Hospitality & Travel
FG to reopen Kano and Port Harcourt airports for international flights
After several months of being shutdown, Port Harcourt and Kano airports will soon be opened for international flights.
The Nigerian government announced the reopening of the Kano and Port Harcourt airports for international flights. This comes 3 months after Lagos and Abuja airports were reopened for operations.
This was disclosed by Musa Nuhu, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), during the daily Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
READ: EFCC gives reason for unspent N4 billion in 2020 budget
READ: EFCC gives reason for unspent N4 billion in 2020 budget
What you should know
Nairametrics reported in August that The Federal Government has commenced the process of gradual resumption of international flight operations in Lagos and Abuja which were suspended as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19.
The FG later postponed the resumption date for international flights to September 5th 2020. This came after the FG announced the reopening of 14 airports across the nation for full domestic operations in July.
READ: FG to spend N13 billion for automation projects in 4 airports
The Federal Government also commissioned the reopening of the reconstructed Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu on Sunday, August 30, 2020.
At the briefings, Mr. Nuhu disclosed that both airports reopening for International flights will be fully operational after the ICT infrastructure issues have been fixed and manpower is fully adequate for International resumption.
READ: Nigerian billionaire, Benedict Peters Plans to mine Platinium in Zimbabwe
Nuhu said the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) will provide the ICT support wand the manpower would be provided by the Port Health Services
He added that opening the airport for International flights was necessary to decongest Lagos and Abuja airports.
READ: Land Border Permit: BUA also given approval to transport cement to Niger Republic
Business
FG to name new train station after Mobolaji Johnson
FG to name flagship train station located at Ebute Metta after the former Governor of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson.
The Federal Government is set to name its flagship train station located at Ebute Metta after the former Governor of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson.
This was disclosed by the Ministry of Transportation via its Twitter handle on Sunday.
It tweeted, “New indoor photos of our flagship station located at Ebute Metta. It is to be named Mobolaji Johnson Station after the former Governor of Lagos State. Please share your thoughts.”
New indoor photos of our flagship station located at Ebute Metta. It is to be named Mobolaji Johnson Station after the former Governor of Lagos State. Please share your thoughts. Thanks 🙏 pic.twitter.com/BgqGhrT4s4
— Federal Ministry of Transportation (@MinTransportNG) April 11, 2021
What you should know
The Federal Government has also stated why the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Nigeria Limited could not link the final part of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line to the sea, according to Nairametrics.
The government in its explanation said that it was due to disruption by trucks going in and out of the port complex.
According to a press statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Eric Ojiekwe, this disclosure was made by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, while on a routine tour of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project on Saturday, April 10, 2021.
Business News
NRC confirms Nairametrics’ report, reveals how tickets are hoarded for second-hand buyers
It was disclosed that some people use an app to digitally alter the name printed on the e-tickets to reflect the second-hand buyers’ names.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has revealed how some Nigerians hoard e-tickets and sell them to second-hand buyers. This is coming few weeks after Nairametrics reported Nigerians’ lamentations over the hike in train fares due to the hoarding of e-tickets.
How does it work?
Nigerians allegedly game the new e-ticketing system as they buy multiple tickets (using multiple e-mails) and resell them to second-hand buyers. But the name of the original buyer will not tally with the second buyer, you ask?
Findings of the corporation revealed that this is taken care of by the original buyers, as they use an app to digitally alter the name printed on the e-tickets to reflect the second-hand buyers’ names.
This was revealed by the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital and New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, via his Twitter handle on Friday.
He tweeted, “NRC says Nigerians trying to game the new e-ticketing system are using an app to digitally alter the name printed on the e-tickets. So they buy multiple tickets (using multiple emails) and then resell – altering ticket names to match the second-hand buyers.
“This tweet is not to suggest that the authorities are helpless or are not doing anything to stay ahead of criminals, instead to show just how desperate some of the people we inhabit this space with can be.”
NRC says Nigerians trying to game the new e-ticketing system are using an app to digitally alter the name printed on the e-tickets. So they buy multiple tickets (using multiple emails) and then resell – altering ticket names to match the second-hand buyers.
— tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) April 9, 2021
What you should know
On March 16, 2021, Nairametrics published a special report that revealed how Nigerians lamented over the recent hike in train fares, which many of them said was illegal.
Aside from the difficulties and over 100% hikes in the fares, most of the victims, who spoke with Nairametrics, urged the Federal Government through the Rotimi Amaechi led Ministry of Transportation to investigate the allegations and expose the activities of the desperate individuals involved in the menace.
A Software Engineer, Segun Mustapha, told Nairametrics that he was not surprised when he read about the activities of the black market operators on Twitter. Though, he admitted that he had not experienced such but called on the Rotimi Amaechi led Ministry of Transportation to ensure such activities are removed from the system.
He said, “It should not be a big deal for the government to do if it has the political will to do such. We used to experience similar situations in the aviation industry before now and that was easier because airlines are operated by private firms.
“It is a system failure because it is not the louts selling at exorbitant rates that were booking the tickets online but we should not allow such to linger. Government should ensure that tickets booked online are not reallocated at the station if it is determined to get rid of the black market operators.”
Read the Nairametrics report here.
