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Prices Of Building Materials Rise In Delta

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Prices of some building
materials recorded six per cent increase in some major towns in Delta State between January and April due to the rise in the cost of transportation.
A survey has revealed that the commodities affected during the period were sharp sand, iron rod, granite and cement blocks.
The survey shows that a double tipper load of sharp sand which was sold for N13,000 in Asaba early January, sold for N14,000 during the last week of April.
A single tipper load of the item which was also sold for N7,000 in January in Asaba and its environs went for N8,000 in April.
The survey also reveals that within same period the price of granite also went up across the state.
A double tipper load of the commodity sold for N15, 000 in Asaba, Ughelli, Agbor and Sapele in January sold for N16, 000 in April.
A bag of Elephant brand of cement which was sold for N1, 600 in Sapele earlier in the year was sold for N1, 700 in April while the same brand which was sold for N1, 600 in Asaba and Warri in January was later sold for N1, 650.
The survey also shows that the price of iron rod in Asaba and Issele-Uku moved up during the period under review.
A single bar of 1.3-inch of the commodity sold for N1, 900 and N1, 100 in April in Asaba and Issele-Uku against N1, 850 and N1, 000 respectively in January.
The investigation further revealed that cement blocks also recorded the slight price difference in Asaba, Warri, Issele-Uku and Agbor within the period under review.
Nine-inch and six-inch cement blocks which were sold for between N110 and N100 respectively in the cities in January, sold for N120 and N110 respectively in April.
Some of the dealers attributed the slight increase in the prices of the items to the rise in the cost of transportation occasioned by the rise in pump price of petrol during the period.
For instance, owner of Adebayo Block Industry, Asaba, Mr John Adebayo, said: “the slight price increase we had between January and April was due to the increase in the price of fuel and transport fares.
“The prices of sharp sand, granite and other building materials increased and this also affected the prices of our blocks’’.

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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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