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Fidelity Bank, Nigerdock, Others Partner On Local Content Dev

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14 years ago

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Fidelity Bank Plc has partnered Nigerdock, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) in the financing of the Satellite Field Development Project Phase 1 ABANG and ITUP platforms. The platforms are the first ever wellhead to be designed, fabricated and commissioned totally in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the platforms, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Reginald Ihejiahi said the bank takes long term view of the economy and has consistently been involved in long term financing.

He said that the financial institution has strong confidence in the Nigerian economy and therefore does not focus on short term investments. He said the project has provided jobs for over 2,000 Nigerians, including workers from the international oil companies that are involved in the project.

He said that the project remains a milestone in the bank’s desire and commitment to ensuring a vibrant and viable industrial sector. “At Fidelity Bank, we are not focusing on short term financing. This is a project that will be here for a long time.   If you look at what I happening here today, this is one of the biggest project not only in the country, but in the sub-Saharan industry,” he said.

The bank’s boss said that Nigeria will benefit from the transfer of technology and huge foreign exchange earnings associated with the project. He said the fact that the project was started and completed in Nigeria by Nigerians is an indication of the huge human and material resources available in Nigeria.

Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke said that local content development is where other countries of the world are going and Nigeria should not be left behind. She said that government is committed to investing massively in local content development in the next five years.

According to her, the platform is 100 per cent fabricated in Nigeria by team of experts drawn from the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who inaugurated the platforms in Lagos, said local content development is the easiest way for the country to develop rapidly.

He explained that Nigeria’s resolve to make the country an industrialised nation is also drawn from its plan to attain the vision 2020 plan. The platforms are expected to collect crude oil, water and gas from at least 10 wells, combine the fluids and send them off for processing at their host facilities.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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