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A’ Ibom Airport Staff Training Gulps N2.5bn

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13 years ago

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The Akwa Ibom State Government has completed work on Phase 1 of the Ibom International Airport.

Meanwhile, about N2.5b naira is being spent on the training of engineers and operational staff for the airport’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility.

Chairman, Ibom Airport Project, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), who disclosed this when the National Good Governance Tour Team inspected the facility in Uyo, said Phase 1 of the project comprises the runway, the control tower, the fire bay, the MRO facility and the interim terminal.

He explained that the airport was designed for maintenance and cargo operations, adding that the types of aircrafts expected to be maintained at the facility include Airbus 380, Boeing 747-400 series and Jet-G.

In his remarks, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, stressed the need to have modern facilities that would accommodate Nigeria’s fast growing economy.

He commended the government of Akwa Ibom State for initiating the project, which he said, would add value to Nigeria’s aviation industry.

“We are made to understand that they have already trained many young people all over the country who are already feeding into the aviation system. We hope that this place will be completed in good time so that commercial, and other forms of aircrafts, that are taken out of the country would be maintained here.”

Also, the Akwa Ibom State Government is to build 10,000 housing units, aimed at providing houses for low-income earners in the state.

The first phase of the project, comprising 2000 housing units, is almost completed.

The state’s Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, who disclosed this when the Tour Team inspected the Idu Uruan Mass Housing Estate in Uyo (made up of over 500 housing units), said completed projects include 300 units in Ikot Ekpene, 300 in Eket and 200 units in Ikot Abasi.

Other local government headquarters that benefited from 200 housing units each were Oron and Abak.

Mr. Enoidem said: “We are targeting 10,000 housing units and we are hoping that at completion, they will be given to public servants. It is the intention of this government that all public servants, at retirement, go back to their houses and not rented apartments.”

He disclosed that the state government is now subscribed to the National Housing Fund, which was discontinued in 2002 “to empower public servants, who are contributors, to take advantage of the loan available to buy into this property.”

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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