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Nigeria, Chad Seek World’s Help To Curb B/ Haram

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Nigeria and Chad have agreed on the need to move quickly to make the Multinational Joint Task Force operational in order to restore peace and security in the North East of Nigeria and everywhere Boko Haram operates.

The Presidents of the two countries – Muhammadu Buhar (Nigeria) and Idriss Derby Itno (Chad) – have, therefore, called on the International Community to provide LCBC and neighbouring countries with all necessary support.

This was contained in a final communiqué issued at the end of bilateral talks between Nigeria and Chad in N’djamena.

Both leaders agreed that war on Boko Haram should be supported by emergency development initiatives in areas affected by this insurgency group.

This, they reasoned, will be the only way to overcome the harmful effects faced by local populations.

The two Heads of States, according to the communiqué, “strongly condemned the inhumane terrorist acts perpetrated on civilians in Nigeria and in its neighboring countries by Boko Haram insurgents.

“They underlined the consequences of insecurity which include displacement of people and disruption of their trading activities, livelihood, and destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria and the entire Lake Chad region.

“Both Heads of State expressed their willingness and commitment to collaborate at all levels to make more effective the common fight against the Boko Haram sect and restore peace and security which are vital for development in the region.

“His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his gratitude to His Brother and Friend, His Excellency, President Idriss Deby Itno for the vital role his country played to weaken this sect.

“Thereafter, he condoled the families of Chadian soldiers who passed away in the battle field, and paid special tribute to the gallant soldiers.

“President Idriss Deby Itno commended the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to eradicating the Boko Haram terrorist group.

“He also reaffirmed the commitment and availability of Chad to collaborate with Nigeria on both bilateral and multilateral levels.

“In this regard, His Excellency President Idriss Deby Into agreed with the need to move quickly to make the Multinational Joint Task Force operational in order to restore peace and security in the north-east of Nigeria and everywhere Boko Haram operates.

“In this vein, the two leaders called on the international community to provide LCBC and neighboring countries with all necessary support.

“Both Heads of State agreed that war on Boko Haram should be supported by emergency development initiatives in areas affected by this insurgency group.

“This will be the only way to overcome the harmful effects faced by local populations.

“President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his profound gratitude and sincere thanks to His Brother and Friend, His Excellency Idriss Deby Itno, His Government and the good people of Chad for the warm and elaborate welcome granted to him and his delegation.”

 

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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