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Don Urges FG Support For Local Software Dev

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13 years ago

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A computer software expert, Prof. Ayo Kuye, last Friday advised the Federal Government to support the development of indigenous software.

Kuye, a professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Kuye said that the country had enough experts to develop software that could compare to those developed in other parts of the world.

He urged the government to put in place deliberate policies to promote the development and patronage of indigenous software.

“We have the human resources but I am not sure we have all the necessary support from government;  am not talking in terms of money but in terms of policies and the implementation.

“Let there be that deliberate effort to say we want to patronise indigenous software and let it start from government.

“If we are able to do that then the sky will be the limit,’’ he said.

He also urged the government to provide necessary infrastructure such as Internet bandwidth to ease communication difficulties in the country.

The don advised software developers to ensure that their products meet international standard and the prices were competitive.

“On the side of software developers we should also aspire to get a good quality programme out; we should learn to be professional.

“It is not just because we want made-in-Nigeria software that anybody can come in, write a programme that cannot be used for anything, there is a procedure you must follow.

“If you want to develop any programme, you should learn to be professional, learn to understand the basic rudiments,” he said.

He noted that the nation’s economy would receive a boost if the software industry was developed, adding that the large population of the country would provide the needed market for the products.

“India is making money from it and some of those Indians have never left their country, they are in India and yet they write programmes for people in USA and people in outsourcing.

“If they are doing that from software development, we can also do the same thing in Nigeria,’’ he added.

Kuye had earlier in Abuja led a team of professionals to present a software framework for Computer Aided Process Equipment Design to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).

He said that the council had challenged and supported the team to produce the software to boost the manufacturing sector of the country.

“Today, we have software that can be used to design cyclones, hydro cyclones, spray dryers and we are still working on some other areas.

He advised software developers in the country to partner with the team for the design of more products.

“You can then get in touch with us and we will put your programme as part of our own.

“Of course you will still own your Intellectual Property Right and it will be an avenue for us to propagate what Nigeria can do”, he said.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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6 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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6 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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6 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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