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Amaechi Harps On Childrens’ Safety

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16 years ago

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Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi says the time has come when Nigerians should place high premium on the safety and welfare of children as the hope and future of the country.

Governor Amaechi said this at a fund-raising/dinner marking the Safety Awareness Campaign organized by the Road Safety Officers Wives Association (ROSOWA), in Abuja.

Represented by his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Amaechi who was chairman of the occasion observed that children being the soul and hope of the nation needed to be given the necessary attention that would enable them grow properly and become better representatives of the country in the future.

According to him, “if we want our society to grow and give the nation hope, we must focus on children and ensure their proper upbringing”, pointing out that Rivers State under his administration is doing everything possible to support the cause of children.

He commended ROSOWA for coming up with an initiative that focuses on children, noting that any programme that underscored the safety of children deserved the encouragement of all.

While assuring that the Rivers State Government would align with ROSOWA in promoting the welfare of children, the state chief executive called for a change in the attitude of Nigerians who he said, are not sincere and honest in their dealings with one another.

In her speech, Wife of the President, Hajia Turai Yar’ Adua said the campaign programme with the theme “The Nigerians Child, Our Future” was commendable and apt as the country cannot afford to remain aloof when the rest of the world are seriously tackling the challenges of children.

Observing that children were more vulnerable and mostly involved in road accidents in the country, Hajia Yar’ Adua represented by Mrs. Tumini Akugun, urged parents to be more pro­active in the control of their children by discouraging them from driving on highways while calling on motorists and other road users to be safety conscious.

Also speaking, chairman, governing council of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Col. Lawal Gwadabe (rtd.) stressed the need for Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of preventing accidents and advocated more serious checks on reckless driving by motorists in the country.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 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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21 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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21 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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