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Japan Reaffirms Support For Infrastructure Dev In Nigeria

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9 years ago

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The Japanese Government
has reaffirmed its support for the promotion of high quality infrastructure to enhance the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, Mr Masaya Otsuka, said this at the Nigeria-Japan Public-Private Conference for High Quality Infrastructure in Lagos.
The conference was organised by the Ministry of Lands, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Lagos State Government and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
According to him, Japan is committed to the growth of Nigeria’s economy by promoting quality infrastructure that is cost efficient and resilient.
Otsuka said Japan acknowledged the infrastructure challenges confronting Nigeria and was ready to support the country to overcome it in a sustainable way.
“Infrastructure forms a basis for economic growth, improves the quality of life of its citizens and places a country on a sustainable path.
“If you are thinking of development, you have to make it a long term programme that will be sustainable to boost economic growth.
“Japan has a wealth of experience in building quality infrastructure using advanced technology that are made to last.
“We believe in Nigeria’s future. We are ready to strengthen investment in Nigeria.”
Deputy Minister, Japan Construction, Engineering and Real Estate Industry, Mr Yasuki Kaibori,  said Japan could support Nigeria through the sharing of experiences and technologies.
Kaibori said the conference was to strengthen Japan’s bilateral economic relationship with Nigeria.
President of LCCI, Mrs Nike Akande, said the conference was timely considering the critical level of Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.
She said a report from the African Development Bank (AFDB) estimated Nigeria’s core stock of infrastructure at 20-25 per cent of GDP, compared with 70 per cent recorded by other middle income countries.
“This leaves an infrastructure deficit of 300 billion dollars, while there are considerations on the use of pension funds for infrastructure financing and the 2016 federal budget allocating N1.8 trillion to capital trillion to capital expenditure.
“There is definitely need for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to deepen finance for infrastructure in Nigeria.”
According to her, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) revealed that N3.1 trillion is needed to bridge the infrastructure gap in the transport sector.
Executive Vice President of JETRO, Dr Katsumi Hirano, said Nigeria had to develop her infrastructure to strengthen the competitiveness of the manufacturing and agriculture sector.
Mr Bello Husseini, Charge d’affaires ad interim, Embassy of Nigeria in Japan said the relationship between Nigeria and Japan dates to 1960.Husseini said Japan had supported Nigeria in healthcare, education, capacity building, research and development and infrastructure.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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23 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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23 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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23 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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