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Ethiopian Airline Celebrates Abuja Airport Re-opening

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8 years ago

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Africa’s largest airline group, Ethiopian Airlines, says it will  start its flight to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, today with its latest technology and the most modern airplane, the Airbus A350-900.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ethiopian Group, Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, said this in Lagos yesterday.
The Airbus landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 2 p.m. yesterday.
According to a statement by Gebre Mariam, the state of the art airplane will start the scheduled service on the Addis Ababa- Abuja route, thereby gracing the reopening of Abuja Airport on April 18.
He said it was the joy of the airline to connect the African continent together and beyond.
“Our presence in Nigeria dates back to the 1960s, same time the Federal Republic of Nigeria got independence from foreign colonisation.
“We have always given our best to Nigeria at all times, both at good and challenging times.
“We have been part of Nigeria’s historic growth and always consider ourselves as vital partners in the history and growth of Nigeria as a country,’’ he said.
GebreMariam said the Airbus A350 was yet one of the landmarks in the airlines’ 70- year proud history; providing exceptional levels of luxury and reliability for a totally-unique passenger experience.
“Hence, with the reopening of Abuja Airport, the extra features of our game-changing fleet, Airbus A350, will be awaiting our esteemed Nigerian travellers.
“We shall continue to avail critical air connectivity options and connect African countries together and far beyond,’’ he said.
The Tide source reports that Ethiopian Airlines currently operates 20 weekly flights to four Nigerian cities; Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Kano.
Passengers aboard the flight will enjoy the extra features of this latest flying machine: amazing cabin interior features with the latest high-definition touch screen and personal monitors, with a higher selection of movies.
The aircraft also has wider seats and windows, the lowest twin engine noise level, advanced air conditioning technology, full LED mood lighting.
Ethiopian Airlines is the first in Africa to own and operate the A350 in African skies.
Among a total of 14 orders, Ethiopian Airlines currently has three of them in operation.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 hours 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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20 hours 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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20 hours 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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