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Bayelsa Investment Forum To Showcase Potentials

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Rivers State Golf Estate under construction along Peter Odili Road, Port Harcourt.

Rivers State Golf Estate under construction along Peter Odili Road, Port Harcourt.

The Bayelsa State Government says it has concluded arrangements to host global business leaders at its maiden investment and economic forum with the theme; ‘unlocking Bayelsa State’s Economic Potentials’ between 16th and 18th of July, 2014.
Disclosing this at a press briefing in Lagos, the State Commissioner of Trade, Industry and Investment, Barrister Kemela Okara, said, the forum is aimed at showcasing the state’s economic potentials to the rest of the World.
The Forum, according to the Commissioner is in line with the present administration’s economic blueprint, which is a private sector driven economy, adding that sizeable number of foreign investors have tapped into this vision.
Aside Oil and Gas, the Commissioner disclosed that the State is blessed with other natural resources that, if properly harnessed, will be of great economic benefit to the would be investors and the government.
According to him, the Forum will focus on Oil and Gas, Agriculture, ICT, Tourism and Hospitality and Power, adding that  these are some of the potentials that the government is ready to showcase to the World.
“We are hoping that this forum will create an opportunity for more investors to come and invest in agriculture, aquaculture and farming, which will expand to agro-allied industries.
“Our expectation is to have potential investors from different parts of the world, within Nigeria and Bayelsans in the diaspora to come and take advantage of the various opportunities that exist.”
In line with the administration’s vision of making the State, the Dubai of Africa, the government has provided enabling environment, which includes; adequate security, infrastructures and the legal framework that will be of economic benefit.
Some of the ongoing projects in the State, which are aimed at providing necessary platform for investors include; the Agge Deep seaport, Cargo Airport, the opening up of the three senatorial districts, the World class diagnostic centre, multi billion naira 5-star hotel and a host of others. These projects, when completed will be of economic benefit to the investors and the State.
On the incentives for the investors, the Commissioner explained that,  the main incentive for investors, is the “free trade zone we are planning to establish. To establish a free trade zone, there will be non application of local taxation”.
Speaking in the same vein, the Director General of the Bayelsa Investment Promotion Agency, Freda Murray-Bruce disclosed, that in the last two and half years, the State has hosted various international events, which is an attestation to the fact that, it is the most peaceful State in the Country.
The Forum, according to her, will feature notable economists cum investors across the globe. This will be an opportunity for the State to showcase its potentials in the following areas; Aquaculture, Technology/infrastructure /ICT and power.

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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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