Business
Minister Asures On Blue Economy Policy
Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has described the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy as an inclusive framework that will enhance maritime governance.
He said the policy will ultimately establish the sector as a key driver of national prosperity in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063.
A statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations at the marine Ministry, Muhammad Zakaria, said Oyetola disclosed this at the second and final leg of the Executive Technical Validation Workshop of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy in Abuja.
He noted that the series of validation workshops and engagements in the last few months are aimed “at redefining and producing a formidable framework that will serve as a blueprint to advance Nigeria’s maritime sector”.
Oyetola acknowledged the ministry’s vision for the sector, which explains the assemblage of professionals ranging from industry experts to academics and researchers.
“This affirms and further reflects the ministry’s dedication and commitment to the growth and development of the sector”, Oyetola said.
While acknowledging the maritime domain as a crucial pillar of Nigeria’s future economy, Oyetola noted the importance of addressing the bond between the marine and blue economy sectors with economic growth.
He also observed that an inclusive maritime policy places Nigeria as a leader in the global blue economy.
“This engagement aims to restore our priorities and solidify a framework for advancing the maritime sector over the next few years”, he said.
According to him, a key factor in driving maritime development is the establishment of a strong policy framework.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Oloruntola Olufemi, said the final and executive validation workshop was to harp on the gains and achievements of the previous engagement.
Oloruntola further stated that the marine industry is fast gaining economic relevance and changing the fortunes of many nations on a global scale.
“This workshop is an opportunity to consolidate those efforts and finalize a framework that will guide the sustainable growth of the Blue Economy in Nigeria. Over the past few months, we have witnessed the growing significance of the marine sector in global discourse.
“As we face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, this policy represents a forward-.thinking approach to harnessing the immense potential of our blue economy”, he stated.
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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.
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.
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.