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UN Chief Tasks Nigerian Investors On Standard Practice

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15 years ago

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UN Chief Procurement Officer, Mr Sean Purcell, on Friday in Abuja, advised the Nigerian business community to imbibe standard practice in business.

Purcell was the Guest Speaker at a seminar on: “UN Procurement and Vendor Registration”, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with the UN Procurement Division.

He said UN entities needed the services of the Nigerian business community if they could abide by the rules.

He warned that the UN agencies would not tolerate sharp practices in business.

He advised businessmen to register with the UN Procurement Division and follow the UN standard practice.

The UN officer said that the programme was to create awareness within the Nigerian business community and teach them how to do business with UN agencies.

Purcell said that he was in the country on the invitation of the Federal Government through the Foreign Affairs Ministry to provide information on ways to access procurement opportunities in the UN.

“We want to see more Nigerian businessmen accessing the UN Procurement, we are willing to provide information and also teach them how to access the database of the UN agencies.

“We are also interested in standards of such goods and services and the process involved and where such goods are coming from, for us to be able to accept them,” he said.

The Director of Planning and Research in the ministry, Mr Vincent Odeodion, said the ministry would encourage the business community to do business with UN agencies.

“The ministry is ready to redress an error made in the past and put things right. We as a country and a people, have given so much to the UN agencies, especially in the area of peace-keeping, but we get little or nothing in return.

“More than before, the ministry is ready to promote economic diplomacy by ensuring that our businessmen become global players in international business,” he said.

Odeodion, who is the initiator of the project, said that the ministry was strategising in ensuring that the project was sustained.

He said the project would allow professionals and entrepreneurs to bid for the supply of UN goods and services in areas of comparative advantage.

“We are a rich country; we have abundance in food and services. Nigeria as a nation, right from independence, has given so much, and still do.

“It is natural that we also take part in areas that can develop our economy,” he said.

He advised the business community to form a synergy with the ministry to benefit from the process of the UN.

The National President of the Registered Contractors of Nigeria, Mr John Nwekwe, said he was happy with the initiative of the ministry.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days 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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3 days 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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3 days 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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