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IFAD Supports 150 Rice Farmers With N50m Inputs

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The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Niger State said it assisted 150 rice farmers in the state to procure N50 million worth of inputs to increase their yields.
Dr Mathew Ahmed, the Programme Coordinator of IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Niger made this known on Saturday at the inauguration of funds support programme for small holder farmers in Katcha Local Government Area.
He said “we have supported 150 rice farmers from six different cooperative groups with a grant of N25 million to match the N25 million they contributed for this programme.
“Fifty hectares of land will be cultivated by the clusters of farmers, numbering 25 in each group.’’
Ahmed explained that the programme, aimed at enhancing rice and cassava value chains for sustainable agricultural transformation, would increase wealth for farmers.
He said that the grant was for farm inputs such as faro-57-fertilizer, herbicides and for insurance cover for the farms in case of destruction from natural disaster and diseases.
He added that part of the grant would be used to prepare the land, while IFAD would provide 25 tube wells to enable farmers to grow “three cycle yield’’ per season.
He said that the grant covers provision of threshing machines for the farmers to ensure that the rice was clean.
“We are expecting 400 tonnes of rice per cycle, meaning we will get 1,200 tonnes of rice per farming season under the fund’s regime,’’ he said.
Improved rice seedlings, according to him, are also given to beneficiaries by IFAD and the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA).
Alhaji Mohammadu Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary, Niger Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, urged the farmers to utilise the support for rice production toward ensuring success of the programme.
Ibrahim, who was represented by Alhaji Bala Maidugu, said the extension staff of the state’s ministry of agriculture would be on ground to give the farmers necessary support.
He said “IFAD is also partnering with Bida and Wushishi local government areas in our state on enhancing rice and cassava value chains for sustainable agricultural transformation.’’
Also, Alhaji Jibrin Yakubu, the Chairman, All Farmers Association (AFAN) in the Katcha Local Government Area, said many farmers were faced with the challenge of getting fertilizer at affordable rates.
Yakubu, who commended IFAD for the gesture, assured that AFAN would ensure the success of the programme.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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September 22, 2025

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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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September 22, 2025

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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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September 22, 2025

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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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