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A’Ibom Gov Inaugurates $45m International Market

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Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State last Monday inaugurated the $45 million International market (Urua Nka) in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Emmanuel, at the inauguration of the project in Eket, said that the market was one of its campaign promises made in 2015 to the people of the area.
“These are some of my campaign promises when I came on board in 2015, to build an international market and attract foreign investment to the state.
Emmanuel, represented by Mr Gabriel Ukpe, Special Adviser to the Governor on Foreign Direct Investment, said the market would be built on Public Private Partnership (PPP), investment.
The governor promised to create enabling environment for project to thrive in the state.
“Out of the 52 countries in Africa, they came to Nigeria; out of the 36 state in Nigeria, they came to Akwa Ibom; out of the 31 local governments in Akwa Ibom, they settled in Eket,” Emmanuel said.
He assured the people that before the expiration of his tenure in 2023, Eket would become the‘ little London’ in Akwa Ibom.
“This is just the first investment that will come to Eket, a lot more projects will be done in Eket Senatorial Districts,” he said
The Governor reassured that he would commission the first phase of the project in the next six months.
He said that project when completed would benefit the community and provide employment opportunities to the people of Eket.
Emmanuel thanked Yiwu international Trade City of Nigeria and its partners for having faith in the government and people of the state.
In his remarks, Mr Miao Jingbao, Managing Director of Yiwu International Trade City of Nigeria, said the project consists of first phase and second phases.
He explained that the first phase of the project would be completed in the next six months.
“The project when completed, it will be number one in Akwa Ibom and Nigeria,” Jingbao said.
He said that the company would continue to collaborate with the state government to bring more projects to the state.
Jingbao said the investment would gulp 45 million U. S. dollars, adding that the first phase of the project would have 3,000 shops.
“The building will have ground floor, first floor and second floor.”
He said that the project when completed would provide employment opportunities for 10,000 youths and women in the area.

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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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