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Indigenes Seek Inclusion In Abuja Land Swap Programme

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11 years ago

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Some indigenes of Abuja
have appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to consider their interest in land swap programme in order not to deprive them of adequate land for their farming business.
A traditional ruler, Mr John Gata who is the Etsu of Piwoyi said his people  were ready to cooperate with the government in the programme provided  their interest were promised.
The land swap policy  was designed by the FCT  Administration to facilitate speedy development of the territory by allocating districts to interested  investors.
In turn, the investors  are expected to provide infrastructure  in those districts and retain 60 per cent of the district while the FCT retains 40 per cent.
While reacting in an interviewed with  newsmen in Abuja recently, Gata, said it would be improper if the land swap policy further dispersed the indigenes by resetling  them away from their ancestral land.
Stressing the need for government to take into consideration the fact  that  the indigenes were mainly farmers  and  to make provision  for farm land in the policy, the traditional ruler said, “we are not ready to kick against any government project, provided the government does the right thing.
“The land swap policy is giving our land  to estate firms that will provide infrastructure and share the land  with government. But  they should consider the preservation of the people’s culture and tradition in their efforts to  acquire land and resettle indigenes  in Abuja,” he said.
Also speaking,  the National Co-ordinator, Great Gbagyi Development Initiative (GG-DIN) Mr. Gbaiza Gimba,  said the indigenes only needed  50 per cent share of the land swap and total participation.
He said it was unfair to take land from indigenes and allocate to a few people in the name of land swap.
“The land swap  has no special benefit to the indigenes apart from the fact that they will be relocated. But it is unfair  for government to acquire land in the name of building a capital city only to allocate the same land to a few individuals in the name of land swap.
He said FCT indigenes were losing  their land without adequate compensation and urged for fairness in the process.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 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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21 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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21 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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