Author: Vardiafrica

The Federal Government is set to launch a groundbreaking initiative, the Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), which will provide eligible students with startup funding of up to ₦50 million to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. Also referred to as the ‘STEMM Up Grant’, the initiative will be formally unveiled in August by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa. The Guardian reports that the pioneering programme is designed to empower students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions to build the next generation of scalable, job-creating ventures. A statement by the Director, Press and Public…

President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, hosted members of the 1999 class of governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The former governors were led to the State House by a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori. Details of the meeting were not disclosed as of the time of filing this report, but the visit is believed to be part of ongoing consultations by the President with key political stakeholders. The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun made this known in a post via his X handle on Friday The class of 1999 governors, who assumed…

Bola Tinubu took a swipe at the African Democratic Congress, ADC, describing it as a “coalition of confusion.”  The President said this while speaking at the 14th meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, where Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda emerged as the party’s new national chairman.  The president urged the party’s NEC to postpone the APC congresses until December to allow more members of the opposition to join the ruling party.  Tinubu said: “It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion.” The ADC has recently gained support…

President Trump has signed an executive order on Thursday aiming to provide resources that would push cities and states to remove homeless people from sleeping on streets and to crack down on drug use. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to reverse precedents that limit state and local governments’ ability to commit people on streets who are at risk to themselves or others, according to a White House fact sheet obtained by The Hill. It also requires interagency work on grants for states to enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping, loitering and squatting, and to track…

Humanitarian Minister Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda is the new chairman of the All Progressives Congress. He was elected unanimously by the National Executive Committee of the party on Thursday, July 24. Yilwatda replaces Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned for crucial private matters. Yilwatda was born on 8 August 1968 in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. The professor of Electrical Engineering was the flagrunner for the APC in the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Plateau State. Between July 2017 – December 2021, he held the position of resident electoral commissioner in Benue State. He was appointed by the late…

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to pay ₦10 million in damages to some #EndSARS protesters for the violation of their fundamental rights. Justice Musa Kakaki, in his decision, held that the applicant/protesters were unjustly harassed and their constitutional rights were infringed upon while participating in the fourth memorial rally held on October 20, 2024. Justice Kakaki also held that while law enforcement agencies hold constitutional powers to maintain order, such authority must be exercised within the confines of democracy and the rule of law. The…

House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has launched a probe into the issues affecting the nation’s downstream oil sector. Among other things, the committee is expected to probe the controversial turnaround maintenance of the country’s refineries, the acquisition of OVH Energy, and the mounting concerns over market dominance by the Dangote Refinery. Chairman of the Committee, Ikenga Ugochinyere, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday. He said it was disturbing that after the hype that greeted the return of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries to production status, they had to shut down again. “We…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has donated supportive aids and mobility devices to persons living with disabilities in Bayelsa State. Speaking at an awareness programme organised for people with disabilities at the NDDC Bayelsa State office in Yenagoa, the Commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, urged persons with disabilities to maintain a positive outlook and not feel inferior due to their disabilities. Ogbuku, who was represented by the Director of the Bayelsa State Office, Engr. Godknows Alamiesiegha, acknowledged the importance of encouraging people living with different challenges. He advised: “Life is a privilege, and you should be proud of…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Friday participated in the commissioning of the Pipe Bend Multi-Layer Coating Plant by Solewant Group, held at the Solewant Industrial Area, Alode Eleme, Rivers State. This milestone event underscores the remarkable progress of Nigerian indigenous companies in the oil and gas sector and reaffirms NCDMB’s commitment to fostering local content development and capacity building. Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, was the General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq, who delivered the keynote address highlighting the vital role indigenous firms play in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry transformation. “Fifteen…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday night met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 24. Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and governor of Imo state, led his colleagues to the meeting with the president at the State House, Abuja. NAN reports that Uzodimma told State House correspondents shortly after the meeting that the sit-down with the president was aimed at strengthening the party and enhancing its capacity to deliver good governance to Nigerians. “We are here to discuss the upcoming…