Connect with us

Business

Accept 50% Salary Slash In Good Faith – Al-Makura

Published

9 years ago

on

Governor Umaru Al-
Makura of Nasarawa State, on Friday urged civil servants in the state to accept the 50 per cent cut in their salaries “in good faith.”
The governor made the appeal in Lafia in his speech at the commencement of sale of 150 metric tons of fertilisers at subsidised rates to farmers in the state.
He urged the striking workers to go back to work and suspend their strike “in the interest of the state.”
Workers in the state had embarked on the strike in protest against the decision of the government to cut the salaries of public officers and civil servants by 50 per cent across the board.
The governor, however, stated that the 50 per cent slash in salaries is “a sacrifice every one needed to make.”
He added that the sacrifice had become imperative in view of dwindling revenue accruing to the coffers of the state.
Al-Makura explained that despite the drop in its resources, government decided to subsidise the price of fertilizers sold to farmers at N3,000 per bag.
He said that the gesture was intended to boost farming in the state in line with federal government’s drive to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on revenue from sale of crude oil.
“We would continue to support farming activities in the state to enrich our farmers by supplying them with fertilizers and other farm inputs at subsidised rate.
“We are more than ever before determined as a government to invest in other sectors of the economy given the current problems that have bedeviled the entire country.
“This is a moment of sober reflection as a nation, hence our resolve to continue to subsidise farm inputs for farmers in order to guaranty better and quality live for the people in the state,” the governor said.
Responding on behalf of the farmers, Mauzu Ishaq, Nasarawa State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), expressed gratitude to the government for supporting farmers in the state.
He appealed to the government to facilitate and encourage mechanized farming by reintroducing tractors hiring unit in the state Ministry of Agriculture for easy access to farmers.
“Most farmers in the state are so poor that they cannot afford to buy their own tractors, hence the need for the government to reintroduce the scheme,” Ishaq said.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

2 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

2 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

2 days ago

on

September 22, 2025

By

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.
Continue Reading

Trending