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‘Shippers Committed To Fair Port Operations’

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7 years ago

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The Nigerian Shippers Council says it is collaborating with relevant government agencies to ensure compliance to trade laws, guidelines and clearance procedures in line with international best practices.
The Executive Secretary of the council, Mr Hassan Bello said this at a seminar on “Compliance to trade laws by shippers, clearing agents at seaports and borders posts” in Onitsha last Wednesday.
Bello said there was ongoing crusade to sanitise the shipping industry from corrupt practices occasioned by unpatriotic, unprofessionalism and unwholesome attitudes of some shippers, freight forwarders and other service providers.
According to him, the council will partner with some government agencies to ensure that policies are streamlined to encourage fair trade practices, revenue generation and blockade of revenue leakages.
Bello, represented by Chief Cajetan Agu, the Deputy Director, Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Division of the Council reiterated the need to safeguard the country against importation of illicit goods.
“The resultant effects of non-compliance would invariably translate to delays in clearance of cargo, extra cost of cargo clearance, total loss of cargo, loss of credibility by shippers and freight forwarders.
“It will further translate to diversion of cargo to competing neighbouring ports and massive loss of revenue and adversely affect per capita income of the country,” he said.
In a remark, the National President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Increase Uche, lauded the Federal Government’s inauguration of the Kaduna Cargo Dry Port.
Uche however, appealed to the government to fast track those of Onitsha, Aba and Jos ports.
The South-East Zonal Coordinator of the Council, Mrs Ify Okolue, said the seminar was organised for stakeholders on realities and dangers inherent in non-compliance to rules and regulations in international trade.
Okolue assured stakeholders in the shipping sector, particular those in the South-East that the council was committed to the success of businesses through the provision of qualitative service delivery at all times.
In a lecture, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture Mr Muda Yusuf, noted that 90 per cent of ships that brought imported goods into the country went back empty.
Yusuf urged stakeholders to always be conversant with the trending international commercial laws and custom rules.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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13 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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14 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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14 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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