The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is set to launch a contactless passport application system on Friday.

Phase one of the launch will be in Canada, the NIS announced in a video via its X account.

The second phase will be rolled out in the United Kingdom, United States, and Italy on November 15.

Nigeria and the rest of the world will access the system from December 1, marking the third phase.

The NIS noted that the process applies only to passport renewal.

Previously, passport applications were a contact-integrated digital process.

While applicants could fill a form, select a passport processing centre, make payments, and book appointments for biometric enrolment online, biometric capturing and passport pickups were at NIS-specified centres.

“Individuals will be able to apply to renew their international passports from the comfort of their homes without having to visit any NIS office,” the NIS said.

Applicants will be able to renew their passports by downloading the NIS mobile app available on Google play, the app store, and the Windows store, or by visiting the immigration portal.

Although the app has yet to be available on any of the digital stores, the NIS said Nigerians in Canada are expected to access the app on these platforms and begin using the service from the designated date.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has again increased the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets.

On Tuesday, TheCable observed the second increase in October.

NNPC increased the pump price from N855 per litre set in September to N998 per litre on October 3.

However, at the NNPC retail outlets located at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, the price of PMS has been increased to N1,025 per litre.

The increase comes more than one month after the NNPC commenced petrol lifting at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s gantry after an extended period of price negotiations.

On September 15, the NNPC said petrol was bought from Dangote refinery at N898 per litre.

The Dangote refinery countered NNPC’s claim, describing it as “both misleading and mischievous”.

A day after, the national oil company announced estimated pump prices based on prices set by the Dangote refinery for its petroleum products, saying petrol will sell for N950 in Lagos and N999 in Abuja.

On October 10, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) asked NNPC to refund the oil marketers’ money or to sell petrol to its members at the Dangote refinery rate.

IPMAN said its members’ money has been with NNPC for over three months.

According to the association, NNPC collected PMS from the Dangote refinery below N900 per litre, but NNPC wants oil marketers to buy the same product at the rate of N1,010 in Lagos, N1,045 in Calabar, N1,050 in Port Harcourt, and N1,040 in Warri.

On October 11, the federal government said oil marketers can now buy petroleum products directly from the Dangote refinery and other local producers — one week after directing the Dangote refinery to sell petrol to only the NNPC.

Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, has approved N71,000 as the new minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

In a statement on his X page on Tuesday, the governor said the new minimum wage will be effective in November.

“In line with our commitment to social justice and enhancement of the standard of living for our workers, we have approved the sum of 71,000 naira as the new minimum wage in Kano state,” the governor wrote.

Yusuf said the new pay package would increase the state’s monthly salary obligations by N6 billion at the state level and N7 billion for the LG councils.

“Additionally, following the promotion of 20,737 teachers by our government, a total increment amounting to the sum of over 340 million naira has now been reflected in their respective salaries,” he added.

The governor lauded the state minimum wage implementation committee for its recommendations for standard pay for workers in the state.

The development comes days after Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, announced a new minimum wage of N80,000 for civil servants in the state.

On October 16, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, announced that the minimum wage for public sector workers in the nation’s commercial capital would be N85,000.

On October 18, Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, approved N85,000 as the minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

On October 25, Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom, announced N80,000 as the new minimum wage for civil servants.

In July, President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law, increasing workers’ pay package from N30,000 to N70,000.