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Economic Reforms, Determinant To Manufacturing – MAN …  AI Adoption As Game Changer

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8 months ago

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The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said the outlook of the manufacturing sector in 2025 will largely depend on the outcome of the ongoing economic reforms of the Federal Government.
President of MAN, Francis Meshioye, who stated this at the 9th edition of the MAN Media Personality of the Year Award held in Lagos, also identified the efficient adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a potential game changer for the sector.
Meshioye said manufacturers are hoping for a more stable economy in 2025 depending mostly on the success of the economic reforms of the government, while expressing hope in the effective management of the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) to stabilise the Naira.
“Looking ahead to 2025, Nigeria’s overall economic growth is projected to be around 4%, a modest recovery compared to previous years, though still lower than the average growth rate for sub-Saharan Africa.
“We should expect that interest rate will begin to ease, as its continued hike by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has failed to curb inflation and has instead stifled investment and business expansion.
“Only a favorable interest rate environment would help manufacturers access the necessary financing to reinvest in their operations and drive productivity.
“Nevertheless, the outlook for the manufacturing sector in 2025 largely depends on the success of ongoing economic reforms, which include: the implementation of the proposed tax reforms, stabilisation of critical macroeconomic indicators, and targeted investments in infrastructure and technology.
“Considering the series of ongoing fiscal and monetary reforms of the present administration, the contraction of the economy is expected to ease and experience some growth this year with stability in the exchange rate regime in 2025″, Meshioye said.
The MAN President emphasised the need for the efficient deployment of AI in the manufacturing sector in the new year and beyond.
Accordiing to him, “The efficient adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a game changer for the manufacturing sector in 2025 and the nearest future.
“This is expected to help in engendering enhanced production and productivity, improved capacity utilisation, innovative product development, improved inventory system, efficient logistics operations etc.
“It is projected that technology adoption through research and development will fast-track the emergence of the much-awaited transformational growth of the real sector of the economy.
“And as manufacturers, we are gearing up and ready to embark on this interesting journey on the path of growth.
“For the sector to regain its momentum, efforts to improve productivity and enhance competitiveness must be sustained as this is crucial in helping Nigerian manufacturers navigate the challenges they face”.
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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days 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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2 days 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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2 days 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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