Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigerian Communications Commission is set to introduce a cross-industry platform designed to monitor recycled phone numbers and curb fraud associated with SIM reassignment. Details of the initiative were contained in a document obtained on Friday. The system, named the Telecom Identity Risk Management System, is expected to go live before the end of March. According to information available, the platform is the regulator’s response to challenges arising from SIM recycling — including cases where new subscribers receive messages meant for previous users or face scrutiny over alleged infractions tied to former owners of their numbers. “It has been in…

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has been conferred with the traditional title of Utukpa-Oritse of the Warri Kingdom in recognition of her public service and humanitarian contributions. The conferment took place on Thursday during a ceremony in Warri, Delta State, where she was received by the monarch, Ogiame Atuwatse. III. According to a statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady used the occasion to emphasise the importance of national unity and social cohesion. The title Utukpa-Oritse, also known as Ugbone, meaning “Light of God,” reflects the kingdom’s recognition of Senator Tinubu’s contributions to…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, shifting dates for the presidential and governorship polls in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026. In a statement issued on Thursday, and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Commission said the adjustment followed the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the introduction of new statutory timelines. “The Commission had earlier fixed Saturday, 20th February 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and Saturday, March 6,…

The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has sworn in Dagogo Wokoma as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Sunny Ewule as Chief of Staff, charging them not to politicise their offices. Speaking shortly after administering the oath of office, just hours after announcing their nominations, the governor emphasised that their roles are strictly administrative and service-driven. Fubara advised the Chief of Staff against convening unauthorised meetings or engaging in external political activities without his approval, stressing that the position is primarily to serve as his personal aide and support the administration’s objectives. He described the appointments as a…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has held sensitization workshops in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Abuja and Lagos, for companies and stakeholders operating in the midstream segment of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The midstream segment of the oil and gas industry consists of companies and businesses registered engaged in gathering and transmission of oil and gas, pipeline networks, trucking, processing of natural gas to eliminate impurities; liquefaction of natural gas, as in liquefied natural gas (LNG); separation of raw natural gas into dry methane, as well as storage operations, among others. In his address at the…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police to tackle insecurity nationwide. President Tinubu made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The President said that the creation of State Police has become urgent to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions. He noted that a decentralised policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused…

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Board of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), saying access to consumer credit is critical to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy. According to him, President Bola Tinubu established the CREDICORP to build a trusted credit infrastructure, provide catalytic capital to lower borrowing costs, and help Nigerians overcome long-standing cultural resistance to credit. Speaking on Thursday in Abuja when he inaugurated the board on behalf of the president, Shettima said the quality of life of Nigerians cannot improve without closing the gap between access to capital and human dignity. “A civil servant who…

The National Universities Commission, NUC, has issued a strong warning over the increasing cases of what it described as indiscriminate conferment and misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigerian universities. This is as NUC stressed that sanctions will be imposed on both institutions and individuals who violate its rules. The Commission, in a statement on Thursday unveiled 16-point guidelines for the award and proper use of honorary doctorates, in line with the Education Act (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions), CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2004), and its statutory mandate. “The commission is deeply concerned about…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a Friday, February 27, 2026, deadline to pay three months’ outstanding wage awards and other pending allowances owed to workers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The unions warned that failure to meet this deadline would lead to decisive action, accusing the government of deliberately withholding funds meant for workers despite agencies being ready to process payments ¹ ². The wage award dispute has lingered for over two years, with partial payments made after sustained pressure, but three months remain unpaid since July 2024. Other outstanding financial obligations include promotion…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has raised concern over the increasing rate of vandalism and theft of public infrastructure across the Niger Delta communities, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to sustainable development in the region.‎‎ According to the commission, the destruction, neglect and sabotage of projects executed for the benefit of host communities were undermining progress in critical sectors such as electricity, roads and other essential amenities designed to improve living standards.‎‎Speaking at a one-day capacity-building engagement programme for stakeholders in Okitipupa, Ondo State, the NDDC Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde, decried what he described…