Connect with us

Business

‘Bayelsa N40bn International Cargo Airport Ready’

Published

7 years ago

on

The Bayelsa State Government said it had spent about N40 billion naira to complete the State International Cargo Airport.
The International Cargo Airport with the longest runway in the country; about 5.6 kilometer, will be commissioned on the 27th August, 2018.
The Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government Mr. Kemela Okara, who disclosed this, Tuesday when he spoke to aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, said the airport would boost the economy of the state.
The Airport project, he further disclosed, had been an expensive one because of the Niger Delta terrain that needed much sand filling and all that was required to make the airport one of the best in the country.
According to Okara, the Bayelsa International Cargo Airport at Amasoma Town, has the longest runway in the country.
He explained that the investment in the airport project, was a classified one and significant because it would serve as a gateway that would take the state to the world.
“When commissioned, the airport will enable people fly directly to the state and also serve as a gateway that will take the state to the world.
According to the SSG, the successes and progress recorded in the airport project and other sectors in the state, was due to the passion the State Governor, Chief Seriake Dickson, had for the transformation of the state right from the inception of the administration in 2012.
The governor, he pointed out, had a clear idea of what to do as to create a positive revolution in the state and especially in the education sector.
“He knew what to do and created a revolution in the education sector when he earmarked about N6 billion in the sector and today, we have the University of Africa and three other universities in addition to so many secondary and primary schools in the state,” he said.
These projects he further explained, was Governor Dickson’s determination to leave a legacy in the state before he leaves office in 2020.
On workers welfare, the SSG disclosed that the Bayelsa State Government was not owing and civil servants in the state.
The state government, he pointed out, had paid the arears of the backlog of salaries owed the civil servants in 2016, when the economic downturn impacted negatively on the state government and the nation in general.
“We have paid all backlog of salaries owed our workers and we are about to recruit over 1000 workers into the Bayelsa State Civil Service.
“We will, however, clear the Civil Services of ghost workers, pay roll fraudsters, and people who were retired but have refused to go as well as the people in the system with fake certificates, hence the bad name calling and propaganda”, he said.
According to him, these people must go as to make way for the now people, no matter the intimidation or protests.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

5 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

5 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

5 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

Trending