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FG Opens Online Portal For Investors

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7 years ago

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The Federal Government has launched an up-to-date online portal, iGuide Nigeria’, containing necessary information and relevant data for willing investors.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, at the launch in Abuja recently, said the portal would greatly improve the Ease of Doing Business in the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Edet Akpan, represented the minister at the event.
“The ranking of Ease of Doing Business for now is not good enough for Nigeria, we are working hard to ensure that in the next ranking the country will be among the top 10,” Enelamah said.
The latest World Bank rating says Nigeria ranks 145 out of 190 countries listed in the Ease of Doing Business index for 2018.
The report indicated that Nigeria had moved up by 24 points from 169th position on the 2017 ranking and also 170th position on the 2016 ranking to 145 in the World Bank 2018 report.
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Ms Yewande Sadiku, said the portal would help investors get access to the basic information needed to make better informed decisions on Nigeria as a preferred investment destination.
“iGuide is an easy to use online platform providing investors with up-to-date and pertinent information on the processes, procedures and basic costs of doing business in Nigeria.
“It provides information on starting business, labour, production factors, land, taxes, investor rights, growth sectors and opportunities”, she said.
According to her, the purpose of the portal is put together with the support of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Sadiku said the portal would be updated quarterly and that it had language functionality, meaning that the platform has different languages.
“It is a marketing tool, as information on Nigeria’s investment processes and procedures are on one platform for easy access”, she said.
UNECA officer, Mr Emmauel Chinyama said Nigeria was among the first four countries to improve on iGuide.
Chinyama said the portal was the best way to fast-track process of doing business which contained local data, relevant rules and contacts.
He said that the portal would also be used to share experiences, saying “iGuide is key to address chanllenges of doing business”.
Chinyama said the system would strengthen lots of institutions and agencies in the country.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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22 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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22 hours ago

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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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22 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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