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Bayelsa Residents Groan Under Epileptic Power Supply

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8 years ago

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In spite of claims of huge investments to improve power supply in all local government areas of Bayelsa State, residents have decried the poor power supply in the state.
The State Commissioner for Power, Mr Ogbolo Jim, at the on-going Inter-Ministerial and Agency briefing in Yenagoa last Thursday, said the state government had invested over N2 billion to improve power supply.
The briefing, which was organised by the state Ministry of Information, was to enlighten the public on the achievements of Gov. Seriake Dickson in the past six years.
Speaking on the governor’s score card on energy, Jim explained that the government had carried out a lot of projects in order to boost electricity supply.
The commissioner said government had so far carried out the construction and rehabilitation of 48 electrical projects within the six years in office.
He said that another 25 projects, awarded by the administration, were ongoing and were aimed at improving power supply.
“The state government has connected almost all the local governments to the national grid including, Kolokuma/Opukuma, Ogbia, Yenagoa, among others,” Jim said .
The residents and participants, who reacted during the briefing, expressed worry over what they described as the epileptic power supply being experienced in the state.
They said that for some weeks now, Yenagoa and other parts of the state had not had electricity supply.
The State Chairman of Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr Agrey Wilson, urged the state government to step up plans to ensure development in the power sector.
Wilson decried the way the residents were suffering due to poor electricity supply and appealed for urgent attention to boost the state economy.
Mr George Edimedi, another participant, urged government to ensure the security of the electric installations to curtail hoodlums’ activities.
Responding, the Managing Director of the Bayelsa State Electricity Company, Mr Olice Kemenanabo, said government was not unaware of the poor power supply, saying it was caused by hoodlums.
Kemenanabo said that the state government was installing a 3KVA transformer at Agbede/Oboni sub-station and other communities.
“There is an ongoing construction of a new modern switchgear substation that will provide adequate power supply to the state and I must announce that by September, the state will be experiencing steady power supply.
“The improvement will be based on the investment of Gov. Dickson in the power sector.
“When the construction work is completed on the 24 megawatts plant, the state will be expecting about 100 megawatts of electricity.
“We are expecting a great improvement so that those that are doing business in the state can have adequate power supply,” Kemenanabo 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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