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Cooperative Gets CBN’s Approval For Microfinance Bank

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The President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of iEBS Matrixx Cooperative, Investment & Credit Society Limited, Dr. Larry Goodwill Ajiola, has said the body has gotten approval from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to float a Microfinance bank.
Ajiola said this during the meeting of the different unit leaders of the cooperative in Port Harcourt over the weekend.
He said the bank will kick-off operations this year, saying that all the cooperative members would become the first customers of the bank.
The iEBS Matrixx boss, who is also a United Nations Eminent Peace Ambassador, informed that members would be given their cheque books and are entitled to loans without collateral.
He reiterated the willingness of the leadership to carry everybody along, but expressed dissatisfaction over members that sell out information of the cooperative .
“Everything we do in this cooperative follows due process. The members of this body have fair representation in all the nations of the world because of the finished work of her President”, he said.
Ajiola noted that the grant and other programmes of the cooperative are aimed at alleviating poverty and boosting the businesses of members and other Nigerians, adding that, “anybody that has registered for one programme or the other in the cooperative will benefit from good things that are in the pipeline”.
Secretary of the Cooperative, Mr. Ifeanyi Pius advised members to write their business plans and strategise on how the business would succeed, adding that, “if you wait until the money comes, you will spend without achieving your goal.
“The cost of the shop must not be greater than your income, if your business must break through. Your prayers should be, God, give me wisdom to find solutions where there are challenges”, he advised.
Pius charged members to come with their coded business plans to show their preparedness for business.
Speaking in an interview with The Tide shortly after the meeting, a cluster head, Pastor Eshiebor Triumph commended the President of the Cooperative for his selfless efforts to achieve success for everyone.
He noted that since 2017 he joined the group, he has benefited from the vast knowledge of the CEO, adding that the group is a place to be due to the love, care and integrity of the leadership.
Highlight of the occasion was the election of Mr. Collins Henry as the Provost of the Cooperative.

By: Lilian Peters

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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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