

The Federal Government said
it is leaving no stone unturned to decongest traffic to enhance security at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika said this in a statement issued by  The Deputy Director, Press and Public Affairs, Ministry of Transportation Mr James Odaudu, in Abuja recently.
According to Sirika, the move is to enhance security surveillance at the airport.
The minister of state noted that security equipment had been put in place at the domestic terminal of the airport to enable airlines operate without obstructing the ongoing restructuring and remodeling works.
This, Sirika said was necessary, because of the precarious world security situation that had put global aviation under watch.
“It is a fact that most major disasters that have befallen the world recently have been aviation-related.
“This has put the issue of aviation security on the front burner as it is one of the weakest links being exploited by terrorists.’’
He stated that the ministry would exploit the possibility of establishing a world standard aviation security system with the ability to work with arms, sniffer dogs, modern surveillance equipment and intelligence gathering.
According to him, the ministry is also working towards improving the physical security at the nation’s airports.
He commended efforts by the British Government through its High Commission, for conducting and assessing security situation in the nation’s airports to determine areas of possible assistance.
The minister of state, however, called for greater collaboration between the two countries, especially in the area of capacity enhancement in modern aviation security trends.
He noted that a team from Aviation Security of the British High Commission had undertaken an assessment of some of the nation’s airports.
The team he said would work with relevant agencies to determine areas of possible assistance as well as find out the challenges being faced in cargo handling.
Sirika added that the team was ready to conduct training for about 80 aviation employees drawn from relevant agencies.
He added that the British High Commission was ready to organise assessment tour for the ministry’s officials to some airports in the United Kingdom.
This, according him, will help in the development of aviation security in Nigeria.

Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

on

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.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

on

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.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

on

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.
Continue Reading

Trending