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Industrialist Tasks FG On Cocoa Production

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7 years ago

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An industrialist and executive of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Adolphus Ekpe has urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to channel resources to boost cocoa.
He said that agriculture which was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy that provided jobs for more than 70 per cent of the population, until the discovery of oil, has not been given the required attention in terms of investment.
Ekpe, who disclosed this while speaking to newsmen at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa shortly on arrival from Lagos, in reaction to stake of Nigerian economy noted. He that proper attention has not been given to key areas of our agriculture potentials like cocoa, palm produce among others.
According to him, one sector seen as ripe for development is cocoa, and the Federal government in the quest to diversify the economy, has not done enough to boost investment in the sector.”
He however remarked that the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) has outlined a 10-years action plan to boost production, pointing out that Cocoa House in Ibadan, South-West, Nigeria, was built with the earnings from exports of cocoa beans, and that the 26 storey building was once the tallest building in the country.
“Profits from sales of the commodity, prized around the world as the basic ingredient for Cccolate used to be ploughed into providing free education and health services, rural development and other projects.
“But today, the cocoa house is a shadow of its former self. The paint is faded, the roof is failing and offices lie empty.
“We have made laudable recommendation that can, change the cocoa story in Nigeria and we hope those recommendations will be fruitfully implemented in the interest of the industry now that the quest to diversify the oil dependent economy is burning,” he stated.
The NACCIMA executive also pointed out that Nigerians oil industry, which accounts for some 70 per cent of government revenue and 90 per cent of foreign earnings was initially developed using money from cocoa.
He regretted that cocoa has been the West African giant’s most neglected commodity, which declined since the 1970s, as the oil stock rose.

 

Corlins Walter

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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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