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COVID-19: NCDMB Cuts Interest Rate On NCI Fund Loans, Extends Tenure

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The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says it has reduced the interest rate for beneficiaries of loans under the Nigerian Content Intervention (NCI) Fund from eight to six percent per annum.
The board says it has also extended the loans moratorium and tenure effective from April 1.
Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote,said that the move was part of measures to spur business continuity, particularly in the oil and gas sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wabote explained that these palliatives seek to reinforce the various economic stimulus packages by the Federal Government to support businesses to overcome the difficulties created by the Coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria.
He reaffirmed the board’s commitment to continue to provide impetus to businesses in the oil and gas industry to surmount emerging operating difficulties in line with the Federal Government’s policy direction.
“Under this palliative regime, all running loans with outstanding tenure within three years will be extended by six months, while all running loan facilities with a tenure above three years will get extra 12 months tenure.
“Similarly, there will be moratorium extension on all running loan facilities under manufacturing, asset acquisition and contract finance with outstanding tenure not exceeding three years by six months and by 12 months for all applicable running loan facilities, effective April 1.
“The five loan products under the NCI Fund are manufacturing, asset acquisition, contract finance, loan refinancing and community contractor financing.
“However, there have been no disbursements yet under Community Contractor Financing to date,” Wabote said in a statement.
He also disclosed that about 91 per cent of the 200 million dollars NCI Fund had been disbursed to 26 beneficiaries and many of the borrowers had started repaying.
According to him, the current success rate of the Intervention Fund is above 95 percent.
He said: “Since the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Nigeria, NCDMB has continued to roll out measures to ensure resilience and business continuity in the oil and gas industry.
“Just last week, the board offered business advisory to Project 100 companies and other oil and gas service companies in Nigeria on how to navigate through these precarious times and remain resilient.
“The board also directed NLNG to give priority to Project 100 companies with proven capacities in the Train 7 project.
“Much more than these, despite the lockdown, NCDMB also wrote to NLNG granting final clearance on Nigerian Content requirements and for the Train 7 contract to be signed and project to commence.”
Wabote added that on the fight against COVID-19, the board had donated ambulances and medical equipment to some states.

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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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