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N’Delta Youth Get Another Chance To Own Businesses

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11 years ago

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Director of Administration and Finance, Lagos Central Business District (CBD), Mrs Bolanle Owolabi, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on CBD, Mrs Derin Disu and her counterpart on Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Raji, at a news conference on activities of CBD in the last one year in Lagos, last Wednesday.

Director of Administration and Finance, Lagos Central Business District (CBD), Mrs Bolanle Owolabi, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on CBD, Mrs Derin Disu and her counterpart on Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Raji, at a news conference on activities of CBD in the last one year in Lagos, last Wednesday.

Niger Delta youth are being given yet another chance to start their own businesses through the 2014 edition of the LiveWIRE programme, for which the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), has invited entries from eligible candidates.
In a statement last Wednesday, Shell’s Corporate Media Relations Manager, Precious Okolobo, said that people aged between 18-35 in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states are invited to apply for the 2014 edition, with a chance to benefit from start-up funding and a wide range of support services including training workshops and business awareness sessions.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, recently, General Manager, Sustainable Development and Community Relations, Nedo Osayande, said that “The LiveWIRE programme has become the main means of support for youths in the Niger Delta to start their own businesses”.
“The success stories of several young entrepreneurs are really inspiring, and we’re delighted that more youths will take up the opportunity in the 2014 edition,” he said.
Launched in 2003, LiveWIRE Nigeria is a flagship programme that provides access to training, business development services and start-up capital to establish and expand youth-owned businesses.
To date, the programme has trained nearly 6,000 Niger Delta youths in enterprise development and management.
In 2011, SPDC commenced the implementation of a partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to expand the LiveWIRE programme with a focus on the economic empowerment of young women.
Through this partnership, the LiveWIRE model has been used to create employment opportunities for over 1,600 women between the ages of 18 and 35.
A highlight of the LiveWIRE programme is the Young Business Leaders Awards for managers who have been in business for up to two years, and can show good progress in service delivery, financial growth, employment generation and improvement in management strategies.
The generous cash awards are expected to help the young people further expand their businesses.
Employment generation for young people is just one aspect of the social investment portfolio of Shell companies in Nigeria.

In 2013 alone, the SPDC JV and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) spent more than $100 million on voluntary social investment activities, making Nigeria the largest recipient of social investment by the Shell Group globally.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 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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4 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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4 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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