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‘Effective Public Service, Key To Economic Growth’

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11 years ago

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A member of the National
Conference Committee on Public Service, Mr Olawale Abdulsalam, said that an effective public service was key to the success of any government and the economy.
Abdulsalam, who is representing the Association of Former Speakers of State Assemblies, made the observation in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
He said in realisation of the role of public service in the economic development and success of any nation, the committee was already working on issues that would improve the service.
According to him, these issues include: capacity building, workers’ safety, pension and innovation.
“We found out that a lot of training and innovations are needed to improve and encourage public servants,’’ he said.
The confab delegate believed that the composition of the committee members made up of experienced retired workers had enriched the committee’s work.
“The Chairman of our committee is a former head of service and 75 per cent of the committee members are retired permanent secretaries both at the Federal and state level; former heads of service, and former secretaries to the government.
“We also have some members who have never been in the public service but we were able to share our views and feelings as far as the public service is concerned.
“We have been able to arrive at some recommendations that we think can make the public service better than what we have now.
“I believe that if our recommendations should receive the approval of the plenary and fully implemented by the government, the Nigerian public service is going to be better for it.’’ he said.
Abdulsalam, a former speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, said that the committee in its efforts to improve the civil service held a roundtable discussion with some executives of government offices.
According to him, those discussed with included the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission; the Head of Service; the Director-General of National Pension Commission (PenCom), Salaries and Wages Commission and a few others.
He said that the roundtable discussion with them was on how to improve their offices.
“For example, in our discussion with PenCom, we found out that most of the states and the private sectors are not remitting what they collected on behalf of workers.
“Even the head of service is trying to bring a lot of innovations into the Federal Civil Service and we told him, he must ensure these also go down to the states.
“We believe that for a government to succeed, the public service must always be on its toes.
“That is why we have decided to see what we can do to make the public service better than what it is now, ’’Abdulsalam said.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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9 hours 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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9 hours 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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9 hours 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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