Author: Vardiafrica

Manchester City on Sunday made English Premier League history by becoming the first side to clinch four consecutive titles after beating West Ham at the Etihad stadium Pep Guardiola’s team had been vying with Arsenal for the 2023/24 title, holding a two-point lead over the Gunners before kickoff. Man City broke the record previously held by cross-town rivals Manchester United from 2006/07 to 2008/09 under then manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The defending champions needed only two minutes to show they meant business as Phil Foden found the back of the net. Foden would put his side two goals up in…

A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in “an accident” amid poor weather conditions on Sunday, state media reported, with a search underway and no news yet on his condition. “An accident happened to the helicopter carrying the president” in the Jofa region of the western province of East Azerbaijan, state television said. Rescue team were headed to the area to locate him and other officials, state media in the Islamic republic reported, adding that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian may also have been aboard the aircraft. “The harsh weather conditions and heavy fog have made it difficult for…

Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin has taken custody of two looted Royal stools from the German government in a symbolic milestone. According to historical records, the artefacts — Bronze and wooden Royal stools (Ekete), made during the reign of Oba Eresoyen and Oba Esigie several centuries ago, were looted from the Oba’s Palace during the punitive expedition in 1897. They were handed over to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) on behalf of the Nigerian government by the German authorities in 2022 The Director-General of National Commission for Museums and…

The Nigerian government has approved N110 billion to revitalise the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for 2024, focusing on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. The Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, announced this during the closing ceremony of the Ministry’s Management Retreat on Presidential Priorities and Deliverables with the theme: “Achieving the Eight Presidential Priorities and Deliverables” in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. She said the fund is not just a financial reservoir but a catalyst for youth entrepreneurship and innovation aimed at bridging the gap between ambition and opportunity. Dr. Ibrahim further stated that this administration is committed to empowering every Nigerian youth through actionable…

Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima yesterday launched the Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Programme (ASSEP) initiated by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in collaboration with the Vice President Office to reduce the number of post-primary dropouts due to the decline in secondary school enrollment in the subregion which stands at 15 percent, one of the lowest in the country. The managing director/CEO of the commission, Alh Mohammed Alkali said the Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NERSDMP) developed by the North East Development Commission and its diverse partners consists of pillars that support human capital development in the subregion which caters…

Governor Siminalayi Fubara believes his administration has recorded giant strides in infrastructure since its inception about a year ago. Fubara made the remark on Saturday in Ngo Town at the inauguration of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road project, Andoni Local Government Area. While he did not mention any past administration, Fubara said since coming on board, his government has done well in the execution of projects, promising to do more for residents of the oil-rich state. “Like I said the other day, we just started. We started about three or four months ago but I am very…

The Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said that with the plan the Dangote Refinery has in place, Nigeria will not need to import premium motor spirit (PMS) by next month. Dangote said that the refinery, which has already started supplying diesel and aviation fuel in Nigeria, has the capacity to meet the diesel and petrol needs of West Africa and the aviation fuel demand of the entire African continent. The richest man in Africa spoke as a panelist at the Africa CEO Forum Annual Summit in Kigali on Friday. “Right now, Nigeria has no cause to import…

President Bola Tinubu has called for synergy and stronger coordinated action to address economic frailties within African nations. President Tinubu made the call at the State House on Friday during the presentation of Letters of Credence by newly-appointed ambassadors to Nigeria. The ambassadors who presented their credentials were Ambassador Edouard Nduwimana, Burundi Ambassador to Nigeria; Ambassador Mersole Mellejor, Philippines Ambassador to Nigeria, and the High Commissioner of Kenya to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina In separate meetings with each ambassador, President Tinubu emphasized that Nigeria values the warm and brotherly relations with their respective countries and remains a steadfast partner in promoting…

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has granted the request of the defence team to recall the first prosecution witness in the trial of a former governor of the Central Bank (CBN) Godwin Emefiele over allegations of abuse of office Justice Rahman Oshodi granted the request at the instance of counsel to Emefiele’s co-defendant Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN). Gbadamosi had notified the judge of his application dated May 6 and sought the indulgence of the court to recall the first prosecution witness Monday Osazuwa. On April 12, Osazuwa, a staff of the CBN had narrated in court how the former…

The North-East Governors’ Forum has expressed concern over the neglect of the North-East in the allocation of federal government capital projects, particularly the poor state of road and railway infrastructure along the economic corridors that link the zone to the rest of the country The forum called on the federal government to prioritize the reconstruction of these critical infrastructure projects. It also noted with dismay the prolonged power blackout experienced by the zone and the nonchalant attitude of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in addressing the issue. In response, the forum resolved to set up a regional solar power…