National News
Passports: Nigerians in diaspora suggest 3-point actions to sustain supply

Passports: Nigerians in diaspora suggest 3-point actions to sustain supply
Nigerians in New York, U.S, have written the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, suggesting three steps for the Federal Government to sustain the improvement achieved in providing adequate booklets to missions abroad.
The letter was jointly signed by Mr Francis James, a board member of the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN) and leaders of other 16 Nigerian associations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the associations had on July 5 wrote to Aregbesola informing him about the scarcity of passport booklets in Nigerian Consulates and embassies in the U.S.
A copy of the letter, made available to NAN in New York on Monday commended the minister for his timely intervention in making passport booklets available to Nigerian missions in the U.S., adding that the Consular Officers had responded very well to Nigerians seeking services.
“We must not allow ineffective processes to put Nigerians at odds with one another. Our Consular staff members deserve the support of our home government, to ensure they deliver good services to their fellow Nigerians.
“To ensure ongoing improvements, we are requesting your Excellency to Keep the commitment to provide adequate passport booklets to clear backlogs at all processing locations by August 31, 2022.
“To improve the passport processing chain, so from application to issuance is completed within a reasonable time frame of not more than three months.
“Also, to hold Innovate1services, the vendor managing the payment portal, accountable to improve their service and deliver a more customer friendly platform to Nigerians,’’ they stated.
By taking the above three steps, they believed that the Nigerian Community would be better served, friction between Consular and non-Consular Nigerians would be reduced, and Nigerians would not be apprehensive when applying for consular services.
According to them, Nigerian Consulate in New York in particular, has come a long way in improving consular services to the Nigerian community, and could be used as a model to improve services at other locations.
The associations, however, thanked the minister for responding to their initial call for the release of adequate passport booklets to enable Embassies and Consulates meet the passport demand of Nigerians in the diaspora.
“We commend your commitment to ensure enough passport booklets are supplied to clear backlogs by the end of August, 2022.
“We are aware that Consulates and the Embassy in the United States have resumed production of regular E-Passport for applications received prior to July 5, and processing of Enhanced E-Passport for applications received after July 5.
“We appeal to you to continue monitoring the situation, to make sure our Embassies and Consulates receive adequate passport booklets to clear their backlogs on or before August 31, 2022.’’
They also thank the minister and his team for increasing the number of daily appointment slots on the central appointment portal from 50 to 100, or to whatever capacity each Consulate and Embassy can handle.
NAN reports that OAN had on June 29, held a virtual Town Hall meeting to discuss the challenges Nigerians faced in getting passports and deliberated on ways to address the challenges.
OAN had summoned the meeting based on the information that prior to June 28, passport issuance had stopped for four weeks at the Consulate in New York, according to James, OAN liaison with the Nigeria Consulate in New York.
The meeting agreed that a letter would be written to the minister of interior and other key relevant officials to communicate the resolutions from the meeting.
Passports: Nigerians in diaspora suggest 3-point actions to sustain supply
National News
VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Dakar, Senegal, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the country’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary celebrations.
Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4 each year, commemorating its freedom from French colonial rule in 1960. The day is marked by national pride, with ceremonies, parades and cultural events.
The Vice President’s attendance at the annual event is in honour of an invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, following the strong mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.
The independence Day celebrations will be held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, with President Faye playing host to Vice President Shettima and other distinguished guests from across Africa and beyond.
The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria tomorrow after the one-day event.
VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary
National News
President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima
- Tasks Nigerians on constructive criticism of government actions, policies
By: Our Reporter
Wife of Nigeria’s Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, has scored the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu very high, saying the President is building a better Nigeria for Nigerians through his laudable economic policies, various empowerment initiatives and investments in key sectors of the economy.
And to help the President secure a better future for all Nigerians, the VP’s wife also encouraged the citizens not to relent in giving very useful advice to the government, urging them to be more constructive in their criticism of the administration instead of just attacking for political reasons.

Hajiya Nana Shettima spoke on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during the annual Ramadan feast, which had in attendance women groups and students
Emphasizing the determination of the Tinubu administration to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, she said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is baking a new cake for us that are alive today, and for the Nigerian children and grandchildren that are coming behind us. It is who he is ably supported by our lovely First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.”

Hajiya Nana Shettima noted that the President means well for the people of Borno State as well as Nigerians in all parts of the country, even as she urged the citizens to always pray for President Tinubu and members of his cabinet.
“I can tell you that he (the President) means well, not only for Borno people but for the entire nation. We should not forget him and his subordinates in our prayers,” she added.
She further commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contributions towards actualizing the agenda of the administration, especially through the Renewed Hope Initiative which she said has impacted many lives, including women, children and people with disabilities.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of Maryam Babangida Centre for Women Development, Abuja, Dr Asabe Bashir, admonished women and the people of Borno State to imbibe the teachings of the just concluded Ramadan.
She also sought the people’s support and prayers for President Tinubu, thanking the President for picking his deputy from Borno State.
She said, “I always reiterate the importance of prayer because without prayers we can do nothing in life. We have just come out of Ramadan; let us imbibe that culture and lessons we received during the 29-day fast. We need to continue with the spiritual reflection.
“We should thank God and President Bola Tinubu for remembering the people of Borno State again by bringing the seat of the Vice President, not just to the North-East region but to Borno State after Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was elected along with the late Chief MKO Abiola so many years ago.
“We must continue to pray for the administration of President Bola Tinubu because if it succeeds, we succeed,” Dr Bashir added.
On his part, the Speaker, Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Tijjani Abubakar, thanked President Tinubu for his support to Nigerian youths through various youth empowerment initiatives.
Also, Dr Martins Ekunke, who spoke on behalf the South-South, Yoruba and Igbo communities residing in Borno State, commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for galvanizing support for people living with HIV/AIDS through her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative.
Among those that attended the annual Sallah feast hosted by Hajiya Shettima, were the wife of the Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Maryam Lawan; wife of the Deputy Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Laure Musa-Askira; female Commissioners and political appointees.
Also in attendance were women groups, members of the Borno State chapter of the Nationals Association of Nigerian Students, as well as the leaders of South-South, Igbo and Yoruba communities residing in Borno State, among others.
President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima
National News
UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala

UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala
By: Michael Mike
The National Headquarters of University of Ilorin Alumni Association has lauded President Bola Tinubu for appointing three of its members into various leadership positions in the country.
Those appointed were Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs Kemi Nandap,, whose tenure was elongated till December 2026, Non Executive Director of NNPC, representing North Central, Mr Babs Omotowa- and the Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Prof. James A. Aribisala.
In a congratulatory message to the trio, the National President, Prof. AbdulRasaq Kilani, and the National Secretary, Dr Barakat Raji, said the Association received the news of the appointments with excitement.
The Alumni, who commended President Tinubu for selecting the best for their various positions, assured him that the three alumni would not disappoint him in attaining the goals set for them to achieve.
While felicitating with the appointed members on their well-deserved appointment, the Association charged them to always show the excellence in them in surpassing the targets set for them by Mr President.
The Association who extolled the pedigrees of the appointed members in their various fields, implored them to live up to the expectations of the slogan of the institutions “better by far” in all ramifications.
The Alumni then prayed for their successful tenure and tasked them not to hesitate to reach out to them whenever their services are needed in any capacity towards national development.
UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala
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