Travel/Tourism
Two Firms Battle for Lagos-Ibadan Rail e-Ticketing Contract
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) has pre-qualified five firms to submit their technical and financial bids for the provision of e-ticketing solutions for Lagos-Ibadan and Warri Itakpe Standard Gauge railway lines.
Two bidders were shortlisted for the Lagos-Ibadan line e-ticketing contract while three lots were shortlisted for the Warri-Itakpe line.
Euhoria Press Limited and Paragon and Global Software Digital Solutions Limited were shortlisted for Lagos-Ibadan, while the three shortlisted for Warri-Itakpe included Fane International Consult Ltd., Turnaround Engineering Ltd. and Electronic Payplus Ltd.
The Director Procurement of NRC, Mr Ben Iloanusi, explained at the Requests for Proposal (RFP) exercise in Lagos that NRC had issued an RFP that would analyse the technical solution and the financial strength of the bidders.
The Director, Transport Infrastructure of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Emmanuel Onwodi, commended NRC for their diligence and transparency in selecting e-ticketing service providers.
Mr Onwodi said that the commission was running a two-stage process with the idea of coming up with a preferred bidder that would go into partnership with the Federal Government to deliver the secure solution for the running of the e-ticketing.
“What we have done before now is the Request for Qualification (RFQ) at the end of the exercise, we have pre-qualified five firms and we have issued them RFPs, meaning that they had asked to submit their technical and financial bids.
“We have not started the evaluation of the bidders yet, we just want to find out if all the requirements such as soft copies of their proposal, three years audited statements, power of attorney, and all documents were written in English to make the interpretation easy.
“Congratulations to all the bidders, they all passed the RFP exercises and now the evaluation team will pick each of the submissions one after the other and evaluate based on merit,” Mr Onwodi said.
He said that after the approval of the evaluation report in line with the approval processes, the authority would invite the successful bidder for negotiations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system designed to make passenger processing faster, safer and more seamless across its domestic airports.
According to FAAN, the new technology will allow passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents and shortening queues through automated electronic gates.
The authority said the system is expected to enhance airport security while improving the overall travel experience for domestic passengers.
FAAN added that V-Pass has been developed with data privacy at its core and is compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The agency described the initiative as part of its commitment to delivering smarter, technology-driven airport services and said nationwide sensitisation and rollout updates would be announced in due course.
Airports in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already deploy facial recognition technology for processes such as check-in, security screening, immigration and boarding, so the move also aligns Nigeria’s aviation sector with a growing global trend towards contactless travel.
These systems have been adopted to improve operational efficiency, strengthen security and enhance the overall passenger experience.
For FAAN, the deployment of V-Pass forms part of its broader digital transformation agenda aimed at modernising airport operations and accommodating rising passenger traffic.
Experts say that beyond improving convenience, the authority expects the biometric platform to strengthen identity verification, reduce the risk of impersonation and support more efficient airport security, while maintaining compliance with data protection.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
