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Delta Assures World Bank Of Transparency, Good Government

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Delta State Government has assured the World Bank of it’s commitment to transparency and good governance for economic growth and the development of the state.
The state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who gave the assurance when the Country Programme Director of World Bank, Mr. Onno Ruhl and his team paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba, said his administration was committed to ensuring the development of the state.
He explained that the state would partner with World bank to key into its developmental programmes for capacity building in order to attain the ultimate goal of achieving his administration’s three point agenda.
According to him “ l assure you of our commitment to the partnership with World bank. We are committed to ensuring good governance, transparency and the people having maximum benefit from what God has given them.”
The governor intimated the team on the strategies adopted by his administration to ensure peace and security in the state.
He also listed the formation of Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission ( DESOPADEC) as one of the strategies adopted to ensure economic transformation of the riverine communities.
He solicited the support of World bank in his effort to re-build the towns destroyed in riverine areas in May this year even as he invited the body to assist in capacity building in DESOPADEC to ensure efficient service delivery.
His words ‘ As part of the state post amnesty programme, we are strengthening the capacity of DESOPADEC management. We are re-building some of the destroyed and neglected cities of the military crisis of May 13th , we seek the support of world bank to enable us complete the project.”
Speaking further, he noted that his administration was tackling the challenges created by the global climate change and promised to eradicate air, water and soil pollution in our environment.
In a brief address, the Country Programme Director of World Bank, Mr. Onno Ruhl told the governor that the team was in the state to support the government in achieving her three point agenda for the development of the state.
He explained that the World bank was interested in partnering with the government to introduce new ideas, experience, technical advise and programmes for the development of the state.
His words “ We are in the state to know the programmes of your administration, the challenges your government is encountering. We want to work with your government to give the necessary support we can render to enable you achieve your administration’s three point agenda for the benefit of your people.”

Albert Ograka, Asaba.

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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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