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Covid-19 Task Force Visits PH Airport Ahead Of International Flight Resumption …Newsmen Barred From Airport 

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4 years ago

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The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has visited the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa to assess facilities and level of preparedness for the resumption of international flights operations.
The visit came ahead of the reopening of the international terminal of the airport scheduled for April 15, this year.
Recall that the airport, along with others in the country, suspended international operations due to the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Confirming the visit and the presence of the task force at the airport, last Friday, the acting Head of Corporate Affairs of the airport, Mr Kunle Akinbode, said that members of the Presidential Task Force were on ground to ensure that necessary facilities were put in place before the international terminal is reopened.
According to him, the task force was determined to ensure that the standard protocol for Covid-19 is adhered to without any form of compromise.
“It does not matter the kind of treatment or reception you give to them, they will ensure that the proper thing is done and that the airport will be scored based on what is available to meet the standard for reopening.
“If such standard are not met, there is no way they will allow the airport to reopen for international flights operations, because it is an international flights operations business”, he said.
Akinbode recalled that it took extra efforts of the airport management, in terms of finance and other logistics, for the domestic wing of the airport to reopen after the lockdown period.
He said that the task force has a checklist of the standard requirements for resumption of international operations, explaining that any deficiency might disqualify the airport from resumption, except firm promise is made to provide such within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Akinbode has said that newsmen would no longer be allowed to operate at the airport, explaining that  there is no more accommodation for the media at the airport.
He told the airport correspondents that the directives to that effect was from the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of the Federal Airport Agency of Nig-eria, Mrs Herrietta Yakubu.
Akinbode said aviation correspondents would now operate virtually, adding that similar mode of operation is obtainable in other airports in the country.
By: Corlins Walter
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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days 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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2 days 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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2 days 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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