Connect with us

Business

FG Commences Irrigation Facilities, Feeder Roads Construction, May

Published

9 years ago

on

The Federal Government says it will commence construction of irrigation facilities and feeder roads in seven states by May under its Agricultural Transformation Support Programme Phase one (ATASP-1).
The National Coordinator of ATASP-1, Mr Haruna Akwashiki, told newsmen in Abuja yesterday, that the projects would be in communities of Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, Kano, Jigawa, Enugu and Anambra States.
“We have been able to mobilise both consultants and contractors to the field.
“The consultants are designing the irrigation schemes and feeder roads while the contractors are working on our social infrastructure for the construction of 35 primary schools, 14 community health centres, 63 boreholes, 63 VIP toilets, 14 community markets and construction of seven technology demonstration centres.
“The construction of the social infrastructure will end by April 2017 while the design of the irrigation schemes and feeder roads will be completed by the middle of April 2017.
“By our plan, the construction of the irrigation schemes and feeder roads will commence by May 2017.’’
He said the projects would provide enabling environment necessary for private sector investments and businesses to thrive in the rural areas.
Akwashiki said that the programme would also reduce the importation of rice, boost cassava and sorghum production and encourage exportation.
He said that 1,300 kilometres of irrigation water canals would also be constructed in the seven States; 280km in Kebbi, Sokoto-175km, Niger-220km, Kano-230km, Enugu-125km, Anambra-75km and Jigawa-195km.
Akwashiki said that the programme would construct another 1,330 kilometres of feeder roads as well as 63 potable water supply and sanitation schemes in those States.
ATASP-1 is a programme developed by the African Development Bank and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for food and nutrition security, employment generation and wealth creation through the rice, cassava and sorghum value chains.
The Federal Government with 152 million dollars and the AfDB with 23 million dollars are funding it.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

3 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

3 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

3 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