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Okowa Assures On Promoting Non-Oil Exports

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9 years ago

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Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
of Delta State says his government is committed to diversifying and promoting the state’s non-oil exports in order to expand its revenue base.
Okowa spoke on Saturday, which was tagged “Delta Special Day’’ at the 11thAbuja International Trade Fair in the FCT.
The governor said his administration was keen to fast track growth in the state by giving necessary push to the development of commerce and industry.
He said that there were ample opportunities for foreign and local investors in Delta to develop agriculture and establish agro-based industries. According to him, special attention will be given to the private sector to establish viable industries in the state.
He said that other viable ventures waiting for development in the state included Aqua tourism, palm oil, cassava and Garri processing, as well as fishing. Okowa, represented by Mrs Mary Iyasere, Delta Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said the state was endowed with abundance of mineral resources such as crude oil, clay silica, lignite, and kaolin among others.
He also said that Delta had high potential supply of raw materials and favourable climate to support the establishment of industries.
According to him, there is abundance of natural rubber, rich varieties of typical wood, yam, plantain, vegetables and maize predominantly grown in the state. Okowa said that the state had tax concession for investo rs that would want to invest there.
He explained that the state was ready to synergise with the private sector at local and international levels to establish more businesses in the state. The governor said the trade fair had afforded both international and local investors opportunity to share ideas and showcase their products/services.
Earlier, the President of Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mr Tony Ejinkonye, said the fair was to promote and accelerate commerce and industry in Nigeria.  Ejinkonye said that the fair was also intended to revitalise and diversify the nation’s economy by promoting non- oil exports.  He explained that the trade fair had directed its attention to the role of private sector in the Nigerian economy, adding that it would provide access to resources and technology for investors.
Ejinkonye said that the trade fair would also attract foreign investment to Nigeria.
According to Ejinkonye, Delta has some historical, cultural and socio-political tourism centres with a population of 4.1 million people and Gross Domestic Product of 16.7million dollar. He listed Mungo Park House and Lander Brothers Anchorage as some of the historical centres in Delta.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 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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2 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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2 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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