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FG, EU Sign N16bn Projects Agreement

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15 years ago

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The Federal Government has signed a N16 billion-grant agreement with the European Union (EU) to fund three projects in Nigeria for four years.

The agreement was signed on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman, and the Managing Director for Africa of the European External Action Service, Mr Nick Westcott.

Usman said the grant was part of EU’s 2010 Annual Action Plan for Nigerian development and would be expended on immunisation governance, the office of the national authorising officer and the promotion of better management of migration.

According to him, N10.4 billion is allocated to support immunisation governance in the country.

He said the purpose of the project was to contribute to the reduction of childhood morbidity and mortality caused by diseases that were easily preventable through vaccination.

The minister said the project, which aimed at contributing toward stopping the transmission of the wild polio virus, would be available through primary healthcare systems in 24 states of the country.

He said that N4 billion was earmarked for promoting better management of migration.

“This project will contribute toward strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to manage migration in order to maximise its development potential.

“The project will also enhance governance of the sector and national capacity to manage organised labour migration and irregular migration,” Usman said.

He said N1.6 billion would be expended to support the office of the national authorising officer, adding that the National Planning Commission as the authorising officer, was responsible for managing all the European Development Fund (EDF) projects in Nigeria.

According to him, the EDF programmes align seamlessly with the development objectives of the country as enunciated in the Vision 20:2020 document and its national implementation plan.

Usman said the support to immunisation governance would contribute to the achievement of the health sector objectives of the Vision 20:2020 as well as ensure the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Earlier, Westcott said the signing of the agreement was a demonstration of Eu’s commitment to Nigeria’s development.

He said the EU would monitor and measure the fund to ensure that it was judiciously used for its purpose.

He said as the new Managing Director for Africa of the European External Action Service, he paid his maiden visit to Nigeria because the country had maintained cordial relationship with the EU.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 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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4 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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4 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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