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Tide Staff, Others Get NUJ Veterans Award

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12 years ago

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L-R: Deputy Director, Programme Coordination, National Agency for the Control of Aids (Naca), Dr Priscilla Ibekwe, Director-General, Naca, Prof. John Idoko, representative of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Mdgs, Dr Mai Yakubu and Auxiliary Bishop's Secretary, Abuja Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Raph Obichie, at the graduation of women empowered at Anawin Skill Acquisition Centre, Gwagwalada in Abuja last Saturday. Photo: NAN

L-R: Deputy Director, Programme Coordination, National Agency for the Control of Aids (Naca), Dr Priscilla Ibekwe, Director-General, Naca, Prof. John Idoko, representative of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Mdgs, Dr Mai Yakubu and Auxiliary Bishop’s Secretary, Abuja Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Raph Obichie, at the graduation of women empowered at Anawin Skill Acquisition Centre, Gwagwalada in Abuja last Saturday.
Photo: NAN

Bayelsa State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) concluded its 2013 Press Week last Saturday night with special recognision to 10 of its veteran members.
Those honoured include, Fyneface Aaron, Correspondent of The Tide Newspaper in the state, Willy Etim of Guardian, Chief Simon Abakaderemo, a Director of Press in the State Ministry of Information and Orientation now publisher of Dialogue Newspaper, Mr Union Oyadogha Publisher of Banner News, ThankGod Igwe of New Waves, and Fred Fabor of the State owned Niger Delta television.
Others are Aino Ayabowei of Radio Bayelsa, Mr. Edolor of Information Ministry among others.
Speaking at the event, the State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Tariyo Akonor, described journalism profession as the mirror of the society, saying that its practitioners were bound to be objective, in presentation of their reports.
Comrade Akonor stressed the need for the protection of national interest while advocating a crime free society, adding that development journalism should be a watchword for every journalists.
He, said those recognised as veterans had paid their dues in the profession, and pledged to make the award an annual event.
Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Myke Ogbolosigha, praised journalists in the state for the high level of professionalism.
He urged them to continue their good works by accurately reporting the present developmental strides in which the present administration is determined to sustained.
Responding on behalf of the awardees, Mr Fred Fabor lauded the state council of NUJ, the Press Week organizing committee and others who had contributed to the success of the occasion for their wonderful work.
He said by the recognition, the veterans had been challenged to do more, and promised the expectations would not be betrayed.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 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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20 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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20 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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