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Beneficiaries Hail RIMA’s Poverty Alleviation Initiative

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Beneficiaries of Rivers State Government’s empowerment scheme have commended the effort of the State in ensuring that poverty is reduced to the barest minimum.

According to some beneficiaries of the scheme, which is managed by Rivers State Micro Finance Agency (RIMA) it has resulted to economic development in the rural areas.

The Tide correspondent who moved round the rural areas gathered that most beneficiaries had expanded their small scale businesses resulting in the reduction of crime in the different communities.

Speaking on the benefits of RIMA’s loan scheme, Mr Godspower Nkirika, the owner of GMN Favour Store in Ueken, Tai Local Government Area, said his business had increased greatly since he accessed the loan.

Nkirika who has completely paid back the loan said “what I cannot afford in the past, I am now able to afford it with the help of RIMA loan. The zeal and commitment to meet up the repayment made me to be serious and even benefitted the more, having renewed aim/focus,” adding that all the members of his cooperatives have completed their payment.

Another beneficiary, Mr Stephen Wiche the secretary to Omagwa Community Ikwerre Local Government, said the loan helped in alleviating poverty in the cooperative, stating that this is the first time the members of the cooperative are accessing government’s help.

“We have fully paid back the loan according to the specifications of RIMA. The only problem is that the repayment pattern was tough, so we need more loans and extended repayment period, so that we can buy more goods which will also improve economic development in this community,” he said.

He lauded the empowerment scheme saying that it is the best that has happened to the communities.

In a related development, Mr Allison Amadi, the secretary to Ozuoha United Cooperative, Ozuaha Community in Ikwerre Local Government, said his cooperative has just accessed RIMA loan, noting that the cooperative has already mapped out strategies to payback the loan, adding that “I commend RIMA. It is a way of alleviating poverty to make life meaningful for the people in the rural areas. I want to also commend them for increasing the repayment period to one year.”

The President of Belema Nabiokpo cooperative in Benebo compound, Degema Local Government, Mrs barisoma Vincent who has mini-cool room, said the loan took the businesses of the cooperative members to the next level, as they now have conducive environment for business.

Mrs Vincent stated that her business needs more money, adding that the loan has opened her eyes to the height she can reach in his business. She reiterated the need for government to  continue in what she called community service.

The secretary to Owu-Baraibi cooperative, Obuama, Degema, who deals on beeds commend RIMA for the loan from N50,000 to N100,000, saying that the loan has opened her eyes to more business ideas.

Another beneficiary, Mr Debora Wurudain from Ovieten Odiwu Joinkrama traders cooperative, Joinkrama, who owns a provision store, said RIMA in addition to the loan, help the cooperative to overcome the traumer of flood.

“RIMA even extended the repayment period because of the flood. This has made business to move a step further,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gbo-du Gbidum cooperative society, Botem Tai, Tai Local Government defaulted in the repayment of the loan.

In an interview with the secretary of the cooperative, Dumbari Eke in Tai, he said he has completed his own payment, wondering why the chairman has not forwarded the money to RIMA.

The chairman, Mr Benjamin Sunday in a telephone interview claimed that some members have not paid their money but the mentioned members reported that they have fully paid to the chairman.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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