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Host Communities Vow To Protect Facilities At Rivers Port Complex

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The host communities of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Rivers Port Complex, Port Harcourt, have vowed to protect the facilities from any act of vandalisation and piracy attacks in the state.
The communities also commended the management of NPA, led by Hadiza Bala Usman, for impacting positively on the lives of the communities in area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The Chairman, Bundu — Ama Community in Port Harcourt Local Government Area (LGA), Chief William Addoh, disclosed this to The Tide shortly after recieving 35 giant Deep Freezers donated by the management of NPA to the community.
Addoh, who received the items alongside with Okari Ama, Community Development Chairman, CDC, Ezekiel Okari, who also received 80 Grinding Machines, thanked NPA for impacting positively on the needs of his communities.
He noted that the communities would ensure the peaceful cooperation with the Port and vowed to protect its facilities.
Addoh, who expressed happiness that the port had started recording increase in container traffics, said the era of insecurity and piracy had gone in the complex.
The Bundu Ama Chieftain noted that with peace and cooperation that existed between the host and NPA, they would partner with the port in tackling acts of vandalism and piracy in the complex.
The communities also appealed to NPA to empower and provide employment for its teeming unemployed youths.
Earlier, Port Manager, Rivers Port Complex, Engr Yunusa Ibrahim Anji, thanked the communities for the cordial relationship with the port.
Anji, who described the items as part of its CSR to the host, said the era of crisis and attacks on the vessels had gone.
“We appreciate your cooperation with the port, this is part of our Corporate social responsibility (CSR)”.
The Manager said that NPA would continue to impact on lives of its host in order to alleviate sufferings in the communities even as he urged the youths to shun act of violence with the port.

 

Chinedu Wosu

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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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