Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its strike following an agreement with the management of Dangote Refinery to recognise workers’ rights to unionise The deal was reached at a closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) and attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, confirmed the outcome, while the Ministry of Labour said it would issue a formal statement soon. The resolution followed a conciliation meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday,…

Amid a sharp rise in flight delays, cancellations, and increasing passenger unrest at airports nationwide, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned 13 domestic airlines to an emergency meeting scheduled for Wednesday at its headquarters in Abuja. The meeting was confirmed by NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday. According to the NCAA, the intervention is in response to a growing wave of complaints from air travelers many of whom have faced missed appointments, extended delays, and in some cases, unresolved ticket refunds and…

The federal government has gazetted Nigeria’s new tax reform laws, with implementation set to begin on January 1, 2026. Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, announced this in a post on X on Monday. The laws are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (NTA), the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025 (NTAA), the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 (NRSEA), and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025 (JRBEA). “Nigeria’s tax reform laws have been published in the official gazette,” the post reads. Outlining key provisions of the tax laws, Oyedele said the reforms introduce a…

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, yesterday, clarified his earlier comments on Nigeria’s N149.39 trillion debt, stressing President Bola Tinubu was committed to ensuring that borrowing remains responsible and tied to productive investments. Also, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, expressed optimism about the country’s fiscal outlook. Both officials delivered their remarks at the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC), hosted by Nigeria’s House Public Accounts Committee, under the theme: “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt.” The National Assembly recently…

Scarcity of petroleum products may soon hit the country as members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) continue their strike on Tuesday after negotiations between the Federal Government, organised labour, and the Dangote Group hit a roadblock late Monday in Abuja. This came as NUPENG officials stopped fuel loading activities across depots nationwide on Monday, and kicked against Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s alleged ban on workers’ unionism. Talks broke down after Sayyu Dantata, who represented the Dangote Group, reportedly walked out on Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi and the labour delegation during discussions over the unionisation of…

The National Assembly says Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot resume office, despite completing her 6-months suspension. The Kogi Central senator had written to the National Assembly notifying that her suspension had expired and indicating her desire to return to the senate. Although the National Assembly is still on recess, the Clerk to the National Assembly, in response to her letter, communicated that her suspension which took effect on March 6, 2025 is still a pending issue in court. According to the letter seen by AIT News, until the judicial process is completed and the senate reviews the court’s pronouncement, no decision…

Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president, says the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition will be unrelenting in defending the rights of Nigerians. Abubakar spoke during meetings with Aminu Tambuwal, senator representing Sokoto south; and Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation, on Monday. In an X post, he noted that opposition leaders are working to rescue democracy in Nigeria. “We will be unrelenting in defending the rights of every Nigerian being harassed by anti-democratic forces of the Tinubu-led APC administration,” Abubakar said. “The coalition that we are pushing is aimed at rescuing our democracy from the stranglehold of this emerging dictatorship. We shall…

The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Prof. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu has canvassed that the $450m Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund) be increased to US$1bn, to cater for the funding of mega of oil and gas projects, setting up of pipe mills and manufacturing of other critical equipment needed in the oil and gas sector. He also recommended that oil and gas producing companies should provide timelines for developing oil and gas blocks, same condition for firms that win industry contracts based on commitments of investments.He made these recommendations and dwelt on similar issues on Monday at the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Bayelsa State Office, on Wednesday in Yenagoa, pledged to deepen collaboration in human capacity Development (HCD), just as the Board was proclaimed Best-in-Training Contribution by the Fund. The Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, speaking through the General Manager, Human Capacity Development (HCD), Barr. Esueme Dan Kikile, welcomed the ITF Management team, led by the Area Manager, Mrs. Oluwatosin Akingbola, to the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), noting that the similarities in their respective mandates was a compelling ground for close collaboration. He recalled…

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) said it has rejected the Federal Government’s planned five per cent tax on petroleum products, describing it as a “reckless proposal” which is “nothing but an act of economic wickedness against already overburdened Nigerians”. The union said that the government policy, if implemented, would compound suffering, cripple businesses, and push millions of citizens deeper into poverty. It stated that the Federal Government cannot continue to use Nigerians as sacrificial lambs for its economic experiments. “Let it be clear: workers and citizens are still reeling from the pains of subsidy removal, skyrocketing fuel prices,…