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Minister Reassures On East-West Road Completion

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12 years ago

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The ongoing East-West Road project will be completed and delivered to the people of the Niger Delta in December 2014,  the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Godsday Orubebe, has said.

Orubebe said this on Thursday in Abuja at the 2013 Ministerial Platform to commemorate the Mid-Term Anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan in office.

“Today I can also tell you that there is a financial plan that will enable this government to complete this project by December, 2014. This is a government that when we talk, we do it. And when we know that we cannot do it, we don’t come to the public to say it.

“Today if you go to East-West Road, work is steadily going on. Some sections of the roads have been completed. And the good news I have for the people of Niger Delta and Nigeria is that this road will be delivered by the government of President Goodluck Jonathan by December, 2014.

“We are also doing some other projects in Niger Delta. 12 other road projects we are doing. And I can also tell you that these projects are suffering. They have to make some sacrifice to move the East-West Road forward.

“Lot of funds that were supposed to be for these other roads have been diverted to East-West Road because we believe that completion of that road is critical to the economy of this country. And so, 12 roads are at various stages of completion.“

The minister said 36 of the 42 bridges had been completed, adding that 786 of the 1070 culverts had been completed.

He recalled that the East-West Road project was awarded by President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration at the cost of over N300 billion, adding that the then government provided N1.2 billion for the execution of the project.

He said that the project was supposed to have been completed in 2009.

Orubebe said after the ministry was created and took over the project in 2010, it realised that there was no detailed drawing and design for the project.

“It was when we came on board that we took on the detail design and drawing of this road. It was as if we are starting all over.“

The minister said that it was during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan that the ministry was able to have financial plan, detailed drawing and design for the project.

He attributed the challenges that hindered the completion of the project to kidnapping and excessive demand for funds by the contractors.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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5 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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5 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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5 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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