Author: Vardiafrica

The United States has urged the Nigerian government to take stronger and more decisive action to protect Christian communities. This followed the abduction of more than 170 worshippers in Kaduna State, an incident that has once again heightened concerns over religiously motivated violence in Nigeria. The Kaduna State Government and the police initially denied the abduction on Monday, but the police later reversed their position on Wednesday, confirming that the worshippers were indeed taken. The abductors have reportedly demanded the return of 17 motorcycles, valued at ₦28.9 million, which they claim were seized during recent military operations, as a condition…

US President Donald Trump kicked off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos on Thursday, with a signing ceremony for a body with a $1 billion membership fee and a controversial list of invitees. A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries, including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary, gathered on stage with Trump to put their names to the founding charter of the body. Trump, who is the chairman of the Board of Peace, said they were “in most cases very popular leaders, in some cases not so popular. That’s the way it goes in life.” Originally…

The Federal Government has confirmed the payment of N152 billion to contractors for verified contracts, as indigenous contractors resumed protests in Abuja over alleged unpaid debts running into trillions of naira. The confirmation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Finance and shared by presidential aide Dada Olusegun on X (formerly Twitter). The development comes as contractors accuse the government of failing to fully settle obligations for completed capital projects, despite repeated assurances and recent budgetary provisions. The Federal Ministry of Finance said the N152 billion payment followed due verification processes in line with existing financial…

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Simeon Amadi, has declined to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy over alleged gross misconduct, saying he is restrained from doing so by existing court orders. The request to set up a seven-member panel was made by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and asked the chief judge to investigate the allegations. However, in a letter dated January 20, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, Justice Amadi said his hands…

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), says Nigeria needs to shift its focus from stabilisation to job creation and attracting global investments. Okonjo-Iweala spoke on Wednesday during a fireside chat at the Nigeria House during the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. “As you said, some good reforms are being pursued right now. I think they need to yield into job creation,” she said. “This is what I also said to His Excellency, Mr President, that we have to move from stabilisation to creating jobs because that’s where we are lacking.” The WTO director-general said the…

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has promised that his administration, in collaboration with security agencies, will ensure the safe and speedy return of all those who were abducted in Kurmin Wali village last Sunday. The governor who made the pledge on Wednesday when he led a large delegation of senior government officials and heads of security agencies to commiserate with the people of Kurmin Wali, said that he will not rest on his oars until all the abducted persons are returned home safely. “In the last two days, we have been collaborating with the relevant security agencies, both the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has handed over N1.28 billion from Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd to Enugu State Government. This followed the investigations by the anti-graft agency into the alleged diversion of funds meant for the construction of Smart Green Schools across the state. The restitution was made through a combination of bank drafts and cheques, according to a statement issued by Governor Peter Mbah’s media office on Wednesday. Presenting the cheques, the EFCC Zonal Director in Enugu, Daniel Ise, said the recovery was in fulfilment of the Commission’s statutory mandate to trace, recover, and return public funds…

Nigerian celebrity chef Hilda Baci has earned her third Guinness World Records (GWR) title after Guinness officially recognised her for achieving the largest serving of rice, in addition to her previous jollof rice milestone. The recognition followed a review of Baci’s record attempt with food brand Gino in Lagos, Nigeria. The feat was achieved on September 12, 2025, in Victoria Island, where Baci and Gino prepared a massive 8,780 kilograms of rice. While the team initially set out to break the record for the largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice, Guinness later confirmed that the same attempt also qualified…

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed a total fine of $100,000 on the Algerian Football Federation following disciplinary breaches during their quarter-final clash with Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Super Eagles emerged victorious in the keenly contested encounter, a result that sparked unrest from the Algerian camp after the final whistle. CAF’s Disciplinary Board found Algeria guilty of several violations, including misconduct by players and officials, as well as crowd-related offences. According to the breakdown released by CAF, the sanctions include: $5,000 for players’ misconduct that led to multiple bookings $25,000 for the…

The Nigerian Government, reaffirming its commitment to free technical education and skills development, has announced the commencement of applications for admission into tuition-free Federal Technical Colleges across the country, aimed at enhancing skills development. The announcement was made by the Federal Ministry of Education following the approval of the initiative by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa. A statement by the Director of Press of the ministry, Boriowo Folashade, noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader strategy to expand access to quality technical and vocational education and to equip young Nigerians with practical, employable and…