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Ministry Set To Fast-Track National Dev

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10 years ago

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The Permanent Secretary,
Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, has affirmed the readiness of the Ministry to fast-track national development through Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
Oyo-Ita  made the assertion in Abuja during a courtesy visit of Society of Women Engineers, Technologists and  Scientists (SWETS) in Africa based in Abuja, to the ministry. She said that ministry was determined to doubles its efforts at impacting positively on all sectors  in the country to grow the national economy.
According to her, the  ministry is one of the core ministries of the present administration. “President Muhammadu Buhari has identified the FMST  as the backbone of the industrial take off of the nation and we  are  determined to prove that his trust in us is not  misplaced.
“We are doing  very well  in the area of research  in engineering infrastructure, road and building, biotechnology, space research, chemical technology, renewable  energy, technology transfer of what is in store for  this country.”
The permanent secretary promised that the ministry would work together  with the association, adding “both bodies have similar  objectives to carry out.”
She urged the association to intensify effort in sensitizing the  society about SWETS’ objectives. Earlier, the International  President of SWETS, Mrs Vera Egwatu, appreciated the ministry for granting the association’s courtesy visit aimed at partnering with the ministry.
According to her, Soceity of Women Engineers (SWE), a U.S. based organisation, took a decision to become a global body to help galvanishing and inspiring women Engineers, Technologists and Scientists.
“In 2008, it commenced its globalization programme with a pilot scheme involving four countries, namely Germany, Japan, India and Nigeria to provide a platform for women technologists and scientists to advance   their professional desires,” she said.
Egwatu listed SWETS objectives to include caring for members and catering for them in order to encourage them toward their provision and developing members in attaining  the highest level in their field.
She said that other were improving communication among women engineers, technologist, and scientists and addressing the under-representation of women in Science, technology and engineering among others.

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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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