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RSG Partners FG On YEAP

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9 years ago

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The Rivers State Com
missioner for Agriculture, Barr. Onimin Jack, has expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) for choosing Rivers State as one of the states in the federation for the operation of the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
The commissioner while addressing newsmen shortly after inaugurating the state steering committee of YEAP in Port Harcourt, Wednesday, disclosed that the state is the first in the South South region and a lot of work has been done in empowering the youth in the area of agriculture.
According to her, the programme was targeting to kick off with 2000 youths, and above.
“We will start with about 2000 but eventually it may get up to 5000 -6000”, she said.
On how the Wike administration plans to use agriculture to create employment as it clocks one year, the agric boss explained that as they start their agric business, the youth automatically become employers of labour themselves.
“What we are doing is to try and develop agriculture as much as we can in the state.
“Even if you start with the clearing of the land, people are employed, once you make up your mind to engage in any agric project, employment has started”, she said.
On how to sustain the programme, Jack explained that the ministry was being multispectral.
She said other ministries like ministry of youth , women affairs, commerce and employment, amongst others, would have point persons to monitor the process.
Answering a question on the poor state  of the various Agricultural Development Programmes (ADP) in the state, the commissioner assured that the ministry was in the process of making them functional.
“The ADP is an auxiliary of the ministry of agriculture and it is part of what we are activating because they are core  business extension services  to the farmers and agric business persons that need their services”, she said.
Earlier, the State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ime Umoh, expressed gratitude to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and YEAP for accepting to select Rivers State for the programme.
He disclosed that YEAP was designed to generate employment and income along area based priority agric value chains and also improve their livelihood, facilitate food and nutrition, security as well as enhance economic and social stability of the country.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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