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Envoy Urges Closer Nigeria, S’Leone Private Sectors Tie

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The Sierra Leone envoy to
Nigeria has called for closer cooperation between the countries’ private sectors to boost economic development in both countries.
The Acting Minister and Counselor at the Sierra Leone High Commission, Mr Joe Nyuma, said this during an interview with newsmen.
He  said that improved partnership between entrepreneurs from the two countries would open up investment opportunities with its multiplier effects on their economies.
He said Sierra Lone needed assistance from friendly countries such Nigeria to overcome its Ebola-induced social and economic losses.
Nyuma said the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country crashed to 2 per cent from 12.4 per cent during the period Ebola lasted in the country.
He, however, disclosed that the GDP had risen to eight per cent in the post-Ebola era.
“We believe we can get more Nigerians’ involvement in Sierra Leone private sector for the good of our two countries.
“In the future, we also want to see how we can cooperate to strengthen our military.
“Our president is a very proactive person and it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that since he took over, the economy has been moving at an accelerated speed”, he said.
According to him, Sierra Leone had a GDP of 12.4 before the Ebola but it went down to 2 per cent because of the Ebola.
“We have been able to manage the economy, workers are getting their salaries on time and government apparatus is functioning effectively,’’ he said.
The acting minister appealed to investors, especially the organised private sector, to invest in Sierra Leone’s banking, agriculture, diamond mining and fishery sectors.
“The economy is not doing badly at all now.
“Most investors that were scared of visiting Sierra Leone because of the scourge are changing their mind; a lot of them are going there now.
“Investors that are interested in fishery, agriculture and diamond mining are now planning to return to the country.
He said Sierra Leone was a fertile ground for investment, adding that the country had the potential to become an economic power.
“The Diamonds and iron ore mines are still functional. Investors should come on board and help us to see how we can jointly develop our country,’’ Nyuma said.
On the current situation of things in the country he said things were returning to normal since the Ebola crisis was addressed.
“Students are going to school; government offices are working like before. It is now business as usual,’’ the envoy told reporters.
On the forthcoming 25th Ordinary Session of the Heads of States and Government Summit of the African Union, Nguma said the summit would discuss issues bothering on terrorism in Nigeria and the sub-region.
Nyuma suggested the setting up of an intelligence team to trace the root of terrorism with a view to finding lasting solution to it.

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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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