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2017 Budget: N’Delta Militancy ’ll Spell Doom -Expert

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9 years ago

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Experts have warned that the renewed threat of hostilities in the Niger Delta could spell doom for the economy as much of the 2017 budget has been predicated on oil revenue from the region.
Lead Director Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere said that while the disruption of oil production activities in the Niger Delta had a great impact on the 2016 budget, another round of hostilities will only make matters worse for the 2017 budget.
He argued while speaking to newsmen recently in Port Harcourt, that if the Federal Government failed to realize its target of 2.2 million barrels of oil per day, as estimated in the budget, there will be no magic that will make the budget work.
According to him, until the Federal government realizes the need to seek genuine dialogue with the Niger delta people, it will continue building castles in the air.
“The truth is that what is happening is not bound to happen, it can be avoided, if the government does the right thing.
“The problem is the arrogance of power from the President and the people around him”, he said.
He opined that until the government realizes that the oil they continue to beckon does not belong to the Federal government but to the people of the Niger delta, the problem will persist.
Onyekpere insisted that the only constitution which talks about how to distribute revenue in the federation and was agreed to by the representatives of the people was in 1960 and 1963.
“Those were the constitutions negotiated by the likes of Nmamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa and Obafemi Awolowo amongst others”, he said.
Leader of another Civil Society Group, Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD), Comrade Odafe Igbini advised President Muhammadu Buhari to swallow his pride and constitute a government of national unity to assist him in salvaging the economy.
Igbini lamented that two years after taking over the reins of power, Buhari has been superintending over an economy that is in recession and almost slipping into depression.
According to him, the standard of living of the people has continued to dwindle following the rising inflation and unemployment in the country.
Buhari and the APC owe it as a duty to Nigerians to resolve these issues instead of lamenting and blaming the previous administration.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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1 day 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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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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