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Women Empowerment Confab Opens In Abuja, July 14

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The Abuja Chapter of
the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) has embarked on an empowerment scheme for hundreds of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
The Chairperson of the chapter, Mrs Ekaette Umoh, told newsmen in Abuja, on Wednesday that the confab, slated for July 14, would open new opportunities for upcoming female entrepreneurs to turn the corner in their bids to become self-reliant.
She explained that NNEW, established by the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association, 11 years ago had been in the forefront of promoting women entrepreneurship.
Umoh said that NNEW had been working over the years to lift many Nigerian women out of the poverty loop and make them to overcome challenges in their business endeavours.
According to her, the body has been educating hundreds of women every year on how to forge strategic alliances for the growth of their businesses.
The chairperson said that the confab with theme “Giant Strides’’, would focus on innovative ways of creating multiple streams of income in the current tough economic climate in Nigeria.
“Speakers at the conference will enlighten participants on how to make tremendous leaps and overcome challenges in their businesses,’’ she stated.
Umoh disclosed that the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, was expected to preside as guest of honour at the conference.
Other facilitators of the event, include the Chief Executive Officer of NAKACHI Consulting, Mr Sam Ikoku and the Chief Executive Officer of Agribusiness System and Technologies Ltd., Mr Adewale Ilesanmi.
The Head of Small and Medium Enterprise Banking of StanbicIBTC Bank, Mr Obinna Ukachukwu and Group Head, Products and Segments Group of Access Bank Plc., Mr Ope Wemi-Jones are also billed to share their experiences.
Similarly, leading women entrepreneurs, including Mrs Omololami Ajani of Wood-et al and Mrs Latifat Balogun of Hatlab Ice-Creams are to address the gathering on entrepreneurship issues.
Exhibitions, networking and specialised sessions have also been lined up as part of activities during the gathering.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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