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NIPC May Inherit USAID‘s Nigeria Trade Project

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10 years ago

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The Nigeria Investment
Promotion Commission (NIPC) has said that it may inherit the activities of USAID‘s Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) programme currently running along Lagos-Kano-Jibiya (LAKAJI) Corridor.
In a statement issued by Joel Attah, Head, Media and Protocol of NIPC in Abuja on Thursday, the commission said the plan was part of its effort to take Nigeria to a future beyond oil and promote non-oil sectors of the economy.
“The USAID NEXTT programme in Nigeria is a four-year initiative that is supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to expand trade volume and efficiency domestically and within the ECOWAS region.
“And it is expected to wind down next year after NIPC persuaded them to extend the project by one year.
“The project has currently identified the LAKAJI Corridor as a major artery for trade in Nigeria and is committed to the development of the corridor’s potential,’’ it said.
According to the statement, NIPC has been partnering USAID NEXTT for the realisation of projects with the deployment of one of its management staff to the project.
It said the step was aimed at promoting and attracting investments, especially in the agriculture sector and its value chain along the corridor.
It said the Executive Secretary of NIPC, Mrs Uju Baba, had expressed the determination of the commission to be a successor of the project after the tenure next year.
She described the programme as a success story of the organisation, which it might replicate in other corridors.
She noted that the commission had the capacity to inherit the projects with its One-Stop Investment Centre activities, zonal office operations and committee on Doing Business Services and After Care Services which she chaired.
While receiving the President of USAID NEXTT project, Mr Santiago Sedaca, on Wednesday, Baba noted that NIPC had provided technical assistance for the promotion of investment into the LAKAJI project.
She commended the USAID NEXTT on the project and plans to extend the programme to 2017. saying that by so doing most of the investments would have started to yield dividends.
Earlier, Sedaca had commended NIPC for providing quality technical support and services that made the realisation of the LAKAJI Corridor project a reality and described the commission as a “veritable partner”.
He said he was in the country to discuss USAID NEXTT programmes for 2016/17 in Nigeria and hold discussions with project partners.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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16 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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16 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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16 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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