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Udom Harps On Govt, Monarchs, NDDC’s Synergy

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The Governor of  Akwa Ibom State, His Udom Gabriel  Emmanuel has stressed the need for an effective tripartite working  relationship between the government, the Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities  of Nigeria (TROMPCON)  and the  Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of oil producing areas.
Governor Emmanuel  who was  represented by his Deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo stressed the need while declaring open the 26th National Conference and inauguration of the 2017-2019 National  Executive  Council of  TROMPCON held in Eket Local Government Area Akwa-Ibom State recently.
He said TROMPCON, the mouth-piece of oil  bearing communities in Nigeria has become a household name as the body had been on the forefront agitating for just and  equitable participation of oil producing communities,  adding that  with the mono-cultural  economy, development of oil producing  areas should not be left  for government alone.
According to him, history has been made for the large turn out of people to brain storm on areas to maximize the benefits accruable  to oil producing  areas, and expressed  delight for the positive  role TROMPCON is playing, pointing out that government is ready to partner  with them to achieve set goals for oil producing areas.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Akwa-Ibom State Council of Traditional Rulers,  His Royal Majesty, Obong Effiong Bassey Archiaringa, said it  is an oporutnity for the people of  Niger Delta to come together   and move the region forward as the hen that lays the golden  egg,  urging all to stay united, focus to project and protect  the oil and gas producing  areas to reduce unemployment, poverty, under-development and deprivation.
Archiaringa,  who is the current  National Chairman  of TROMPCON, called for all hands to be on deck and enjoined oil and gas  companies to relocate to their operational base while commending  all for the vision sustained as well as lauded the Governor  for hosting  the conference and the  founding fathers for their vision.
Nine oil  and gas producing states  attended the 3-day conference which ended last Friday.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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