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FG Closes $15bn Deal With Indian Govt

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Minister of State for Pe
troleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has  negotiated a 15- billion dollar investment with Indian Government for the oil and gas sector.
A statement signed by Mr Idang Alibi, Director, Press Ministry of Petroleum Resources, in Abuja on Monday, stated that  the negotiations were part of the three-day investment drive of the minister to India.
It said the negotiations would be for terms to be agreed, where the Indian Government would make an upfront payment for crude purchase to Nigeria.
This, it said, would  be repaid on the basis of firm Term Crude Contracts over some years and in consideration for Indian public sector companies collaborating in the refining sector as well as exploration and production activities.
It added that long term contracts for supply of crude to Indian PSU companies from Nigeria and possibilities of executing CGD and LPG infrastructure projects by Indian PSU companies in Nigeria was part of the negotiation.
It added that Kachikwu had concluded talks on the investments in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector in a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
“Both ministers noted the existing and significant engagement between the two countries in the hydrocarbon sector.
According to the statement, the Indian minister acknowledges that Nigeria is one of the largest trading partners of India in Africa which is dominated by import of crude oil and gas.
Between  2015 and 2016, India imported nearly 23.7 million tons  of crude which was nearly 12 per cent of India’s overall imports and over two million tons  of LNG from Nigeria.
Following this negotiation, the two countries agreed to work on a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) to facilitate investments by India in the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector.
It said the investment would specifically be  in areas such as Term Contract, participation of Indian companies in the refining sector, oil and gas marketing.
Others include upstream ventures, the development of gas infrastructure and in the training of oil and gas personnel in Nigeria.
“The MoU is expected to be firmed up in December 2016 during PETROTECH-2016.
“ Both ministers also agreed to strengthen the existing cooperation in Oil and Gas sector, and in particular, to explore investment opportunities for Indian Public and Private Sector companies in Nigeria,” it said.
It added that the minister had one-on-one meetings with top executives of Indian Public Sector Oil and Gas companies and also representatives of some Indian private sector oil and gas companies.

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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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