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Osun Restates Commitment To SMEs Dev

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8 years ago

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The Osun State Government, has reiterated its commitment to the creation of an enabling environment for the development of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the state.
The state Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, made this pledge at a business submit organised by the Bank of Industry (BOI) in Osogbo, on Tuesday.
Tomori, who said that SMEs played key roles in the development of nations, stressed the need for the government to put in place a legal framework to protect small enterprises.
She also called for mutual understanding and synergy among stakeholders with a view to addressing the challenges of fixing SMEs in the state.
Laoye-Tomori said that the Osun Government had come up with a six-point integral plan to play vital roles in the socio-economic development of the state in order to make life meaningful for the people.
Tomori, who lauded the SMEs, promised that the state government would allow them to showcase their potential through the introduction of annual trade fairs.
The deputy governor, also urged the SMEs to invest in agriculture to increase food and livestock production, as she urged investors to come to invest in Osun, assuring them of a secure environment.
Also, the Commissioner for Commerce, Investment and Industry, Mr Ismail Alagbada lauded the bank for its support towards accelerating the state’s industrial growth.
Alagbada, who noted that the BOI had strengthened several SMEs since its establishment, said the Osun Government, through its micro agency, had disbursed N3.5 million to cooperative societies, individuals and SMEs.
According to him, the government will not relent in its efforts to facilitate easy access to funds by SMEs.
The General Manager of BOI, Mr Olukayode Pitan, said through partnership, the industry had a matching fund to be disbursed to industrialists through the state.
Pitan said that the bank had disbursed N3.5 billion to industrialists in the state and would still do more for the growth of SMEs.
He said that the challenges being faced in accessing funds by the SMEs would be looked into in order to minimise such problems.
Pitan said that the bank would identify micro-finance banks closer to the SMEs and assist them in order to service small-scale businesses.
He, however, said that the bank was open for business and would continue to support the SMEs in the state.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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9 hours 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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