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Ex-Minister Lists Panacea For Peace

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14 years ago

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A former Federal Minister and Ambassador, Chief Segun Olusola, says the starting point in building peace in society can not be found in external institutions or situation, but with deep understanding of individual faults and setting out on a course of self-correction.

Chief Olusola stated this, Wednesday, in his keynote address at the United Nations International Day for Peace celebrated in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF).

The ex-minister who spoke  on the need to recognise and overcome the challenges of corruption and wrong doing in individual heart, said respect  for the rights of each other were an essential element to achieving true and lasting peace in society.

Chief Olusola who is also chairman of UPF board of trustees, noted that the celebration of world peace “underscores the sober reality that we live at a time of global crisis”.

At the occasion which also featured the investiture of 29 distinguished citizens as Ambassadors of Peace, the ex-minister remarked that though citizens live in hope for peace, the world does not enjoy peace.

He cited Iraq, Sudan, Sri Lanka, the Horn of Africa, Palestine, Israel, Libya among other nations where peace had been thrown overboard, adding that despite the promises of globalisation, poverty still persisted.

According to him, breakdown of family values, sexual promiscuity and HIV/AIDS were spreading fast to the detriment of children, the economy and the overall quality of lives of the people.

He regretted that governments and countless citizens had lost their moral compass, surrendering to the lure of  materialism and self- individualism as nuclear proliferation and arms trade had continued.

Chief Olusola, however said that all hope is not lost, and stressed the need for the notion of my people to be universalised.

“We must move beyond thinking that my people were only those of the same skin colour, gender, ethnic background, nationality or religious ideology. The circle of my people must expand to include and  embrace even the enemy”,  the ex-minister said.

While insisting that military, economic or political power can not bring peace, the ex-minister charged world leaders to address the problems of politics, government policies, governance, religion, education, culture, family, arts, sports, media, economics and business towards peace building and human development.

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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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