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Mixed Reactions Trail FG’s Order On Distribution Of Contraband Rice

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Following the order by the Federal Government that all the contraband rice being seized by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) be distributed among the 36 States in the country to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown, many Nigerians have expressed their views over the order.
While some were of the view that the order was belated, others doubted the sincerity of the Federal Government to evenly distribute the commodity across the 36 states.
Speaking to The Tide on Tuesday, a professional marketer, Gilbert Opurum, said that such seized commodities which have been abandoned by owners for long ought to have been distributed to citizens as palliatives to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus lockdown before now.
According to him, “Such commodities may have been packed at the customs contraband warehouse, lying waste even now that hunger is all over the country for more than two weeks now.
“ If government had been proactive in aspects of citizens’ wellbeing, why wait till now to give such items to the citizens to cushion the effect of lockdown due to Coronavirus?”
In her own opinion, Pastor (Mrs) Mercy Azuatalam expressed concerns on how the commodity would  get down to the targeted masses and the needy, across the country, without being hijacked by politicians for their friends and cronies.
“The idea is good, but you know Nigerians, how they will insincerely take advantage of everything as opportunity to enrich themselves, without minding the downtrodden”, she said.
Meanwhile, a trader at Rumuosi Timber Market, Chimzi Ezekiel, in a chat with our correspondent, lamented over what he described as discrimination by the Federal Government among states, where some states are given preference over others.
He referred to the recent outcry of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, over the neglect of Rivers State in the sharing formula of the COVID-19 palliatives by the Federal Government, saying same should not apply to the rice distribution to the 36 states of the country.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, in a press briefing on Monday, said that President Muhammadu Buhari had given order to distribute all the seized contraband rice to the 36 states to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on the citizenry.

 

Corlins Walter

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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