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… Set To Re-Launch NIGCOMSAT-IR

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15 years ago

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The replaced Nigerian Satellite; NIGCOMSAT-1R has undergone and passed a major performance test, the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Prof. Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, has said.

Ahmed-Rufai said in Abuja yesterday that activities were now in top gear for its launch in 2011.

He said that the satellite had undergone vibration tests, while a simulation of the outer space had been used to test its ability to survive the harshness of the outer space.

“The project has now entered an advanced stage of Assembly and Integration Test (AIT) of the platform and payload components.

“This indicates that the project is very much on course for the delivery date of last quarter of 2011.

`However, the minister of finance who also want on the visit to China, insistently requested that the satellite be launched in the early part of the third quarter of 2011,” he said.

Ahmed-Rufai said that his group also went to engage the company to provide a backup in the form of NICOMSAT 2 and 3 in earnest in order to forestall the mistakes of the past.

“You can be rest assured that once we launch the NICOMSAT-1R, we are going to immediately commence the building of NICOMSAT 2 and 3 in order to provide the necessary back-up.

“Our aim is a situation where most of the emerging applications become a reality in Nigeria in such a way and manner that it is affordable,” NIGCOMSAT MD said.

Rising from the sixth Quarterly Management Review (QMR) meeting in Abuja at the weekend, officials of NIGCOMSAT, and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) disclosed that NigComSat-1R will be delivered on schedule.

He hinted that about four other countries were to launch their satellites ahead of Nigeria’s NIGCOMSAT-1R.

Ahmed-Rufai said that extra precautionary and quality control measures were being taken to ensure that nothing was left to chance in delivering a robust high performance satellite.

“One of the features of NigComSat-1R is the newly introduced Asian beam meant for content tracking and service delivery to Asia, Europe and Africa.

“The spacecraft will be operated on geo-stationary orbit of 42.5*E; and will provide 14 Ku-band active channels, 4 C-band active channels, 8 Ka-band and 2 navigational channels,” the MD said.

Ahmed-Rufai gave the assurance that with the launch of NigComSat-1R, Nigerians would be able to enjoy affordable broadband and multimedia services.

He also pointed out that in spite of the arrival of fibre on the shores of Nigeria; satellite was still needed to transmit from landing point in Lagos to other parts of the country.

He said NIGCOMSAT was already preparing a Direct-To-Home (DTH) platform in Nigeria and it would be ready before the launch of the satellite, thus paving way for local DTH companies to emerge.

The NICOMSAT’s foreman said that the launch of the satellite would, among other things, be able to ensure securities by detecting activities of bombers.

“If you can guarantee the security of a nation, then you also guarantee investment; as you all know, some areas in Nigeria are not investment friendly because of the security issues,” he said.

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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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