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2017: Stakeholders Task Customs On Improved Services

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9 years ago

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Some maritime
stakeholders have called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to improve its services in order to facilitate trade at the ports.
The stakeholders told newsmen in Lagos that the NCS needed, as a matter of urgency, to upgrade its scanners at the ports.
They said most of the automated scanners in the ports had become obsolete and needed to be replaced.
Mr Lucky Amiwero, President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agent (NCMDLCA), said it was not to remind the NCS on what to do as they knew what they ought to do.
“There is a policy to conduct cargo examination via automated means by the use of scanners to ease service delivery and facilitate trade.
“But today how many of those machines can the Customs rely on for examination.
“We end up doing 100 per cent physical examination of cargoes in our ports, which for all intents and purposes delays operations,” Amiwero said.
He explained that the NCS lacked the will to put progressive measures in place at the ports, adding that the NSC was not unaware of what needed to be done.
Amiwero said that as players, it would continue to remind the NCS to make the sector responsive.
Also speaking on the issue, Joe Nnamocha, former executive of the Association of Nigeria Customs Licensed Agents (ANCLA), said that he expected the NCS to be proactive in 2017.
“I wish to see a NCS that aids export trade to help the country bounce back in its revenue generation to shore-up the country’s dwindling crude oil fortunes.
“Some of us who are making attempts to get into the export business have constraints put in place by the customs,” Nnamocha said.
Mr Tony Uzum, the Managing Director of Kizito Maritime Agency Ltd, said undue delays caused by officers not being at their duty post should be dealt with.
“The attitude is common in bonded warehouses located outside Apapa.
“Such delays in examining cargoes at bonded warehouses is rubbing negatively on the service of the NCS,” Uzum said.
The Tide source reports that Prince Olayiwola Shittu, the ANCLA National President, had earlier called for a replacement of the scanners at the ports.
Meanwhile, the NCS Public Relations Officer, Mr Wale Adeniyi, said that the service would soon make public some measures it would take to improve its services in 2017.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 days 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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4 days 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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4 days 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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