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DPR Seals 42 Illegal Gas Stations In A’Ibom

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6 years ago

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The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Akwa Ibom State sealed 42 illegal gas stations for safety reasons between January and February.
DPR Operations Controller, Mr Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sundaye, said the department had also forced 80 per cent of illegal gas stations off the streets in the state.
Kingsley-Sundaye said this yesterday during an interactive session with newsmen in Eket Local Government area of Akwa Ibom.
He said that most of the illegal gas operators had left the streets because they could not meet up with the required operational standards.
“Those that are doing illegal refilling points, over decorating their shops without ventilation are visually off the streets of Akwa Ibom.
“There are positive response for re-sellers, if you go to Uyo, you will see a good number of gas plant operators doing cylinder exchange instead of discounting which is illegal and not required by any standard,” he said.
Kingsley-Sundaye said that a good number of those doing illegal gas stations had left the business to venture into other areas.
He said that the department made them to understand that refilling of gas cylinders stops at the depot and not shops on the streets.
The operations controller said that illegal gas stations were not springing up or expanding, but their business were getting smaller.
“The good thing is that the market is not spreading again, we are trying to resolve the problems that is already created by their increase.
“The department goes to them to enlighten them on the inherent dangers of their operations and we are getting results,” he said.
Kingsley-Sundaye said the department had sensitised Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) operators to ensure that their facilities were constructed, operated and maintained in accordance with the approved technical standards.
He said that henceforth, applications of LPG operators and gas owners would be done online to ease their registration.
He said the department would visit facilities of gas operators to check access and check their safety in the state in the second quarter of the year.
“We will access them and look at the safety provision that are there that will enable them operate safely and the ones that do not meet up the standard, we either ask to upgrade them or ask them to stop for the time being until they do the right thing,” he said.
Kingsley-Sundaye advised landlords to stop giving shops to people operating illegal gas stations in order to guard safety of life and property.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 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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3 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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3 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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