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Farmers Co-operative Boss Seeks Revitalisation Of ADP

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11 years ago

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The President, Etche
Farmers Co-operative Union, Mr. Godwin Akandu has advocated for immediate revitalization of the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) across the country as priority step in the Federal Government diversification of the economy.
Akandu who spoke in an interview yesterday with The Tide in Port Harcourt said, AP is crucial in equipping rural farmers with the technical knowhow that would improve in the national agric programmes.
However, he expressed regret that across the country, ADP offices appear to be forgotten and stressed that more attention need to be given to ADP.
Akandu said, in the Etche office of ADP, reptiles and other dangerous animals have taken over the office which according to him is now in midst of wild bush”.
“You the begin to wonder how this terrible situation can help Etche farmers”, he said.
He maintained that until agric sector is given due attention, the economic diversification initiative would not go far, in view of the so much potentials as regards employment, provision of food and curbing of youth related crimes in the society.
He commended the present administration led by President Goodluck Jonathan for its Agric Transformation Agenda (ATA), saying for the last 20 years no administration has given the high level of attention to farmers as the present administration.
“For past 20 years, hardly do you see fertilizer on ground because they are being controlled by the big shots who pose as monopolists”, he said adding that today with ATA, farmers get fertilizer at highly subsidized rate.
“Again, you see improved seedlings, fingerlings being distributed to farmers at little or no cost. I commend the ATA initiative and wish that it should be sustained by the Federal Government irrespective of who occupies the office of the Presidency”, he stated.
He expressed disappointment over the poor attitude of local government councils to agriculture in the country, saying it is regrettable that the third-tier of the government which should show more interest to farmers because of its proximity to the grassroots, is not doing enough for the growth of agriculture in Nigeria.
The farmers Co-operative boss attributed this poor situation to the lack of autonomy to the third tier and appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to do whatever possible to ensure that autonomy is granted the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.

 

Chris Oluoh

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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1 day 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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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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