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SON Lauds Firm For Promoting Local Content, Employment

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4 years ago

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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has lauded Life Mate Group for producing products with locally sourced materials that drive the local economy, create more employment opportunities, and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
Director-General of SON, Farouk Salim stated this at a press conference to launch the Lifemate 2022 Hot sales and pre-sales mode at the weekend in Lagos.
Salim, who was represented by the State Coordinator of SON, Moshood Shittu said the company, with its various range of products manufactured locally, has also contributed to the state and federal government through its personal and company income tax.
“This company has been in existence for about 20 years and it used to be that furniture was imported into Nigeria and because of the shipping cost that ultimately leads to the increase in the cost of the product, the company decided to go into local production to eliminate these barriers.
“We are glad that the company is making use of local raw materials in its production. This is creating jobs for our teeming population.
“Lifemate has contributed to the reduction of unemployment by recruiting staff locally and thereby contributing to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria,” he said.
Salim noted that the company has been subjected to the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certification scheme, as their products have been certified.
Regional Manager, Life mate group, Lekki, Jessica Xiong, while giving the business model, said the company is one of the foreign investors that source raw materials locally as well as produce the product locally to provide employment for the people in the country.
She said this has also helped in eliminating the high cost of shipping raw materials and the furniture into the country, which is why the products are affordable.
Xiong listed the company’s multiple categories of furniture ranging from office, home, kitchen and sanitary wares, indoor and outdoor to suit the demands of the Nigerian populace.
She said the company’s hot sale model is to ensure the products are affordable, while considering the economic situation of the country as well as ensuring people live in comfort in their homes.
The Showroom Manager, Amaka Chiemena, said the model of the furniture is to improve customers’ loyalty as well as the furniture industry in the country.
She said the company produces furniture to suit the taste and needs of the Nigerian populace at an affordable cost for the customers to appreciate.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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23 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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23 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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23 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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