Author: Vardiafrica

Musical icon Angélique Kidjo has become the first black African performer to be selected for a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kidjo, who comes from the West African country of Benin and has won five Grammy awards, was among the 35 names announced as part of the Walk of Fame’s class of 2026 list. The 64-year-old was hailed as Africa’s “premier diva” during a press conference announcing the list on Wednesday. Singer Miley Cyrus, actor Timothée Chalamet, actress Demi Moore and former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal are also among those set to be honoured with a star…

Nigerian singer Tems announced on Wednesday the launch of her Leading Vibe initiative to support young women in the music industry across Africa.  Through this programme, the 30-year-old star wants to provide emerging artists, songwriters and producers with resources to expand their careers. The project was “born from Tems’ journey as a self-taught artist”, the Leading Vibe Initiative website stated. Tems, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, is one of the world’s leading voices of Afrobeats. She has received several accolades throughout her career, including two Grammy Awards and four BET Awards. “There are thousands of young women just like…

Nigeria is set to deploy skilled professionals, including teachers, doctors, and agriculturists, to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a newly signed Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) Agreement. In a statement released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the initiative is part of broader efforts to deepen South-South cooperation and reconnect with the African diaspora in the Caribbean. The agreement was formalised in Castries, Saint Lucia, with Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), signing on behalf of Nigeria. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Acting Permanent Secretary at Saint…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has interacted with Nigerians living in Saint Lucia, assuring them that he will address several of the concerns raised through diplomatic channels. While encouraging Nigerians living in Saint Lucia to keep representing Nigeria positively, the President stated that reports on Nigerians residing in Saint Lucia revealed exemplary behaviour. The Nigerian leader stated this at his second meeting with Nigerians residing in Saint Lucia on Wednesday at the official residence of Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, at Windjammer Resort, where he stayed during his state visit. Sharing his experience as a student in the United States five…

US president Donald Trump will meet with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal from 9 to 11 July. The meeting comes as a surprise, although some analysts have taken it as a continuation of intensifying American diplomatic efforts towards the African continent. Just last month, the White House notably brokered a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, putting a preliminary end to hostilities and Rwandan-backed rebel groups fighting DRC troops in the east of the country for several months. While a bilateral meeting with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in May went down…

Members of the opposition coalition, under the auspices of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have converge on the Yar’Dua Centre in Abuja for a meeting The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi; a former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai; and a former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, are present at the mmeting. Also present are a former Senate President, David Mark; and a former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, who were recent appointed as interim national chairman and national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Others…

The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in the legal tussle on Edo State Governorship Election Petition. The apex court adjourned the judgement sine die after taking arguments for and against the election that produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected governor. Justice Garba Lawal who presided over hearing of the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said that the date for delivery of the judgement would be communicated to parties involved. Ighodalo, whose appeal was argued by Ken Mosia, SAN, prayed the Supreme Court to remove Okpebholo and pronounced him as winner of the…

There appears to be a setback regarding the planned unveiling of the African Democratic Party (ADC) as the platform for the opposition coalition, after the fully-paid reservation at the hotel booked for the event was suddenly cancelled hours before the programme on Wednesday. The event, which was supposed to formally unveil the ADC as the umbrella platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections, was scheduled to be held at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja. But the hotel management reportedly informed the organisers on Wednesday morning that the hotel would no longer host the event due to an unspecified…

In what seems to be a decisive step to ’unseat’ the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, Coalition members officially adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their official political platform for the 2027 elections on Monday, July 1. The coalition finalized plans to announce the party today, July 2, at a ceremony in Abuja. The party’s members and interim leaders will be made public. Former Senate President David Mark was named the coalition’s national chairman upon the adoption of ADC. Former Osun State Governor and Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola was named national secretary, and former Sports Minister Bolaji…

A major new statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 997) has been published today, which begins the implementation of the ‘sweeping reforms’ to the immigration system announced in May in the Government’s White Paper. Among the main changes, salary and skills thresholds for Skilled Worker visas will be increased from 22 July 2025. New applicants will now require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent RQF Level 6 qualification. According to the explanatory memorandum, this change will eliminate around 180 occupations from the list of eligible roles under the Skilled Worker route, though workers already in these occupations will continue to…