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France Invests N150bn In Nigeria

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The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to France, Dr Modupe Irele, has announced that France invested about N150 billion(350 million euros) in Nigeria in 2017.
Irele told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that the amount was disbursed as soft loans to the Federal and State Governments, as well as the private sector.
“It is estimated that in 2017 alone, France invested around 350 million Euros (about N150 billion) in Nigeria, mostly through soft loans to both the Federal and State governments and the private sector.
“Available records also state that at the end of the first quarter of 2017, the trade volume between France and Nigeria stood at N668 .75
billion (1.9 billion euros).
“And in 2016, the volume of trade transacted between Nigeria and France was N339.77 billion,” she said.
Irele said that France and Nigeria’s economic relations had over the past 100 years been dominated by businesses in oil and gas, construction and other enterprises.
According to her, Nigeria remains France’s first trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Ambassador said that more French companies and businesses were prepared to take advantage of the nation’s ongoing initiatives at enhancing the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, for foreign investors.
“The French, like many other business people, are showing interest in the drive to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria and welcome the policies as positive developments.
“The over 100 years plus of Franco/Nigeria economic relations, have largely been dominated by big businesses in oil and gas, construction and others.
“However, we are witnessing a significant shift of interest to areas, including the agro-allied industry, SMEs, renewable energy, technology and start-ups, among others,” she said.
Irele said that she was currently working at increasing socio-cultural exchanges between France and Nigeria, as well as expanding mutually
beneficial economic ties between both countries.
The Nigerian Representative in France added that her embassy would also exploit unexplored investment and export opportunities between
both countries.
“We are also encouraging cooperation in the areas of technology, research and development, given the critical role technology is playing in defining our today and tomorrow,” she added.
The trade volume between France and Nigeria hit 1.9 billion euros (about N668 .75 billion) in the first quarter of 2017.

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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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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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