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Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire To Partner On Science, Technology

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13 years ago

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The Federal Government said it would establish a joint
commission with Cote d’Ivoire to strengthen bilateral cooperation on science
and technology between the two countries.

This is contained in a statement issued by an Information
Officer in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Abdul-Rahman
Suleman, and made available to  newsmen
in Abuja.

The statement quoted the Minister of Science and Technology,
Prof. Ita Ewa, as stating this when he received the Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire
to Nigeria, Mrs Toure Maman, in his office.

“Nigeria is ready to receive people from Cote d’Ivoire into
our special places of learning for training in solar, leather, space and
bio-technology,” the minister said.

Ewa said that Nigeria would look into benefiting from Cote
d’Ivoire’s bio-technology in the multiplication of pineapple and other fruit
varieties.

He also expressed Nigeria’s readiness to assist other
African countries in sectoral development.

Highlighting the adverse effects of malaria in Africa, Ewa
said Nigeria had embarked on research and development of drugs, using modern
drugs and traditional herbs that would combat malaria in the sub-region.

The statement also quoted the Ivorian envoy as saying that
the partnership would be of great benefit for both countries.

Maman said the partnership would enable both countries to
identify areas of cooperation in science and technology with the aim of
stimulating their economic growth and development.

She said that Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria would hold
subsequent meetings that would enable both countries extend their bilateral
relations to other sectors apart from science and technology.

The Ivorian envoy said that it was important for African
countries to collaborate and work together for the development of the
sub-region.

The proposed areas of cooperation between the countries,
according to the statement, include capacity building and training in
entrepreneurship and commercialisation of science and technology products.

“Other areas of partnership are joint research and
development activities in areas of resource-based alternative materials for
construction; training and capacity building in space science and technology.

“Others are production of low cost and purely herbal
anti-malaria therapies as well as economic empowerment programmes through
bio-enterprises.

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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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