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Blackout Looms As Electricity Workers Join Labour’s Planned Strike

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The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has directed its members to commence full mobilisation to ensure compliance with the directive of the Nigerian labour unions to embark on an indefinite strike.
NUEE gave the directive in a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, urging its members to comply with the directive and stop work from the early hours of Tuesday.
The NUEE members’ strike could throw the country into darkness, given the workers’ critical roles in electricity distribution in the country.
The NUEE’s call on its members to join the indefinite strike as from 3 October comes on the heels of similar call by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) on its members to withdraw their services, raising fears about possible scarcity of fuel across the country.
Recall that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had on Tuesday announced their plan to embark on an indefinite strike from 3 October over the prevailing hardship due to the removal of subsidy on petrol.
The TUC said, “The strike is to demonstrate our resolve for a truly independent Nigeria; to take our destinies in our own hands and rescue our nation”.
NUEE in the statement urged its members to totally withdraw their services and participate in street protests and rallies.
“Further to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on September 26, 2023 and the Joint Press Conference of Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress over the untold hardships being faced by Nigerians as a consequence of the high price of petroleum resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, as well as other anti-labour policies by the Government, the NLC and TUC have declared an indefinite and total shutdown of the nation beginning on zero hours of Tuesday, 3d October 2023.
“Hence, we are to totally withdraw our services and participate in street protests and rallies until the Government responds to our demands”, it said.
To this effect, it said all national, state and chapter executives are requested “to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive.
“Please note that withdrawal of Services nationwide commences from 0.00 hours of Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
“You are encouraged to work with the leadership of State Executive Councils (SEC) of the Congress in your various States with a view to having a successful action”, the statement concluded.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 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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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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20 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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