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UNEP Report: Again, Minister Visits Ogoni Over Clean-Up

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10 years ago

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L-R: Chairperson, Women in Management, Business & Public Service (wimbiz) Aishah Ahmad, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Moderator, Aisha Osori and chairman, Wimbiz board of Trustees, Mrs. Ifeoma idigbe at the wimbiz annual lecture in Lagos last Thursday.

L-R: Chairperson, Women in Management, Business & Public Service (wimbiz) Aishah Ahmad, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Moderator, Aisha Osori and chairman, Wimbiz board of Trustees, Mrs. Ifeoma idigbe at the wimbiz annual lecture in Lagos last Thursday.

For the second time in two
weeks, the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed has visited Ogoniland on the planned kick start of the clean-up of oil polluted sites in the area.
The minister, in company of the Special Adviser on the Amnesty Programme for Niger Delta ex-militants, Brigadier General Paul Boroh, visited Goi and Bodo communities.
The National Coordinator of the Ogoni Solidarity Forum, Celestine Akpobari, who took the minister and her team round the oil impacted sites, said the inspection is a strong confirmation that President Muhammadu Buhari will visit Ogoni.
Akpobari also assured that the clean-up of Ogoniland by the Buhari-led Federal Government will accelerate the clean-up of Ogoniland.
However, the planned clean-up of Ogoniland has become a big subject of campaigning by politicians in the rerun legislative election in the Rivers South East Senatorial District.
The APC Rivers South East Senatorial candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, at a campaign in Tai Local Government Area rally advised Ogonis to shun who had worked against the implementation of the UNEP Report.
He also boasted that he initiated the process that led to the UNEP Report while serving as Secretary to the State Government under former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a statement signed by Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, accused the PDP-led state government of sabotaging Ogoni clean-up.
But in a reaction, the PDP candidate for Rivers South East Senatorial District, Olaka Nwogu, said he and his party are in support of Ogoni clean-up.
Nwogu, however, said Ogoni must insist that the money for the clean-up is included in the budget.
Also reacting, a pro-Ogoni group, the Ken Saro-Wiwa Associates, has declared that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, actually set the stage for the UNEP Report and ensured a solid foundation for the commencement of the clean-up of Ogoniland.
The National Coordinator of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Associates, Gani Topba, said those condemning the Jonathan over the Ogoni clean-up are ignorant.
Topba also said he has concluded plan to bring former President Jonathan to Ogoniland for a grand reception in honour of his effort at ensuring the clean-up of Ogoniland.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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22 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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22 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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22 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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