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Gov Lauds FG On Power Dev

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Governor Tanko Al-Makura of
Nasarawa State has commended the Federal Government for embarking on the development of necessary power infrastructure to boost economic activities in the state.
Al-Makura made the commendation when he spoke with State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, recently.
He said that the President Buhari-led administration had put in place a robust power infrastructure in the state to support the state government’s industrial revolution plan.
He particularly noted with delight that the Federal Government had completed arrangements for the installation of a 330 KV line that would supply the entire Nasarawa state with frequent power supply.
He, therefore, expressed optimism that such project when completed would boost economic and business activities in the state and subsequently uplift the quality of life the people.
“I came to thank the president on the effort the Federal Government is making toward industrializing Nassarawa State through provision of robust power infrastructure in the state.
“Only two weeks ago, a team was sent to ensure continuation of the process of injecting a substation which is likely to provide the 330 KV line substation that will be the foundation for effective power supply in the state.
“ I have come to show my appreciation on behalf of the people of the State to Mr President,’’ he said.
The governor said that his government had entered into collaboration with Federal Government to provide critical infrastructure such as power and mass housing, which he said, were lacking in his state.
According to him, already 13,000 hectares has been earmarked for a planned area which will take care of both mass housing and industrial park.
Al-Makura also stated that the mass housing project when completed, would depopulate the FCT.
“Having that very close to the Federal Capital is something that will add lot value to the lives of the people living within the Federal Capital and Nasarawa state as well.
“Like I said earlier, the area is about 13,000 hectares this will help relieve the Federal Capital Territory with the congestion and gridlock with regard to population explosion.
“This will substantially reduce the congestion and explosion of population within the FCT.’’

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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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