Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to roll out a phased contactless passport renewal system, beginning in Canada on November 1, 2024. This initiative, designed to simplify and modernize the passport renewal process, allows Nigerians to apply for passport renewals online, reducing the need for in-person visits to NIS offices. Following Canada, the service will extend to the UK, USA, and Italy on November 15, and by December 1, it will be available in Nigeria and other global locations The new system was officially announced on Wednesday via NIS’s X (formerly Twitter) account. “In its continued effort to…

Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday warned Nigerian courts against setting Rivers State on fire with their judgments and orders. Atiku’s warning came a few hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop releasing financial allocations to the Rivers State Government until a lawful appropriation act is passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly. This decision was made by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in response to a suit filed by the factional pro-Nyesom Wike Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule. Justice Abdulmalik held…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says power supply has been successfully restored to seven northern states through its 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line one. In a statement on Wednesday, Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s general manager of public affairs, confirmed that power was restored at 4:56 pm after repairs on the vandalised section of the line were completed “As restoration efforts continue, with the TCN engineering team preparing to commence work on the second 330kV transmission line, all necessary materials for the repairs are on hand, and work will begin as soon as the site is secured for the safety of our personnel…

Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina, who has been at the center of a fierce nationality row, is to be stripped of her South African identity and travel documents. BBC reports that the Department of Home Affairs initiated an investigation into her case after she became a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, facing scrutiny over her eligibility due to her mother’s Mozambican roots and her Nigerian father’s nationality. In August, she withdrew from the competition after the department revealed that her mother might have committed “identity theft” to acquire South African citizenship. Adetshina, a law student, later won the title of Miss…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff. This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga. He said Oluyede will hold sway as the COAS pending the return of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is said to be indisposed and is receiving treatment abroad. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS),” the statement read. “Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive…

The Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Kemi Nandap, has said that Nigerian borders are now safer than before as the service deployed technology across the nation’s entry points. Nandap stated this when she paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau on Wednesday in Jos, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The comptroller added that the service had adopted some innovative initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety of all land borders and Nigerians. ‘’We are leveraging technology, innovations and other laudable initiatives, and I can assure you that our borders are now safer than before,’’ she…

Nigeria, alongside other West African countries, is set to adopt a unified driver’s license and vehicle registration system as part of a regional effort to streamline transportation and enhance road safety.The Federal Road Safety Corps is also collaborating with the Economic Community of West African States through the West African Road Safety Organisation to develop a Regional Vehicle Administration and Information System. The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this at a workshop on inter-agency collaboration in Abuja on Tuesday.Represented by Deputy Corps Marshal Clement Oladele, he stated that the initiatives aim to create a standardised system for driver’s licenses,…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, hosted a sensitisation workshop on its Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) Portal for critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry. It was the second lap of a three-location event which began in Lagos on 23 October. Created by the Board in line with Section 55 of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, the NOGIC JQS serves as “an industry databank of available capabilities” to be used as sole system for “Verification of contractors’ capacities…

Britain’s new Labour government on Wednesday announced major tax hikes and higher borrowing to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s aim of investing for long-term growth. In the highly-anticipated fiscal update — the first under the centre-left government after 14 years of Conservative rule — finance minister Rachel Reeves said tax increases would raise an additional £40 billion ($52 million). ‘Invest’ Addressing parliament in a speech lasting more than one hour, Reeves also confirmed changes to fiscal rules that will allow the government to invest billions more in public services. “This government was given a mandate,” Reeves told MPs. “To restore…

The senate has confirmed the appointment of all seven ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, submitted to the upper chamber last week for accelerated consideration. This follows the screening of the nominees by the upper chamber on Wednesday. The screening exercised was held at the red chamber after it was postponed on Tuesday. The Senate suspended its rule to admit the ministerial nominees. The lawmakers began with Nentawe Yilwatda, the nominee appointed to replace Betta Edu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. They subsequently screened other appointees including Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu nominated as the Minister of State Foreign…