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Discipline In Business Translates To Wealth – Imoke

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11 years ago

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The Governor of Cross
River State, Senator Liyel Imoke has stated that discipline in business guarantees the future of any business venture.
Imoke disclosed this at the official launch and disbursement ceremony of the two billion naira fund for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund, (MSMEDF), organised by the Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), at the Transcorp Hotel, in Calabar.
The Governor admonished the beneficiaries of the MSMEDF fund to ensure that their businesses grow, stating that, “you are tremendous beneficiaries of this fund which has only six percent interest and cannot be obtainable anywhere in the country.”
He expressed hope that through this vision of nurturing and empowering the youth, there would be the emergence of new Dangotes, Cosharis and their likes, adding that in no distant future Cross River State would be transformed into an enterprise development State.
He, however, prayed that the incoming administration would sustain this venture to make Cross River State an investment destination which would enhance the revenue of the State and also, create opportunity for employment.
Also speaking, the Director General of the Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency, (MEDA), Mr. Ignatius Atsu, thanked his Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke for his Vision and empowerment efforts, stating that, “it is not in every State that there is the privilege of having an institutional and legal framework to back up the entrepreneurial activities that could be highly appreciated by citizens like that of Cross River State”.
Mr. Atsu commended the successful microfinance banks and their beneficiaries for scaling through the rigorous Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) selection process, urging them to utilize the funds for the purpose for which it was meant. He called on the people to take advantage of the opportunity as the process of selecting those that would meet the CBN requirement is on-going.
The Director General advised Cross Riverians to key into the programme and come forward with very innovative and organised ideas that would help move the State forward.
High points of the occasion were the disbursement and presentation of cheques to beneficiaries from various Micro Finance Banks namely; the UNICAL, Ekondo, and Ogoja Micro Finance Banks, amongst others.
The occasion also featured, a group photograph by all beneficiaries of the MSMEDF fund with his Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke.

 

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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