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Oil Spills: Expert Tasks Operators On Pipeline Integrity

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2 years ago

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An expert in the oil and gas environment, Dr. Henry Adimula, has charged operators in the industry to lookout for the integrity of their oil and gas facilities as part of measures to curb incessant well blowouts and equipment failure leading to environmental damages in the Niger Delta region.
Adimula, who is the Principal and Chief Executive of Petroleum Training Institute, in a chat with newsmen, stated that oil and gas operators must ensure their installations were in top functional state before operations.
It would be recalled that in the last 18 months installations of Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited and Eroton Exploration and Production Limited had suffered well blowouts, lasting several weeks of discharging massive gas and crude oil into the Niger Delta creeks.
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, also recorded leaks on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Ogoni land in period earlier mentioned, which the company admitted was caused by operational failure.
Speaking on vandalism and sabotage, Adimula said the industry players must engage members of host communities to protect their installations, while urging them to first address the root cause of vandalism and sabotage.
According to him, “first, I think, is to look for the root cause. What are the major problems, the challenges we are having in the environment today, oil spill here today or pipeline bursting there tomorrow and all of that.”
He went on to say, “now, one of the things I think that the industry can do is to look at the integrity of the facilities and also to ensure that the facilities are still in a state that they can still function, so that we don’t have pipeline bursting and all of that.
“Then also, the issues of sabotage or damage to the critical infrastructure. The industry can do a lot by engaging local host communities.
“Another reason the PIA should be celebrated is entrusting the management of some of these things to the host communities themselves, so that when you have a say in the industry, now you are better able to protect that facility.
“Now when the activities have caused maybe pollution and all of that, there are so many government agencies that are charged with maybe remediation and managing the process”.

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 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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21 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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21 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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