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FG, Committed To Building NLNG Train 7-Minister

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The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun says the Federal Government is committed to supporting the commencement of the Train-7 initiative of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant.
Adeosun stated this during a visit to the NLNG plant in Finima, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers, yesterday
She said the most important critical need from the government as a shareholder was the support for the investment to commence.
“That has been very critical and we have been for that approval and with the support for commencement, it signals that the government has been committed to Train-7.
“It’s very important to note that the government has done many things that signal its commitment to sustaining this investment in the NLNG and being part of its success story,” she said.
Adeosun said she was in Bonny to inspect the NLNG facility that had been generating huge revenue in taxes and dividends to the government.
Describing the facility as  impressive and a modern hi-tech plant, the minister said:
“We saw the old Trains 1 to 6, and the space for the incoming Train-7 which has the potential of creating 10,000 jobs in the next nine months.
“The jobs to be created will be sustainable for the next five to six years  and this is extremely exciting because the multiplier effects will be huge.’’
She also described the trip to the plant as very revealing, adding that more people would build houses and land value would go up.
The minister said that the federal government had made fiscal changes to enhance the competitive position of the NLNG by removing the disparity in VAT in tax treatment between imported and local Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
“That will give an additional market share to NLNG-produced LPG, and of course it is a major objective that the management has campaigned for and the Federal Executive Council has approved it.
“So, we expect greater market share to the NLNG;  of course, that has knock-on effects, it stops people from using firewood to cook, it stops deforestation.
“It has a lot of environmental benefits as well as more revenue to the NLNG,” she said.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Mr Tony Attah,  commended the minister for visiting the plant.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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