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RSG Wants Cross-Ethnic Interaction For Youths

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The Rivers State Government says its policy of building model secondary schools in each of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state will encourage cross-ethnic interaction among the youths.

Commissioner of Information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari stated this yesterday while conducting a team of foreign journalists, who are in the state for the on-going ION International Film Festival, round some parts of the state.

Mrs Semenitari, who explained that the government’s free education package covers tuition, books, accommodation, uniform among others, said the present administration was doing a lot to revive the infrastructural base of the state which had been neglected for many years.

According to her, Rivers State is about the only state in Nigeria that spends almost 80 per cent of its budget on capital projects.

Taking the foreign journalists along the water fronts, the Information boss told them that government had decided to demolish the shanties and convert the areas into habitable environment.

On the entertainment industry, she said government believes that the industry should be private sector driven, adding that it was the reason government went into partnership with Silverbird group to develop entertainment centres in the state capital.

Speaking at the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Road, a Director, in the Ministry of Works, Engr. Power Maeba said 13km out of the 43km road has been completed up to Asarama in Andoni Local Government Area while five out of the 10 bridges on the whole has been built.

In an interview with newsmen, one of the journalists Mr Babatunde Epega said they were happy with the warm hospitality extended to them by Rivers people.

Mr Epega who, is also the International Public Relations Agent for the ION International Film Festival in Port Harcourt, said they have come to see the diverse culture of Rivers people, “what Port Harcourt is at the moment” and to learn more about the film industry in Nigeria.

He stated that within the short time they have been around, they have realized the regeneration going on in the state, especially with what governor Amaechi was doing with his team.

Also speaking to newsmen two of the foreign journalists, Poole Fnotea and Dr Gianluca Cerasola said this was their first time of visiting Nigeria, describing the country as a wonderful place.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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