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LASPEC Tasks NAICOM, PenCom On Insurance Hiccups

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The Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) has urged the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and National Pension Commission (PenCom) to eliminate practices militating against the growth of the industry.
Director-General of LASPEC, Mrs Folashade Onanuga made the call at the just concluded Insurance and Pension Conference organised by National Association of Insurance and Pension Correspondents (NAIPCO) in Lagos last Thursday.
She said that eliminating the challenges would bring sanity to the industry and attract more Nigerians into the insurance net.
The D-G said the theme of the conference: Legislation of Pensions and Insurance, Intrigues, Interest, Governance and the People’ would enable experts suggest solutions to enhance the sectors’ contributions to economic growth.
According to her, annuity providers need to know how to do legitimate business while marketing a product and not behaving like fraudsters.
“Some insurance agents now stand by the roadside as if they are waiting for a prey, unfortunately, there are too many  frauds in the system.
“The competition between life insurers and Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) needed to be healthier otherwise the ultimate consumers will lose confidence in them.
“Such competition contravene the transparency the 2004 Pension Reform Act (PRA) advocated for as human thinking will suggest that the fighting is to gain market share.
“This means the product is more to the benefit of the operator  than consumers,’’ she said.
The LASPEC boss expressed dismay that some life insurance companies invited retirees to programme using the name LASPEC.
“Sometimes, agents will pose as relatives of retirees to programmes to exit discussion between retirees and PFAs,’’ she said.
The Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), Alhaji Mohammed Kari said that the commission had widened its regulatory and supervisory roles on insurance entities.
Kari, represented by Mr Pius Popoola, the Head of Authorisation and Policy, said the roles were aimed at building the confidence of policy holders.
The commissioner said the roles would also eradicate abominable ethics and promote the safety and soundness of the insurance industry.
He said that the commission would work closely with the industry and other stakeholders, especially co-regulators in the financial services sector.
“This would promote a healthy insurance industry within the existing legislation,’’ he said .

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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