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Ex-NIMASA Boss Lauds NNSL’s Revival Efforts

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9 years ago

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A  former Director-
General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Ade Dosunmu, has commended the Ministry of Transportation, for taking steps to revive the  liquidated Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).
Dosunmu gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, yesterday.
He urged the minister to ensure that the revival of the national shipping line should be private sector- driven to achieve its set objectives.
Dosunmu said that the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) was liquidated because government was controlling it.
“This time, the private sector should occupy 60 per cent position, while government should hold 40 per cent shares to give room for more foreign investors to participate.
“NLNG is a success story because it was Public Private Partnership (PPP) driven.
“Nigeria is a shipping nation with huge maritime potential but government should ensure that the shipping line is more controlled by the private sector,” Dosunmu said.
The former director-general, however, urged the ministry of transport to engage the services of entrepreneurs to bring more technical partners from outside the country.
He said that there was need for national shipping line due to the fact that Nigeria is blessed with hydrocarbon resources.
Dosunmu said that “Nigeria lifts crude oil on daily basis.’’
He said that the crude oil transportation business would attract foreign investors to participate in the shipping line project.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, says the Federal Government is working on the establishment of a national shipping line to ensure maximum exploitation of the potential of the maritime industry.
The minister said this in  May in Abuja in a keynote address he delivered at the 14th Maritime Seminar for Judges organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC)in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute.
The minister said, “The present administration is looking into ways of encouraging the establishment of a national shipping line to ensure the maximum exploitation of the potential of our maritime sector.’’
In June, the minister constituted an implementation committee headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello.
According to him, it has become expedient to constitute the implementation committee immediately because government attaches premium importance to the revival of the national shipping line.
The minister said this would greatly impact on the socio-economic development of the nation.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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