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Absence Of Local Content, Hinders Foreign Firms

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11 years ago

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The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of RIVTAF Golf Estate, Mr. Mustapha Njie, has described the absence of local content as one of the major setbacks for multinational companies in their operations.
Njie who made this known in a chat with newsmen in his office at the Golf Estate, Port Harcourt, said that companies must learn how to include capacity building in their plans.
RIVRAF CEO noted the need for foreign contractors to obey the local content law, adding that this would guarantee their smooth operations.
“Capacity development must be part of their development plan, only then will the company or contractor be host community friendly and enjoy smooth operation devoid of unrest”, he said.
RIVTAF boss stressed that there is no threat doing business in Nigeria or Niger Delta, saying that problems only arise when local content law is neglected.
“No threat at all to do business in Nigeria or even Niger Delta. I came to Port Harcourt and I saw green light.
I have always targeted doing business in Nigeria because of the many opportunities which abound in the country”, he added.
According to the Ugandan based estate developer, 90 percent of the building in Golf Estate have been sold, adding that the company sales to any client who meets the purchasing requirement of the housing project.
He said that RIVTAF has been in real estate development for 25 years now, noting that Golf Estate is his first business in Nigeria which has empowered over 50 local contractors.
Njie said that the community members are well involved in the development, especially unskilled labour, adding that majority of the directors are from the state.
On the affordability of the estate by the civil servants, he advised the civil servants to go through the primary Mortgage Institute and Aso Saving and loans, adding that their contribution to the housing loans garantees that benefit.
It would be recalled that RIVTAF signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Rivers State Government to develop 900 housing units covering 40 hecters of land on December 2012 under the Public Private Partnership arrangement.

L-R: President, Energy Globe Foundation, Prof. Edward Ayensu, former Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles and former President of Poland, Lech Walesa, at the Energy Environment and Investment Forum in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

L-R: President, Energy Globe Foundation, Prof. Edward Ayensu, former Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles and former President of Poland, Lech Walesa, at the Energy Environment and Investment Forum in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

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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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