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Commissioner Hails Former Perm Sec On Performance

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13 years ago

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The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Chuma C. Chinye, has commended the former Permanent Secretary of the Minsitry, Sir Awoye Halden Bob-Manuel for his outstanding leadership qualities.

Mr Chinye made the commendation at a farewell/reception party held at the Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt in honour of former permanent secretary and the new one.

The commissioner lauded the sterling qualities of the out-gone permanent secretary which he said, reflected in the growth and development experienced in the ministry, during his brief stay.

He expressed appreciation for the team spirit among the staff and the leadership in the ministry, stressing that without such teamwork, no meaningful development could be recorded.

Earlier in his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Sir Gift Ake thanked the commissioner for the conducive working environment which exists  in the ministry.

He encouraged his predecessor to continue with his leadership style in his new place of assignment, while urging the staff to be more dedicated to their duties and to always obey the rules and regulations of the civil service.

In his appreciation speech, the former permanent secretary, Sir Awoye Bob-Manuel expressed gratitude to the commissioner and staff for the corporation given to him during his stay in the ministry of commerce and industry. Sir Bob-Manuel used the occasion to advise the staff to cooperate with his successor.

The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of gifts to the out-gone permanent secretary, Sir. Awoye Halden Bob-Manuel.

In a similar development, the commissioner has called on the staff of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to be result-oriented in order to sustain the ongoing positive changes in the ministry.

Mr Chinye, who made the call enjoined the staff to show honesty, self discipline, and conviction, pointing out that transparency and sincerity should be their watchwords. He advised that staff should desist from attitudes that were inimical to the progress of their jobs, stressing that the ongoing changes should be reflected in their behaviours.

The commissioner added that rewards for hardwork would be introduced, urging all staff of the ministry to show commitment to their duties.

He pointed out that some of the facilities provided in the ministry, such as Crèche, Staff Canteen, business centre, among others were to encourage and improve productivity.

In his response, the permanent secretary, Sir Gift Ake, thanked the commissioner for his visionary leadership and the change initiatives he was embarking on.

Sir Ake assured that he would follow due process in carrying out his legitimate duties and promised to address every issue that would improve the welfare of staff of the ministry.

He urged all staff to show dedication to duty, saying that lateness and absenteeism would not be condoned.

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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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1 day 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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