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Rail Line, Panacea To Apapa Gridlock -NPA Boss

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10 years ago

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The Managing Director
of Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi, has said that the provision of adequate rail lines connecting the ports with major cities in Nigeria remains a major panacea to the perennial problems of gridlock in Apapa area of Lagos State.
MallamAbdullahi made this assertion while speaking at a stakeholder’s forum with the Senate Committee on Maritime held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos recently.
The NPA boss said his organization is the most affected and  urged for immediate attention from the Federal Government.
The Managing Director recalled that the rail lines used to convey cargoes from the ports to other parts of the country are no longer functioning, adding that the resuscitation of these services will further reduce the hardship being faced by commuters and other stakeholders.
According to him, transportation of petroleum products by rail from the ports to the North, particularly Kano, which he witnessed as a youth no longer exist and therefore called on the relevant authorities to rise up to this challenge.
While pledging the readiness of the authority to complement the efforts of other agencies whose responsibilities it is to provide the needed facilities, he suggested that petroleum products could be piped from the ports to other destinations if the pipelines are also made right.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee and former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Yerima Ahmed Sani,  said the committee has embarked on the exercise as a result of the resolutions passed by the Senate expressing concern about the gridlock and the committee will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the problem of gridlock in Apapa is solved.
Having gone on inspection tour of the 400 capacity truck bay opposite Tin Can Island second gate, the chairman added that the sum of N1.5bn which the government is yet to pay the contractor is said to be the cause of the delay in the completion of the project. He said that the appropriate agency had been contacted to bring forward the matter for settlement.
Senator Sani called on all stakeholders to come up with suggestions on how best to combat the menace, pointing out that whatever affects the efficiency of the port operations affects the nation’s economy.

 

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic,  Lagos

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 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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21 hours 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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21 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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