Author: Vardiafrica

Nigeria will begin large-scale local production of military hardware within the next year to meet domestic defence needs and support exports to other African countries, Defence Minister General Christopher Musa has announced. The announcement followed major joint venture agreements signed at the maiden Africa International Defence Exhibition 2026, which brought together African governments, military institutions, defence manufacturers and technology innovators in Lagos. The centrepiece is a $2 billion joint venture agreement between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria and SP Offshore Nigeria Limited. The partnership is structured to begin domestic manufacturing of military munitions, drones, tactical vehicles and defence equipment.…

The Federal Government has announced plans to commence construction of a $100 million gas pipeline project across the South-East in the first quarter of 2027, with gas delivery expected to begin in the second quarter of 2028. The proposed 400-kilometre pipeline will connect the ANOH Gas Processing Plant in Imo State to major industrial and commercial centres across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. The South-East Development Commission (SEDC), through the South-East Investment Company (SEIC), is developing the project in partnership with GasSync and NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NNPC NGML), according to a statement issued on Wednesday. Managing Director…

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has commenced a pilot of a tokenised payment system designed to prevent students from paying their school fees twice and eliminate refund complications arising from delays in confirming loan disbursements to institutions. NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing, explaining that the system would allow students to authorise payments directly to their institutions through tokens linked to their approved fees. He said the initiative followed cases in which students, unaware that NELFUND had already paid their fees, made duplicate payments to their institutions to meet registration deadlines. Under…

The House of Representatives has invited the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to appear before its Committee on Electoral Matters to brief it on preparedness for the 2027 general elections and the readiness to ensure that no Nigerian is disenfranchised as a result of insecurity. The invitation followed the adoption of a resolution following a motion by the House Minority Whip, Mr. Mansur Soro and Deputy Minority Leader, Abdulsamad Dasuki. Presenting the motion for the approval of the House, Mr. Manu Soro said that pursuant to Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed a high-level Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 26 to 30 October 2026 ahead of the country’s 2027 general elections. The Mission was deployed under Article 13 of the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53(c) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework, and the Authority of Heads of State’s decision to send pre-election fact-finding missions to Member States holding elections. The Mission is led by the former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Victor Bockarie FOH. Other members of the Mission are Madam Francess Piagie…

Tanzania has announced a significant discovery of natural gas in the Mnazi Bay area in the south of the country – the first such find in a decade. Energy Minister Juma Homera attended a ceremony at the Kasa-1X ST2 well, which is jointly owned by state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and French oil firm Maurel & Prom, to mark the occasion. He said the estimated 223 billion cubic feet (6.3 billion cubic metres) discovery was a “major milestone” in the development of the small oil and gas sector in the East African nation. The new well is expected to…

The Federal Government has approved a ₦70,000 transport intervention for workers across all levels for six months, beginning in November 2026, following a conciliation meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The agreement was reached at a meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja on Tuesday, October 27, to address issues raised by organised labour. Under the agreement, the government also approved the payment of peculiar allowance arrears, effective from May 1, 2026, with payments scheduled to begin in November in three equal monthly instalments. The parties, however, failed to agree on…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has inaugurated its Technical Advisory Board (TAB) as part of efforts to strengthen the assessment, development, and commercialization of research, innovation, and technology solutions for the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The Technical Advisory Board was inaugurated last week in Lagos by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Omomehim Ajimijaye, on behalf of the Board’s management. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Ajimijaye stated that the establishment of the Technical Advisory Board underscores NCDMB’s commitment to fostering innovation-driven growth and supporting the development of indigenous technologies capable of addressing critical challenges…

US President Donald Trump has announced that the administration will pay $1 million to anyone who reports voter fraud in United States elections that results in an arrest or conviction. Trump made the announcement on Monday night, October 26, via a post on his Truth Social before discussing it with reporters. “Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “I’m also going to be issuing a $1 million bonus or reward, or…

Winners of 10th Edition of the NCDMB Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition 2026 were on Thursday unveiled at a colourful ceremony at the NCDMB Conference Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with the Management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) underscoring the strategic importance of youth development and local manufacturing in promoting sustainable local content and building a resilient economy. The coveted prize of N1 million, a brand-new laptop and a plaque was won by Mr. Wisdom David Fabunmi, a 200-level Physiotherapy student of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, who emerged as overall winner, while the second prize…