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Finance Expert Predicts 2017 Market Rebound

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A financial expert, Dr
Glenn Prince-Abbi, has expressed optimism that the Nigerian capital market and indeed the economy would experience increased activities with innovative macroeconomic policy in 2017.
Prince-Abbi, the Chief Executive Officer, Espera Global Corporation, made the assertion in an interview with The Tide source in Lagos, Monday.
He said that innovative macroeconomic policy making with strong strategic insight would provide the platform and delivery system to improve economic activities, including the capital market.
He expressed optimism that there would be improvement at the Federal Government level in 2017 going by the various fiscal policy measures being articulated to stimulate the economy.
Prince-Abbi also said that Nigeria’s foreign reserves would likely improve in 2017 with sustained stability in crude oil production output and through a progressively diversified export revenue structure.
“Along with this, the real sector performance will improve, productivity growth will register and the GDP growth will rise,’’ he said.
Prince-Abbi observed that the Federal Government’s planned investments in infrastructure would further stimulate this process and open up relatively new growth pathways.
“The economic contraction that we have currently will gradually reverse and the capital market itself will therefore fare better,’’ he added.
On how to sustain the capital market, he urged the operators and investors to look more at the medium and long-term investment windows rather than being caught by the syndrome of short-term speculative actions.
He explained that short-term speculative actions could harm the market and do nobody any good.
“Smart investment in all climes and times requires strategic thinking; it requires long views and wider planning horizons.
“This is the sophistication that investors, local and foreign, must bring to the market.
“I propose strongly that operators, regulators and all stakeholders must work together to build and raise the sophistication of the second largest capital market in Africa.
“The recent interface with the London Stock Exchange and all the expressed intentions of synergy and integration are good signs,’’ he said.
“Well-developed and sophisticated capital markets can generate an infinite mix of economic benefits, spanning job creation, productivity growth and improved macroeconomic stability.
“This is what we need at this stage in Nigeria’s economic situation and this is why we need to take firm and measured steps in 2017,’’ Prince-Abbi said.

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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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