Author: Vardiafrica

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged the newly established Nigerian Army Airborne Training School to develop highly skilled, agile and mission-ready personnel capable of conducting complex airborne and special operations in response to evolving security threats. The COAS gave the charge on Friday, 25 September 2026, while unveiling the Nigerian Army Airborne School at Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna State. Lieutenant General Shaibu described the establishment of the School as a strategic investment in capability development, designed to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s capacity to rapidly deploy specialised forces for demanding operations. He noted that the…

As part of efforts to enhance the capacity of its staff to effectively lead and regulate the oil and gas industry, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), on Thursday inaugurated its LearnFest Lecture Series, a platform for continuous learning among staff and oil and gas industry stakeholders.  LearnFest, an initiative under the Nigerian Content Academy (NCA), a specialised knowledge-sharing and training arm of the agency, will provide trainings on the mandate and inner workings of the Board. Attended by all staff at the corporate headquarters in Yenagoa, the three-hour event was focused on raising awareness of the different directorates of the organisation, their constituent divisions and departments, as well as their specific responsibilities and how they function individually and collectively to advance corporate goals and…

APresident Bola Tinubu says his government is correcting the mistakes of past administrations and should be re-elected to finish the “good work”. Tinubu spoke on Friday through Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, during a special prayer session held at the National Mosque in Abuja to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. Tinubu said peace and development are gradually returning to the country. “This anniversary—the 66th—by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age,” he said. “The person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey…

The Federal Government has issued the Nigeria Tax Administration Order 2026 to reduce the interest rate payable by taxpayers for late settlement of their tax liabilities, with the new regime taking effect from October 1, 2026. Under the new arrangement, interest on tax liabilities payable in naira will be pegged to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) plus one percentage point, down from the previous five-percentage-point spread. The measure is contained in the Order issued by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, pursuant to Section 65 of the Nigeria Tax Administration…

Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote plan to build a $660 million refined petroleum pipeline ‌that will connect Ethiopia and Djibouti, a spokesperson in Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said this Thursday. The project will include a 120-km (75-mile) pipeline, as well as approximately 375,000 cubic metres of storage capacity ⁠at Damerjog in Djibouti and 800 000 cubic metres at Dewele in Ethiopia, the spokesperson told Reuters, adding it should become operational within 18 months. Abiy said on his X account the project will be developed through a partnership between Ethiopian Investment Holdings and the Dangote Group, which…

The federal government says it is engaging China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) to explore the most practical approach to delivering the Mambilla hydropower project, including the possibility of implementing it in phases. According to TheCable, Joseph Tegbe, minister of power, spoke during a recent media parley in Abuja to mark his first 100 days in office. The development follows Nigeria’s recent victory in the arbitration of the Mambilla hydropower project case. Tegbe said the ministry had engaged the company, also known as Energy China, on the project and directed the contractor to explore options for its delivery. He said larger…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has emphasised the need for stronger collaboration and sustainable partnerships among stakeholders to accelerate human capital and infrastructural development across the Niger Delta region. Speaking during a pre-conference briefing ahead of the 2026 Partnership for Sustainable Development Conference in Port Harcourt, NDDC Managing Director Dr Samuel Ogbuku said the conference would give the NDDC an opportunity to account to the people of the Niger Delta for its stewardship. Ogbuku urged stakeholders to actively participate in the discussions, contribute constructive ideas, and critically appraise the Commission’s activities to achieve collective progress in the region. The…

The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting individuals who knowingly engage in or facilitate “birth tourism” to the country. Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, announced the policy on Wednesday, saying the restrictions would apply to people involved in commercial birth tourism networks, visa “fixers” who coach applicants to commit fraud and foreign medical providers who knowingly facilitate such travel. Rubio said the policy was being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act. According to him, commercial birth tourism networks had exploited the US immigration system by facilitating travel for foreign nationals seeking to…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued a public health advisory following the latest update on the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Centre said Nigeria had been placed on “high alert” as it continued to strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response measures against any potential threat from the outbreak. The advisory was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris. The Centre said all preparatory activities were ongoing and that the measures would continue to be reviewed in line with the evolving…

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members nationwide to inspect their fuel dispensing meters following a warning from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over alleged under-dispensing at filling stations. PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis Harry, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief. He said the association held an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council on Tuesday after the NMDPRA raised concerns about the accuracy of fuel dispensers at retail outlets. According to him, the meeting, which lasted until about 10pm, resulted in a directive…