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SPDC Kick-Starts 2nd LiveWIRE For Ogoni Youth

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9 years ago

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Youth in Ogoniland have been
offered another chance to start their own businesses as the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) Operated Joint Venture, at the weekend, kick-started the second batch of the LiveWIRE programme aimed at empowering the youth to engage in viable businesses and help develop their communities, and Rivers State.
This is coming on the heels of the completion of the training of 105 Ogoni youth in the first tranche in the 2014/2015 programme.
Already, more than 100 youth from the four local government areas in Ogoni — Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme — have submitted business ideas for the 2016 edition in response to newspaper advertisements.
A statement, yesterday, signed by the Corporate Media Relations Manager, Shell Nigeria, Precious Okolobo, quoted the General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, as saying that, “The LiveWIRE programme for Ogoni youth is a targeted initiative, and is part of efforts to encourage youth in the area to take up viable and legitimate means of livelihood”.
Weli added that, “The 2011 UNEP Report on Ogoniland had recommended programmes aimed at supporting youth for alternative means of livelihood so they can stay away from crude oil theft and illegal oil refining activities. We’re happy that the youth are enthusiastic about the opportunities we’re offering them through LiveWIRE.”
The general manager explained that: “We expect to replicate the same success story in the 2016 LiveWIRE programme, helping youth to create jobs and giving the new employers and employees a new lease of life.”
The Tide reports that the flagship youth enterprise development programme aims to reach young people aged 18-35 to start their own businesses through the provision of training and finance.
The three-month training covers welding and fabrication, electrical installation, food preparation and culinary arts, information technology, fashion and beauty care, carpentry and joinery, and hairdressing and beauty therapy.
The trainees will be provided starter packs at the end of the session to start their own businesses.
Equipped with the skills and packs, The Tide recalls that some 78 graduates of the premier LiveWIRE session have started their own businesses, and also created jobs.

 

Josephine Atagana

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days 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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3 days 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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3 days 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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