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Abuja Airport: Aviation Union Lauds Prompt Reopening

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8 years ago

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The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has lauded the Federal Government for the prompt rehabilitation and reopening of the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
Mr Olayinka Abioye, the General Secretary of the union, gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos yesterday.
Our correspondent  reports that the Federal Government had, on March 8, closed the airport for six weeks for the complete rehabilitation of its dilapidated runway.
“Let me commend the Federal Government, particularly President Muhammed Buhari, for approving funds for the complete rehabilitation of the Abuja Airport’s runway.
“We must also commend the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, for spearheading the project.
“Initially, there were criticisms but in spite of it, the minister still went ahead because he believed in what he wanted to do,’’ he said.
According to him, as a union, our criticism is not against his person. We criticised him because we needed to get the best out of him as the minister.
“Today, as the airport is being declared open which is a day ahead of the promised date of April 19, we will be seen as partners in progress toward achieving the rehabilitation of Abuja  Airport’s runway,’’ he said.
Abioye expressed optimism that the runway would last the next 10 years before any major rehabilitation would be carried out on it as projected by the contractor that handled the project.
The labour leader also urged government to start the construction of a second runway for the Abuja Airport.
“We are hoping that between now and in the next two to three years, we should have a second runway in Abuja Airport.
“Further to that, the airport should have its own domestic wing.’’ He said.
Abioye said that Nigerians were demanding for a holistic approach where the country would have a full fledged and functional domestic terminal rather than directing local aircraft to the international terminal of the airport to land and take-off.
“Domestic or local aircraft should land and take-off at the domestic terminal while international flights should operate from the international wing of the airport.
“This will give the operators room to bring in more local and international aircraft to the Abuja Airport,’’ he said.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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18 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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19 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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19 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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