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Nigeria’s Investment Portfolio Rises To N8.5trn

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The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, said last week  in Abuja that the Federal Government had attracted foreign direct investment commitments of over N8.5 trillion.

Aganga announced this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.

He said the investment commitments, which cut across the major sectors of the economy, would roll in five years.

Aganga said the meeting was briefing by his ministry and the Ministry of Environment on the progress and challenges in the past one year.

He said that over N8.9 billion of foreign direct investment were attracted into the country in 2012, according to a report by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

He said the report placed Nigeria as the first in Africa.

According to the minister, Nigeria currently exports 117 products to 103 countries.

Reviewing the performances of the 16 parastatal agencies under his ministry, Aganga said that the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja and Lagos operate 24 hours service.

He said the Standard Organisation of Nigeria had reduced the influx of substandard products into the country from 85 per cent to 60 per cent.

Aganga also said that the Bank of Industry gave out over N122 billion in loans which created more than 633,000 jobs with an additional 5,000 jobs created in the textile industries.

He said that trade accounted for 18.1 per cent of national GDP and that government would soon launch industrial revolution plan that would link industries to innovations.

On her part, the Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia, said the ministry was faced with challenges of erosion and pollution control among others in 2012.

She said the South East region was the worst hit in terms of erosion.

The minister said of the 15 erosion projects awarded in 2012, two had been completed, while 13 are at various stages of completion.

Mailafia said the ministry made appreciable progress in the areas of renewable energy and pollution control.

She noted that there are three million dump sites spread across the country and 26 waste recycling management facilities set up in collaboration with the private sector.

The minister said government had approved funding for the total clean-up of the areas in Zamfara affected by lead poisoning.

She identified improved funding, capacity building and advocacy as the challenges facing the ministry.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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