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NSC Resists Congestion Charges On Nigerian Bound-Cargoes

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9 years ago

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The Executive Secretary,
Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr Hassan Bello, said the Council was working to stop congestion and other surcharges imposed on Nigerian-bound cargoes by international shipping lines.
Bello stated this at a last Forum in Abuja as maritime activities closed for last week.
He said that two weeks ago, he had a meeting with the carriers in Belgium on several charges, including congestion charges imposed on Nigerian-bound cargoes by foreign shipping lines.
“We need the carriers to be extremely transparent.
“We are against surcharges by the shipping lines, chief of which is the risk charges because of what they called piracy.
“One or two incidents of piracy is not enough to categorise Nigeria as a risk zone,” the executive secretary said.
Bello also talked about cargo diversion, saying that “in the contract of affreightment, it is the shipper who decides’’..
According to him, the shipper will look at the efficiency of a port including costs, documentation and the cargo dwell-time.
He said that cargo diversion was there before now because Nigerian ports were not efficient.
“Nigerian ports are becoming efficient and competitive and Niger Republic and Chad are now moving their cargoes through Nigerian ports,” he said.
According to Bello, more could be done and NSC is working to increase efficiency of Nigerian ports.
In the week under review, the Nigeria Customs Service, Tin-Can Island Command, announced a revenue shortfall of N2.7 billion in the first quarter of 2016 compared with same period of 2015.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Chris Osunkwo, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen.
According to Osunkwo, the command generated N58.9 billion in first quarter of 2016 and N61.6 billion in 2015.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, noted at a Customs and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Forum recently in Lagos, said that the revenue shortfalls were due to Central Bank of Nigeria’s policies.
Ali said that the service recorded a revenue shortfall of N230 billion in the last quarter of 2015.
Also during the week, the Acting  Director-General, Standards Organisatoon of Nigeria (SON), Mr Paul Angya, said that the agency would need 10, 000 additional staff to fight substandard products in the country.

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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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