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Tigernuts, Walnut Effective For Economic Development – RMRDC

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The Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof.  Peter Onwualu, has said the effective utilisation of walnut and tigernut  would pave way for economic development of Nigeria.

Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on the socio-economic uses of Tigernut and Walnut, Onwualu described the crops as “an untapped goldmine, which the nation should harness.

He said tigernut is used as food, especially in western Africa, while walnut is another edible food found in Nigeria.

“This workshop is hosted to alert the general populace of the investment potential, market and employment opportunities, which will emanate from the development and production of tigernut and walnuts.

“These crops are only a few out of the numerous economic trees that this country is endowed with.

“This conference is expected to address production challenges of the crops, identify and sensitise investors on their potential and encourage cluster formation for planting, handling, processing and marketing.

“We are sitting on a goldmine and not tapping into it,” he said.

He said that if relevant attention was given to the crops, there should be a good value chain for their processing and marketing within the next six months.

The Minister of Agriculture,  Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said the lack of value addition to the available agricultural produce was the bane of the sector’s development.

Adesina said the conference should serve as an eye- opener as the nation had a lot of other cash crops that could be harnessed for the development of agriculture sector in the country.

The Chairman of Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture,  Mr Solomon Nyagba, said the over-dependence of oil had spoilt the nation’s economy, while agriculture was completely relegated.

He said that because of the high income from oil, the nation had made it the main stay of the economy, ignoring every other income source.

He called for the immediate utilisation of the crops and other agricultural produce, adding, “we must go back to the days when agriculture was the main stay of the nation’s economy.’’

The Chairman, Nigerian Association of Small Industries (NASI), Chukwu Nwachukwu, said the utilisation of the crops could lead to the growth and development of industries in Nigeria.

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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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