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Fashola Seeks NERC, Power Stakeholders’ Synergy

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8 years ago

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The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has appealed to power sector stakeholders to co-operate with the Nigerian Electricity and Regulatory Commission (NERC) in performance of its regulatory functions.
Fashola, who made the appeal in Lagos at the 19th power sector operators’ meeting, said that the NERC needed stakeholders’ support to complete regulations for metering service providers and eligible customers.
The Tide source reports that the meeting was hosted by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) at the Akangba 330/132/33KV transmission station.
At another meeting, Fashola had through the NERC, declared customer eligibility regime for some categories of electricity consumers.
The declaration permits electricity customers to buy power directly from the generation companies, which is in line with the provisions of section 27 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005.
The NERC had also provided details of the mini grid regulations for such grid developers in the sector.
The minister said if stakeholders were to cooperate with the NERC, it would fast-track completion of the customer eligibility declaration and the mini-grid regulation permit.
He said the completion would ultimately help distribute the over 6,000 Megawatts (MW) of available power.
Fashola said “from the available 6,000 MW, we are only able to distribute about 4,000 MW because of problems at the distribution end’’.
According to him, the ministry and the regulator are open to useful and practical suggestions from each distribution company (DisCo) on what can be done to help them overcome deficit in their distribution networks.
Fashola said that the provision of mini-grid regulations by the NERC had begun to yield positive results, adding that registration and licensing of mini-grid developers had started.
“The vice-chairman of NERC informed me that a solar-based mini-grid facility will be commissioned in Kigbe Community, Kwali Local Government in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“It is a 20 KW facility that will power 145 households and five businesses. The developer is Havenhill Synergy Ltd.
“I am also aware that there is another one scheduled for completion and commissioning in Kano shortly,’’ he said.
The minister said the Federal Government would continue to support the entire value chain to deliver on the promise of privatisation.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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5 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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5 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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5 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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