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NDLEA, NIMASA Strengthen Cooperation Against Drug Trafficking
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has recommited to supporting the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking within Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), emphasized this during a courtesy visit by the NDLEA to the NIMASA Towers in Lagos.
Speaking during the visit, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, commended the NDLEA for its remarkable achievements in combating drug-related crimes across Nigeria.
He pledged NIMASA’s commitment to collaborating with the NDLEA to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain against illicit shipment of drugs.
“We are glad to welcome the NDLEA team, led by Brig. Gen. Marwa, whose exemplary leadership has brought significant progress in the fight against illicit drugs.
“NIMASA is firmly committed to partnering with the NDLEA to tackle the menace of drug trafficking, particularly through our nation’s ports and terminals.
“Together, we can ensure that the Nigerian maritime domain is not exploited for criminal activities”, Mobereola stated.
Responding, Marwa expressed gratitude for the warm reception and emphasized the need for collaboration to address the rising threat of drug trafficking through maritime channels.
“As the agency responsible for controlling drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria, we recognize that this task requires collaboration with critical stakeholders like NIMASA.
“The global maritime space has increasingly become a conduit for the illegal movement of drugs, and we are keen to work with NIMASA to address this challenge”, he said.
He continued that “Recent seizures of illicit drugs transported through Lagos ports underscore the need for joint efforts to secure our ports. Within the NDLEA, we have established a Marine Command to focus on this emerging threat.
“We propose close collaboration between this unit and NIMASA, particularly through the Deep Blue Project, to enhance the protection of Nigeria’s maritime space”.
The NDLEA Chairman also pledged the agency’s support in sensitizing NIMASA staff and cadets under the National Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) on the dangers of drug abuse.
Mobereola assured Marwa that NIMASA would explore avenues to integrate NDLEA personnel into the existing maritime security architecture, particularly the Deep Blue Project.
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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.
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.
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.
