By Ibironke Ariyo

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will, within the month launch an enhanced and upgraded system for the processing of driver’s licences and vehicle number plates to ensure effective and efficient service delivery nationwide.

The FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed, made this known in Abuja while addressing staff and stakeholders during the 2025 Customer Service Week celebration of the corps.

Mohammed said that the new system would significantly reduce waiting time, ensure faster processing, and improve data integrity, adding that the initiative was part of broader efforts to modernise FRSC operations through technology.

He said that the FRSC recognised the invaluable trust and loyalty of its customers, describing them as critical partners in the corps’ collective achievements in road safety administration across the country.

“For every challenge solved, opportunities seized and milestones recorded, it’s made possible by the trust and loyalty of our customers,” the Corps Marshal said.

Mohammed appreciated both FRSC personnel and customers for their cooperation and commitment.

He assured them that the corps would continue to advocate for effective legislation, policy implementation and sustained enforcement.

This, he said, would be to reduce road crashes, fatalities and injuries nationwide.

He expressed concern over the challenges recently experienced by applicants in processing and obtaining driver’s licences and vehicle number plates.

He emphasised that the corps was aware of the delays and difficulties faced nationwide.

“We want to also apologise to our team and customers for the delay and difficulty experienced over a period of time in processing and obtaining driver’s licence and number plate.

“I want to assure them that we are upscaling and upgrading the technology and system infrastructure of these two products.

“By the grace of God, within this month, we are launching an enhanced system to improve service delivery and efficiency,” he added.

The Corps Marshal further appealed to motorists and all road users to continue to obey traffic rules and regulations, emphasising that adherence remains the foundation of safety on the roads.

“We want to tell our teaming motorists and road users that they should continue to abide by road traffic rules and regulations so that we have safety first, safety always and safety forever,” Mohammed said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Customer Service Week is celebrated annually to recognise the importance of customer satisfaction and honour the contributions of service providers and consumers across sectors. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Yakubu Uba

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

23 UN member states under the auspices of Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) are exploring strategies, tools and means of acquiring accurate data for space weather monitoring and forecasting.

This is in a 5-day UNOOSA and Nigeria workshop through the National Space Research and Development Agency’s (NASRDA) on the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) in Abuja.

The workshop focused on Space Weather during a Moderate Solar Cycle 25.

Space weather during a moderate solar cycle signifies a period of relatively low, though not minimal, solar activity, characterised by moderate sunspot numbers, less solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).

This could lead to occasional geomagnetic storms that cause visible phenomena and disrupt technological activities such as aviation communication, power grid and Global Positioning System (GPS).

Ms. Sharafat Gadimova, UNOOSA, Austria, said developing capabilities in space weather was one of many space activities UNOOSA supported members states.

Gadimova said the international community would explore strategies to improve the collection, exchange in delivering space weather data modelling, forecasting methods so as to enhance accuracy, reliability and interoperability.

“This community will also work to design a platform to identify user requirement and promote synergy between different communities addressing space weather impact.

“These activities will support capacity building, training, initiatives and providing data information on cutting-edge, up-to-date space weather research,’’ she said.

Dr Matthew Adepoju, Director-General of NASRDA, said space weather was a global phenomenon which required a collective international action because it was impacting technological infrastructure in orbit.

Adepoju, representing the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, also drew the attention of global partners to the need of addressing extreme weather conditions like hurricane affecting parts of Africa.

“I will use this opportunity to call the attention of global experts on the platform of the ISWI to the paradigm shift that is needed to address the root cause of extreme weather impacts.

“It is of note that the extreme weather conditions usually expressed as hurricane, majorly from Sahara Desert in Africa, has brought damage to properties and lives across the Atlantic Ocean.

“This is an opportunity for scientists and global policy makers to shift attention to the root cause of most of the hurricane that takes its origin from Sahara Desert in Africa.

“We need to join hands for programmes such as Great Green Wall to become a successful initiative and address the causes of these disasters related to extreme weather conditions,’’ he said.

He pledged that Nigeria would be committed to spearheading activities to boost better weather conditions in Africa, improving operational analysis, modelling and forecasting methods in line with global best practices.

Adepoju, in his capacity, said that when sunspot groups released coronal mass ejections towards the Earth, it had negative impacts on high frequency radio communication, among other disruptions.

He said that developing and majorly African countries should take the impacts seriously and develop tools to address them.

“For developing nations such as Nigeria, and indeed the entire African continent which is advancing rapidly in digital transformation, our vulnerability to this phenomenon is growing.

“Our dependence on satellite technology for banking, telecommunication, broadcasting, weather forecasting and national security makes the understanding and prediction of space weather not simply a scientific theory,’’ Adepoju said.

Prof. Babatunde Rabiu, Chairman of the local organising committee for the workshop, said the ISWI was a programme of international cooperation aimed at advancing space weather science engaging a combination of instrument for analysis.

Rabiu further said the cooperation was responsible for developing the capacities in scientific discipline of Sun-Earth relations on space weather in many countries, thereby producing space weather literate communities.

He recalled Nigeria had been privileged to host previous UN workshops on basic space science in 1993, ISWI in 2011 and 2025, adding that it was another opportunity to build further capacity in the area.

Chief of Defence Space Administration, AVM Lanre Ibrahim, said the precision, reliability and security of satellite communication, positioning and survelliance systems were all essential to military operation and could be compromised by adverse space weather conditions.

“Understanding space weather is therefore, not only a scientific necessity but also a strategic imperative for mission success and operational readiness and national resilience.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 23 member countries are participating in the conference with representatives from France, Germany, Japan, Cote’ Ivoire, South Africa, Brazil, India, Indonesia, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

By Angela Atabo

The National Council on Climate Change and the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), have built the capacity of 19 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs).

Director-General of NCCC, Mrs Omotenioye Majekodunmi, said the Capacity-Building Workshop on MRV for SLCPs in Key Sectors aimed at enhancing the technical know-how of stakeholders.

She said the workshop was to enhance policy development, and implementation strategies targeting SLCPs, which include methane, black carbon, Hydro Fluorocarbons (HFCs), and tropospheric ozone

According to Majekodunmi, NCCC’s primary mandate is to steer Nigeria towards a low-carbon, green, and inclusive economy and a robust MRV system is the bedrock of this journey.

“MRV is far more than a technical exercise. It is a fundamental pillar of modern climate action.

“It is the process of establishing credible, transparent, and accurate systems to track our progress in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate impacts.

“In essence, MRV answers the essential question, are we making a difference? A well-functioning MRV system helps to track GHG emissions on levels and provides data for informed decision-making.

“It not only gives us that decision-making data, but it gives us the empirical evidence, which is always needed to design effective policies and interventions, accountability, and transparency.”

Majekodunmi added that it allowed Nigeria to demonstrate to the international community, investors, and citizens, that her climate commitments were being met.

According to her, a strong MRV system is not just a reporting requirement but a prerequisite for unlocking and attracting additional climate finance.

She said that the workshop demonstrated the nation’s readiness to generate high-intensity carbon credits, which would allow Nigeria to attract private sector investment and also strengthen the integrity of our credits.

Mrs Florence Ibok-Abasi, Country Director of SDN, explained that short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, black carbon, and hydro fluorocarbons, have significant impact, not only on climate change, but also on public health, food security, and sustainable development.

Ibok-Abasi said that addressing them was therefore very central to Nigeria’s efforts to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and protect the health of our people.

“Developing robust MRV systems is essential for ensuring that our actions are measurable, transparent, and aligned with both national priorities and international commitments, including our new nationally determined contributions.

“By strengthening these systems, we are better equipped to track progress, attract support, and deliver results that will benefit our communities and environment.”

Also speaking, Sina Spiegler, Associate Expert at Climate and Clean Air Coalition Coalitio(CCAC) Secretariat, described CCAC as a global partnership of governments, intergovernmental organisations, civil society, working together to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.

According to Spiegler, CCAC is built on the simple but powerful idea by taking fast, targeted actions on SLCPs.

She said that with one of the most ambitious national SLCP strategies in Africa, Nigeria has shown how climate action could be firmly rooted in local realities.

This, she said, was by prioritising public health, livelihoods, energy access, environmental justice, especially in vulnerable regions like the Niger Delta, where air pollution is a real issue.

In his presentation, Dr Jude Samuelson, Head of Environment and Climate Change, SDN, urged the participating MDAs to prioritise the integration of MRV within their respective institutions.

Samuelson emphasised that strengthening the operationalisation of MRV for SLCPs across key sectors was essential, and should align with the overarching institutional frameworks guiding national climate policy.

He added that the ongoing intervention, supported by the CCAC, was aimed at strengthening the MRV process across MDAs and ensuring a well-coordinated flow of emissions data.

According to him, this will contribute to a harmonised MRV system for SLCPs.(NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab