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Economy Tops Agenda As NACCIMA Meets In PH

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14 years ago

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The impacts of petrol subsidy partial withdrawal and other burning national issues on the Nigerian economy will top the agenda of the 2012 first quarterly council meeting of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) which opens in Port Harcourt, today.

The three-day conference which is being hosted by the Association’s Port Harcourt affiliate (PHCCIMA) is expected to attract major players in the organised private sector (OPS), top government functionaries, members of the diplomatic corps and the general public.

Briefing newsmen on activities lined up for the event at his chamber in Port Harcourt on Monday, PHCCIMA President, Engr. Vincent Furo, said that the meeting will create a forum for the OPS to brainstorm on pressing national issues, including petrol subsidy withdrawal, and their impacts on the economy of the country, while striving to proffer solutions on the way forward.

According to him, the event is expected to kick off with the arrival of guests at the Marriot Hotel, New GRA, Port Harcourt, and would immediately be followed by a welcome dinner party at the same venue by 7 pm.

By 10 am tomorrow, a NACCIMA delegation, led by its president, Dr. H.B. Ajayi, will pay a courtesy call on the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi at Government House in Port Harcourt.

The governor will later declare the council meeting open while the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, and his Trade and Investments counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, are expected to address the gathering.

One of the highlights of the event will be the presentation of an achievement award on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Total Upstream companies in Nigeria.

On the choice of Total for such award, Furo praised the company’s Exploration and Production subsidiary for the peaceful manner it has, so far, conducted its operations in its host communities in Rivers State, particularly in Egi clan of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.

 

Ibelema Jumbo

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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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