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RSG To Clampdown On Unregistered Abattoirs

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5 years ago

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The Rivers State Government says it has concluded plans to begin the clampdown on unregistered abattoirs and slaughter houses in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Fred Kpakol, who disclosed this in a chat with The Tide also hinted that the clamp down would commence on October 1, 2020.
Kpakol, further said his ministry would conduct regular inspection of abattoirs and slaughter slabs to ascertain that they meet the required standards, adding that those that fall short of the stipulated standards would be shut down
According to him, “the Ministry of Agriculture wishes to state categorically that nobody should slaughter meat at any slab without veterinary meat inspection, we are talking about cattle, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry. Every meat must be inspected, physical inspection and inspection of the tissues and I want to sound it on very strong authority that from the first of October, we are going to move from slaughter to slaughter, clamp down and close slaughter that do not meet the required sanitary standards and any of the slaughters that don’t do the needful as to the sanitary conditions and make the food available will be closed down”
Kpakol maintained that the state government was ready to concession some state owned agricultural farms with a view to attracting foreign investors.
He said, “Rivers State is amphibious, we are both on land and on sea, so while we are looking at crops, which would be done on the land, we are also looking at fishes right in the ocean terminals too. Rivers State Government some few months ago talked about concession of some farms. Some of the farms will be to grow fish some crops. Some international investors and those who understand what we do will bring in their money and partner with the state government”.
The agric commissioner also said that the state government was interested in food security for the people of the state in particular and the world at large.
“Food security is the target of government. It is not only to Rivers State, but to the whole world and the governor of the state is very proactive. How the government can partner together and have foreign and international investors that can also be called upon to work with us to be able to bring about food security”, he added

 

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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8 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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9 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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9 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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