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Facebook, CcHUB Move To Expand Start-Ups

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Facebook and Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) say they are partnering to connect start-ups to medium and large corporate organisations.
The companies made this known during the Press Day of Innovation Showcase Week (ISW) 2019 on Wednesday in Lagos.
Speaking during the programme, Chief Executive Officer of CcHUB, Bosun Tijani, said that the firms had organised Innovation Showcase Week (ISW) 2019 for the start-ups.
Tijani said that ISW, which opened between February 27 to March 1, 2019, would unveil the latest transformative technologies that would redefine industries.
He said that the transformative technologies would solve some of the most pressing business and consumer challenges in Nigeria.
According to him, a first of its kind event with over 20 exhibiting technology startups, will showcase the latest technology innovations to some 400 business and industry representatives across two days.
“Innovation Showcase Week, tagged “ISW 2019” is the first technology product showcase exhibition out of the startup support programmes by technology innovation centre – Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) and global enterprise, Facebook.
“We recognise the urgent need to accelerate innovation support to medium and large corporates who are positioned to secure significant gains for the economy through smart application of technology.
“ISW will close the gap between corporates and startups by being an unprecedented platform where industry leaders can experience and adopt homegrown innovations and solutions first hand.
“Showcasing startups at ISW would unveil their ground-breaking innovations built in Facebook’s deep-technology startup programme – FBStart Accelerator and the CcHUB 2018 Incubation programme,” he said.
Tijani said that the products on display leveraged advanced technologies such as Data Science, Internet of Things, Visual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He said that the products were across eight categories of Healthcare, Agriculture, Mobility, Energy, Education, Safety, Training and Security.
According to him, these solutions proffer break-through advances to business and consumer challenges in Nigeria.
On the ISW 2019 showfloor, exhibiting AI and Security-focused startups are Chiniki Guard, SayPeace, Identity Tech, E-Estates, DeepQuest AI and Insyt demonstrate AI’s promising power.
Other products on display for the Health and Agriculture sectors include Vetsark, Doctoora, Plantheus, TrepLabs, Gricd and Truppr.
Energy and Mobility dedicated areas have Upnepa, Smart Electricity, Hydrolite, Cycles and Lara products on display.
The Virtual reality and Safety Training section showcases immersive solutions from Quadron VR, Kanji Drive and Project Move.
Ms Kendra Nnachi, Facebook Startup and Developer Programmes Manager, said that ISW embodied the innovative spirit that defined the Nigerian startup ecosystem.
Nnachi said that the world was in the age where innovation matter, hence, the need to support and promote innovations.
She urged the start-ups to always develop innovation that stand the taste of time and sustain their livelihoods.
“The products and services launching here by the Facebook and CcHUB supported startups will empower individuals and enterprises to change our world for the better,” Nnachi said.

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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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