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Safety Engineers Honour NCAA Boss
For ensuring safety standards in the aviation industry, the Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, has bagged an Honorary Fellowship of the prestigious Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE).
A statement from the NCAA obtained at the weekend, revealed that the DG has over 44 years of experience as an aviator, with impeccable safety credentials, and that two other staff of the Authority were also conferred with the Fellowship of the Institution.
They are: Engr. Ini Udofia, a Technical Assistant; and Engr. Dr. Iteke C. Ifeanyi, who is the General Manager, Air Operator Certification and Surveillance.
According to the statement, the National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE), Engr. Oluseun Faluyi (FNSE) conferred the Fellowships on behalf of the Institution at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
Shortly before the conferment of the Fellowship, the Chairman noted that the institution recognized that many regulators, such as the NCAA, have engineers who are engaged in ensuring public safety, which is a cardinal responsibility of any responsible government, the release highlighted.
“That is why we believe that you should be part of this professional circle of trust, where knowledge-sharing and technical expertise drive continuous improvement in safety standards.
“We see an opportunity for greater collaboration between the NCAA and NiSafetyE”, he said.
In his response, Najomo said the aviation industry is where safety is paramount, adding that the unique roles of safety engineers, and indeed other safety professionals such as pilots, air traffic controllers and occupational safety & health personnel cannot be overemphasized.
“From designing safer systems and structures to implementing robust safety management practices, indeed safety engineering is the backbone of aviation safety.
“It is through strategic collaboration, continuous innovation, and unwavering commitment to safety standards that we can achieve safer skies for all” he noted.
He said he recognized the pivotal role that the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers can play in advancing safety engineering practices.
The NCAA boss also said he sees an excellent opportunity for synergy and deeper collaboration between his agency and the Institution.
“Together, we can enhance our safety frameworks, share best practices, and develop capacity-building programmes that empower the next generation of safety professionals”, he affirmed.
Corlins Walter
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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.
