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Agents Make Case For SON’s Return To Ports

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14 years ago

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Clearing agents under the aegis of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Clearing Agents (ANCCA) had thrown its weight behind the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) in its current efforts to persuade the federal government to rescind its decision that SON should leave the ports.

The spokesman of the Association Seme Border Chapter, MR Okwochie Emman said the clearing agents were prepared to support SON in its clamour for reinstatement to the seaports.

Okwochie who made the declaration in an exclusive interview with The Tide correspondent at Seme border said the ANCCA needed SON officers for joint inspection of imported consignments.

According to him, agents were not opposed to undertaking joint inspection with SON because the role of the agency in promotion and protection of public health is paramount to national survival.

Okwochie expressed deep regret that the removal of SON from the ports and land borders has created an unhealthy opportunity for large quantities of unwholesome products to escape detection at the ports.

The ANCCA chieftain stressed the need for customs to invite officers of the standards organisation to assess shipping documents in order to forestall influx of spurious products.

Okwochie expressed concern that the country’s international image would be dented by activities of unpatriotic Nigerians and their foreign collaborators who flood Nigerian markets with fake and unwholesome products stressing that the federal government in its wisdom should bring back the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to the nation’s seaports and land borders to track down unscrupulous importers of sub-standard products.

It could be recalled that federal government ordered nine government agencies out of the ports as a measure to eliminate corruption in the sector.

The Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala gave the maching order which sent the standard organization of Nigeria (SON), National Drug Law enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), National  Agency for Food, Drugs and Administration Control (NAFDAC), Plant Quarantine, Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) Directorate of Naval Intelligence (DNI), NESREA, and Police Bomb Disposal unit packing from the nation’s ports.

The agencies approved by the minister to remain in the ports are Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which has statutory functions.

Others are, the customs service, port Health, Immigration Service, State Security service (SSS), and the Port Police Command.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 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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4 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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4 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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