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Minister Tasks Investors On Light Rail Transit System

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8 years ago

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Federal Capital Territory Minister, Muhammad Bello has invited investors to take advantage of business opportunities that would be offered by the completion of the FCT Light Rail Mass Transit System.
Bello said on Sunday in Abuja, during a tour of ongoing light railway project in Abuja that “the entire rail transit corridor offered an array of business opportunities for restaurant operators and shopping malls, among others.
According to him, the large swathe of space on the rail line corridors contains 12 stations, includIng the central metro station near the World Trade Centre in the Central Business District, Abuja.
He hoped that the network would substantially increase economic activities in the territory.
The minister explained that the abuse of land processes in the past which resulted in incidences of land use mismatch made him not to delve into any land allocation since he assumed office.
He noted that almost all the phases within the Federal Capital City had been allocated except for Phase 5. He added that “FCT Administration needs over N80 billion to provide infrastructure in the already allocated districts.
“We are grappling with a situation where plots are allocated in a manner that outstripped the capacity of the Administration to provide infrastructure.
Bello announced that the FCTA had paid all confirmed bills it inherited and ensured that power consumed by the Administration was metered to ensure appropriate billing.
Accordingly, he said, the Administration was making arrangements for off-gtid solution to the perennial challenge of street lighting in the FCT and was looking the way of solar panels and generators as back-up for power during off-gtid times.
Bello expressed delight that some infrastructure projects would go off the budge line this year and in 2018 as work on them had either been completed or about to.
He said the Administration’s strategy was to complete the Gwagwalda-Airport, Zuba-Kubwa and Keffi­Nyanya-A Y A express roads; the three roads leading into and outside the city.
According to him, this will also include the major city road like the Constitution and Independence Roads, among others.
The minister declared that the strategy was paying off.
He announced that “our next attention is to the satellite towns. Work is now ongoing on the Dutse Alhaji­Kubwa road and the Karu Township infrastructure for which the National Executive Council approved N2.6 billion.
“Attention will also be on Karshi-Apo road, among others.”

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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4 hours 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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