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Customs Partners WCO On Border Security

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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reiterated its commitment to enhancing border security and trade facilitation by engaging officers in various capacity-building workshops.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. announced this on Monday, at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada.
This marked the inauguration of a 5-day workshop on “Rules of Origin” co-organised by the Alliance for Trade Facilitation, GIZ, and the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, DCG Abdullahi Musa, CGC Adeniyi welcomed WCO Experts visiting Nigeria to enhance officers’ expertise in trade facilitation and enable their participation in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
DCG Musa stated, “On behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, you are welcome to the opening session of the national workshop on the Rules of Origin, jointly sponsored by the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, GIZ, and WCO Rules of Origin for Africa”.
He stressed the CGC’s commitment to collaborate with development partners for capacity building, emphasizsing the importance of the workshop in strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service.
“So far, the Nigeria Customs Service has been designated the competent authority for issuing Certificates of Origin. Over the next five days, 25 officers will undergo intensive training on the Rules of Origin.
“I declare this workshop open on behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service”, he added.
The lead origin expert for the WCO, Mette Azzam, said the training workshop is an opportunity for excellent collaboration between customs administration, WCO, and GIZ.
She underscored the increasing importance of knowledge on Rules of Origin worldwide, particularly with the proliferation of Free Trade Agreements.
Azam highlighted that determining the value of goods incorrectly could lead to duty payments, even if not as much as expected.
She also highlighted the impact of Rules of Origin on revenue and stressed the need to correctly determine the preferential value of goods to avoid incorrect duty payments.
The Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Strategy, Research, and Policy, ACG Ibrahim Alfa, urged participants to pay attention to the workshop’s teachings, emphasising its significance in enhancing the Service’s efficiency in revenue generation.
ACG Alfa emphasised the importance of correctly determining the preferential value of goods to avoid erroneous duty payments.
He reiterated the workshop’s focus on promoting the Service’s efficiency in revenue generation
He encouraged participants to absorb the knowledge presented, emphasising its relevance to the evolving landscape of international trade agreements.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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