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Gov Lauds NIMASA For Human Capacity Building

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The governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has commended the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its efforts in building human capacity for the Nigerian maritime industry.

The Governor stated this when the Director General/CEO of NIMASA, Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi led the  Management,  and staff of the Agency on a courtesy visit to the Government House Minna.

Governor Aliyu expressed appreciation of the government and people of Niger state over the decision of the Agency to establish an Institute of Maritime Studies at the state owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai saying this is a sure way of correcting the dearth of seafarers globally.

“The world is in short supply of seafarers by about 50 per cent. To build human capacity in this area locally, we must  empower our institutions to contribute to the training of seafarers. I want to assure NIMASA that we would do all that is necessary to support this Institute. Even though you have said NIMASA would sponsor the establishment of this Institute 100 per cent, as a responsible government, we will not hesitate to commit resources to this project if need be”.

The governor who has acquired vast experience of the maritime sector over the years during his appointment as the Director of Maritime Services in the Federal Ministry of Transport and later as its Permanent Secretary observed that the DG of NIMASA has proved everybody wrong by galvanising thoughts with a clear vision of repositioning the maritime sector.

The Governor immediately announced the constitution of a high powered committee led by the Vice Chancellor of IBB University, Professor Ibrahim Adamu Kolo to work with NIMASA to facilitate a smooth take-off of the Institute.

Earlier, the Director General of NIMASA had explained to the governor that the NIMASA team was in the state to express its appreciation to the Government of Niger State for its continous partnership with the Agency in areas of human capacity development in the maritime sector.

Mr. Akpobolokemi informed the governor that the Agency has been granted approval to establish an Institute of Maritime Studies in the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai for the purpose of training seafarers for the award of certificates, diplomas, degrees and post graduate certificates.

He said, “we are here to inform you that the National Assembly has approved our proposal to establish an Institute of Maritime Studies at the IBB University Lapai. The Agency will undertake the construction of the institute which will be in line with global standards and fund it until such a time when we feel it is mature enough to stand on its own. Our desire is to attract the best brains to this Institute through adequate funding to make it trully world class”.

The DG therefore appealed to the government of Niger state and the management of the IBB University to provide a suitable site and ensure a peaceful environment for the establishment of the Institute.

In his vote of thanks, the Vice Chancellor of the IBB University who observed that NIMASA was the first Agency to partner the university in its strategic plan assured the management of NIMASA that every effort would be made to secure the investment of the Agency in the Institute for posterity.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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