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Bayelsa, Israel Partner On Fish Farm

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The Bayelsa State Gover
nor, Hon. Seriake Dickson,  has  disclosed that his administration would collaborate with an Israeli agro firm to construct one of its proposed massive fish farms in Boro town, Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of the state.
Dickson disclosed this while fielding  questions from newsmen during the  on-the spot assessment of some of the projects sites in the state
He said the collaboration is to boost fish production in the state for local consumption and export.
The Governor has, therefore, called for the cooperation of the chiefs and people of the community, especially in the provision of land for the immediate commencement of the project.
Accompanied by top government functionaries, Dickson expressed satisfaction with the pace of work in some of the sites visited, stating that some of the projects will be completed on or before the deadline.
The projects sites visited include; Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, Teachers Training Institute at Bolou Orua, Isaac Boro immortalisation project and a 2,500 capacity spectators’ pavilion in Kaiama and the NYSC  permanent orientation camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government.
Others are; Isaac Boro family House, the Memorial Institute and Low cost Housing Estate situated within the Boro town.
Describing the completed administrative and hostels blocks of the new NYSC  permanent orientation camp as standard, the Governor observed that the project when completed would rank among the best in the country.
According to him, the facility would not be underutilised at any point in time, as it could also be used for other programmes such as youth leadership training.
Conducting the Governor round the camp, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, explained that the six hostel blocks which are nearing completion will accommodate a thousand corps members.
Dickson, who ordered the inclusion of a sick-bay as an additional structure at the camp, also directed the commissioner to extend the main access road to the parade ground.
At the Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro College of Education, Sagbama Town, Hon. Dickson, inspected the access road, administrative block, ICT library and one  block of 24 classrooms that have been completed.
The state Commissioner for Education, Chief Salo Adikumo, the Provost of the College, Professor Saviour Agoro and the Registrar, Dr. Guagha Berezi, conducted the governor round over 24 ongoing projects including hostels, offices and science laboratories which are at various levels of completion.
Responding to some requests of the college, the governor promised that government would survey and acquire more lands  for the construction of other critical infrastructure.
Governor Dickson, however, urged the contractors to redouble their efforts and ensure the completion of the projects for commissioning on or before February, next year.
Other projects the Governor inspected include the referral general hospital Sagbama site, for the construction of the Abadiere Childrens’ Home, Tungbo and internal roads at Toru Orua, his country home.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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