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Translate Strategic Plans Into Action, Yuguda Advises Govt

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Governor Isa Yuguda of
Bauchi State, has called on government at all levels, to strengthen their ability to consistently translate strategic development plans into action for meaningful development.
Yuguda made the call on Friday when the Supervising Minister for National Planning, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, paid him a courtesy call in his office at Government House Bauchi.
The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sagir Saleh, said that translating strategic plans into action was crucial to the realisation of a holistic transformation of the country.
“At this stage of our nationhood, it is vital to chart a new course in our development efforts by implementing plans and strategies within the ambits of best practices.
“This is with a view to delivering democratic dividends to our citizens, “he said.
He said his state has consistently keyed into the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 and the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan- led administration, noting that all the infrastructural development in the various sectors had been geared towards meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
The governor said to enhance and strengthen the mechanism for the implementation of government programmes and projects, the state Planning Commission was established in line with national policy objectives.
“Apart from handling the issue of planning and budgeting, the Commission had been placed at the centre of all government activities.
“It is also coordinating the effort of all agencies, as well as the activities of development partners and donor agencies, in order to meet the state’s desired goals, “Yuguda said.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment towards establishing the state’s Bureau of Statistics and the enactment of project Continuity Law as required by the National Planning Commission.
He said the domestication of the bills would be concluded soon for the consideration of the state’s House of Assembly.
Earlier in his remarks, the minister had explained that he was in the state for the 12th National Council on Development Planning (NCDP) meeting, to discuss planning and the need for more collaboration on development issues.
He said that the NCDP was the apex body responsible for bringing together, all the states planning commissioners, major stakeholders in the planning process in the country, as well as development partners.
According to him, the essence is to join hands together to develop the country.
He said that Bauchi State was chosen to host the 12th session because of its hospitality and the relative peace prevailing in the state.

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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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