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Kaduna Residents Accuse Refinery Of Pollution

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11 years ago

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Some residents of Tsaunin Kura GRA, Unguwan Bulus, Kantin Aga and Unguwan Matari in Kaduna State have expressed worry over poisonous substances being emitted from the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

The residents complained that the pollution was making life unbearable for them.

A resident of Tsaunin Kura GRA, Mr Jonah Isua, said the odour from the substances being released by the KRPC was making breathing difficult for them.

“If we are eating, it is like we are swallowing the substance along with the food. If you keep water in an open basin it will be covered by soot-like substance.

“Every morning and evening, the gas always covers the area like dangerous mist, making it difficult for us to breath,” he said.

A poultry farmer at Kamazoo, Grace Tachio, said the emission was affecting her birds, making them not to eat well.

“We are calling on the government and management of Kaduna refinery to take immediate measures to stop the gas flaring, because what we are inhaling is poisonous and capable of killing us all,” she said.

Also, another resident, Ronti George said, “Industrial pollution now deserves due attention from environmentalists in the state.

“I am surprised that this has been happening for weeks now and nobody has said or done anything about it.”

In his reaction, the Coordinator, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency in the state, Malam Sherif Ibrahim, said the agency was already looking into the problem.

“The issue of gas flaring is affecting the environment and we are on top of the situation.

“We are assuring the residents of the area that we will meet and advise the management of the refinery on the problem,” he said.

Responding to the complaints, the Public Affairs Manager of KRPC, Alhaji Abdullahi Idris, acknowledged the problem but said measures had been taken by the company to address it.

According to him, the the substance being released into the environment is not toxic and therefore not be harmful.

He said, “It was released inadvertently. We have identified the source of the leak and we are in the process of clean up.”

Idris said the company was working in collaboration with officials of NESREA, and the state Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the area.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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5 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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5 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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5 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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