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NDDC, Foundation To Partner On Youth Training

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9 years ago

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Sitting from left: Mr Habila Kaura; Chief of Ebba village, New Karu Nasarawa State, Chief Yakubu Maikabila; West African Regional Director, United States Latin American Chamber of Commerce (USLACC) Mrs Ifeoma Ejiogu and her husband, Mr Ejiogu, at the launch of Agriculture Youths Empowerment Programme at Ebba village in Nasarawa State last Monday.

Sitting from left: Mr Habila Kaura; Chief of Ebba village, New Karu Nasarawa State, Chief Yakubu Maikabila; West African Regional Director, United States Latin American Chamber of Commerce (USLACC) Mrs Ifeoma Ejiogu and her husband, Mr Ejiogu, at the launch of Agriculture Youths Empowerment Programme at Ebba village in Nasarawa State last Monday.

The Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) has said it would work closely with the Ford Foundation to train the youths in the region on business skills.
The acting Managing Director of the commission, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, disclosed this when she featured at a media forum in Abuja, recently.
Semenitari stated that the commission is focusing attention on human capital development in order to establish the platform for wealth creation amongst youths in the local communities of the region.
According to her, the idea is to create clusters of business people that will grow along the entire spectrum of micro to medium scale business.
“Already we are in conversation with Ford Foundation to say ‘work with us’ first because they’ve got the technical know-how, they’ve got the expertise, but they are also bringing some funds for NDDC.
“The story of NDDC ought to be partnership, partnership, partnership, and so we are bringing this back to the table.
“And that’s really my focus – to see as many partners as I can get to work with me.’’
Semenitari, who affirmed that it would be virtually impossible for NDDC to undertake sustainable development of the Niger Delta region by itself, however, promised that the commission would do its best possible to overcome the challenges in the region.
“Whenever we are able to talk to people, who are partners in development, it is always a great opportunity.
“We are shopping for partners who are willing to support us in the region to achieve our goals. Any kind of support is welcome.”
It would be recalled that NDDC recently entered into a partnership with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) with a view to reintegrating into the society 30,000 ex-agitators, who had been trained in various vocations.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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1 day ago

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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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1 day ago

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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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1 day ago

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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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