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Minister Assures On Local Production Of Mobile Phones

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13 years ago

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The Minister of Science and Technology,
Prof. Ita Ewa, has said  in Abuja that
plans were under way for the local production of mobile phones, micro chips and
solar panels  in Nigeria using silicon.

Ewa disclosed this at the ongoing
Ministerial Platform to mark the one year anniversary of President Goodluck
Jonathan’s administration and the 2012 Democracy Day.

He said that plans were also underway
for the production of solar cells using silicon in the country.

Silicon is the eighth most common
element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure free
element in nature.

It is most widely distributed in
dusts, sands, planetoids and over 90 per cent of the Earth’s crust is composed
of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the
earth’s crust.

“We have done solar panels that have
been assembled at Karshi solar panel plant near Abuja, we  also have solar power installations.

“Now in solar technology, we are
going to have a Silicon Valley; there is going to be a silicon valley in
Nigeria in Sheda Science and Technology Complex, the Silicon Valley project
will be like the silicon valley of California.

“We are going to have Science Park
where silicon technology would be driven right from scratch, right from quartz
up to semi-conductors and the making of chips.

“Sooner or later, all these phones
would be produced here in Nigeria via this technology.’’

Ewa said that Egypt already had
a silicon valley while Kenya and Rwanda were already holding talks on how to
build their own silicon valley, stressing that Nigeria as the Giant of Africa
should not be left behind.

He said that the hostel accommodation
had been provided in SHESTCO for scientists as well as students on industrial
attachment, staff and telecom companies.

On solar technology, the minister
said that the Karshi solar panel assembly plant had been fully operational,
adding that solar technology was now deployed to the 36 states of the
federation and the FCT.

He said that the ministry had already
trained a lot of Nigerians including 350 corps members from the six
geo-political zones in the area of solar technology.

“We would go beyond assembling into
the production of solar panels in our silicon valley.

“We have not forgotten about wind
energy systems and small hydro power turbines.’’

He said that the country’s energy challenge
would be tackled if all the sources of energy from the sector were fully
utilised.

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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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