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Election: NRC Halts Train Services From Saturday to Monday

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Ahead of the Saturday, February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has declared the suspension of train services for three days.

NRC’s spokesman, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday announced that the train services involved are: Abuja-Kaduna, Warri-Itakpe, Lagos-Ibadan and Iddo, Lagos-Ijoko interstate mass transit service.

The highlighted rail services would be halted from Saturday, February 25 to Monday, February 27 and resume on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Investors King had learnt.

According to Yakubu, the suspension was declared for citizens to participate in the  presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

The commission urged Nigerians to fully exercise their franchise and reiterated its commitment to quality service delivery.

To further improve rail services in Nigeria, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo harped on the unbundling of the Nigerian Railway Corporation in accordance with the purpose of which it was set up.

Sambo called for its reform as part of the ongoing projects in the transportation sector for better services.

He stated that the reform will enable the Nigerian railway stations to deliver top-notch services that can stand globally which will in turn boost the nation’s economy.

“One of the things I will like to see as the Minister of Transportation, through MOFI is the unbundling of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).  There is a Committee set up to unbundle NRC and I will urge you to work with the existing Committee.

“I don’t want the NRC staff to see the unbundling of the NRC as a threat to their jobs.  If we have a better-performing NRC, then we are going to have better salaries for its workers, better working conditions for its workers, more revenue for the FG and therefore the ability to even build more rail networks,” the minister said.

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IATA Reveals 16.6% Rise in Global Flight Demand for January 2024

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has unveiled statistics indicating a surge in global flight demand for January 2024.

According to the latest report released by the IATA, passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, rose by 16.6%.

This surge was particularly pronounced in international air travel with a 20.8% increase in demand. Simultaneously, capacity saw a 20.9% boost, resulting in a load factor of 79.7%.

Domestically, demand rose by 10.4% with a capacity increase of 4.6%, and a notable 4.2 percentage point surge in load factor, reaching 80.2%.

Willie Walsh, the Director General of IATA, expressed optimism about the industry’s resilience despite prevailing economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

He emphasized the crucial role of aviation as a catalyst for economic growth, urging governments to adopt policies that facilitate cost reduction, enhance efficiency, and advance towards the ambitious target of achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

African airlines notably observed an 18.5% surge in traffic, albeit with a slight decline in load factor to 73.3%.

The report also highlighted China’s robust domestic demand driven by Lunar New Year travel, prompting carriers to increase capacity, particularly through wide-body jet deployment.

As the aviation industry charts a course into 2024, the robust start to the year signals resilience amidst challenges, with stakeholders eyeing sustainable growth and innovation to navigate the evolving landscape of global air travel.

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Nigeria Excluded as UAE Unveils 5-Year Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa to offer increased flexibility for travelers.

However, Nigeria finds itself excluded from this favorable arrangement due to the strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The new visa policy enables tourists from eligible nations to enter and exit the UAE multiple times over a five-year period, provided they spend at least 90 days in the country during each visit.

It aims to enhance tourism and facilitate business interactions, aligning with the UAE’s vision of becoming a global economic hub.

Nigeria’s exclusion from the five-year visa offering stems from a series of diplomatic disputes and travel restrictions between the two nations.

In 2022, the UAE abruptly halted the issuance of visas to Nigerian citizens, along with those from 19 other African countries, without providing detailed explanations.

This move disrupted travel and business ties between the nations, including the suspension of flights by Emirates Airline from Nigeria due to financial disputes.

While the UAE’s new visa scheme promises increased ease of travel and extended stays for tourists, Nigerians remain sidelined from these benefits.

The exclusion underscores the need for diplomatic efforts to mend relations and restore normalcy in bilateral affairs.

Nigerian officials have yet to issue a formal response to the UAE’s latest visa policy.

However, it highlights the challenges facing Nigerian travelers and the urgency for constructive dialogue to address underlying tensions and foster cooperation between the two nations.

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Nigeria Faces Passport Scarcity as Booklets Remain Stuck in Warehouses

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Nigeria is confronting a looming passport scarcity as thousands of passport booklets remain stranded in warehouses across the country due to a cash crunch and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

This revelation comes as service providers report outstanding debts running into billions of naira, further exacerbating the situation.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been grappling with challenges related to the remittance of its share of revenues from passport issuance, hindering the distribution of funds necessary to clear the backlog and release the passport booklets from storage.

The Treasury Single Account (TSA), a key component of the government’s financial management system, has been inactive, complicating matters further.

The scarcity of passport booklets threatens to derail the progress made by the Ministry of Interior in clearing over 200,000 passport backlogs, a feat achieved through reforms initiated by Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior.

Despite these efforts, the current predicament risks leading to another accumulation of passport applications if not urgently addressed.

Officials of the NIS have emphasized that the Service should not bear the blame for the impending scarcity, highlighting the complexities of revenue distribution and bureaucratic procedures involved in passport issuance.

The NIS relies heavily on revenue from abroad, which accounts for 50% of the proceeds from passport issuance. Delays in accessing these funds have severely hampered the NIS’s ability to settle debts with service providers and release the passport booklets to the public.

As concerns mount over the potential passport shortage, applicants across the country are experiencing difficulties obtaining the necessary documentation, with complaints emerging from passport offices in various locations, including Lagos and Abuja.

Efforts to resolve the crisis are underway, but the lingering challenges underscore the need for swift and effective measures to ensure the timely availability of passport booklets and maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s passport issuance system.

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