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DPR Urges Facilities Upgrade In Filling Stations

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8 years ago

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The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has called on the operators of substandard filling stations in Zamfara to upgrade their  facilities or lose their operational licences.
Alhaji Isah Tafida, the DPR Operations Controller,  Kaduna Zonal Office,  gave this advice in an interview with newsmen in Gusau on Thursday.
“Despite our repeated warnings to owners of these stations, we still have many filling stations that are substandard while some of them appear to have been abandoned.
“We have been calling on them to upgrade their facilities but many of them are not complying with our directives.
“Therefore, we will step up our surveillance activities to focus on them and ensure that they comply with the rules and regulations on that matter.
“We will not renew the license of any substandard station until it upgrades the station to the standards acceptable to the DPR,” he said.
The controller also advised filling stations to do away with any hot substances or inflammable materials, and abide strictly with the DPR rules and regulations.
“In some cases, a pump of fuel may need to be cooled with water before it can operate due to overheat.
“We all know the consequences of having hot object in an environment laden with inflammable gases, as it may result in fire outbreak, which may lead to loss of lives and property.
“The safety of lives and property is very importance to the DPR, therefore, we will not allow anybody to flout safety rules and regulations.
“For safety reason, we will also stop filling stations with such pumps; we are therefore advising the station operators to replace such pumps in order not to endanger lives and property,” he added.
Tafida also  urged petroleum marketers to always ensure that they operate in accordance with the set  standards and in line with the DPR rules and regulations.
The Tide gathered  that the controller held a sensitisation meeting with petroleum marketers and other stakeholders with a view to addressing the challenges in the industry.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Sirajo Kamba, the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Gusau Depot Unit, has lauded the visit of  the DPR officials.
Kamba called on  his members to maintain standards and ensure the safety of the filling stations.
The chairman, who made this call  in an interview with newsmen, said the association would ensure that defaulting filling stations make amends in view of  the importance of safety and set standards.

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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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18 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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18 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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