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Food Dealers Exploit Alternative Routes To Rivers, S’ South States

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5 years ago

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The Hausa community foodstuff dealers in Rivers State, say they have started to arrange for alternative routes through which they supply foodstuffs from the northern part of the country to Rivers State and other South South states.
The group said it was taking this decision given the level of damage, killing and disruption of movement they have suffered on the South East route, particularly when there is any form of riot like the recent ‘EndSARS’ protest that was hijacked.
Leader of the Hausa community in Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim Maisundu, who disclosed this while speaking on a live radio interview in Port Harcourt on Monday, said his group had decided to use alternative routes in order to safeguard the lives and properties of the foodstuff dealers.
According to him, arrangements are on top gear to begin to use the Benin/Warri axis to transport foodstuffs down to Port Harcourt and other South South areas.
He debunked the rumour making the rounds that foodstuff dealers decided not to supply foodstuffs to Rivers State, saying the irregular supply was caused by insecurity on the South East routes.
“We don’t have problems with Rivers State and South South in our supply of foodstuffs. We have problems with the South East.
“Over 100 of our trailers were stopped in the South East in this recent disturbances and protests, and the foodstuffs being carried have been damaged especially those that are perishable, and some trucks vandalized or damaged.
“We are working seriously on alternative routes through Warri, and we want to stop the supply of foodstuffs to South East, except the governor of Abia State calls Arewa to a meeting.
“This issue has affected those that deal on onions very badly, and you can imagine that right now, a bag of onions now costs N80,000 in the Port Harcourt market. Who will like to buy, and how will people cook food without onions?
“We are appealing to the Rivers State Government to provide security for our people. We know that this state is a peaceful state and we have been living here doing our business for a long time without any problem.
“Very soon, everything will be okay, and trailers will start coming in to Rivers State, and normal food supply will be restored as usual, and we want regular food supply in this state “, Maisundu said.

 

By: Corlins Walter

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 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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20 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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20 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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