Author: Vardiafrica

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, swore in 57 distinguished legal practitioners as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) at the Supreme Court Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja. The swearing-in ceremony held on Monday, September 29. Among those elevated was Adedayo Gbolahan Adesina, a respected legal practitioner, reform advocate, and co-founder of Oyewole & Adesina, whose career has been marked by excellence in advocacy, judicial reform, and public service. Speaking during the special session of the Supreme Court marking the commencement of the 2025/2026 Legal Year, Justice Kekere-Ekun described the conferment of the SAN rank as a moment of “solemn reflection…

A delegation of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are currently in a reconciliation meeting with the Federal Government. Members of PENGASSAN, led by the President, Festus Osifo, and some members of the Dangote refinery management, arrived at the conference room of the Minister of Labour and Employment for the planned meeting. Also present at the meeting are the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, as well as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha. The union and the private refinery are at loggerheads over…

Ahead of its planned industrial action, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The union announced the decision following a National Executive Council meeting held on Sunday at the University of Abuja. In a notice of strike action signed by the National president of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, the union decried the neglect of the university system and the government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands. “Apart from engagement with the press, in August 2025, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in both federal and state universities…

President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday he will be imposing a 100% tariff “on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States.” Trump did not specify when or how the tariff could be enacted. If Trump follows through with his threat, it would mark the first time he’s essentially imposed a tariff on a service rather than a good. The president initially threatened a 100% tariff on foreign-produced movies in May, arguing that other countries offer tax incentives that have drawn filmmakers abroad. In his post on Monday, he singled out California, saying…

President Bola Tinubu has invoked provisions of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act to approve a mandatory compliance with the national policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as a requirement for mobilisation into or exemption from the scheme. The compliance directive, which is in line with Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the Act, was part of an enforcement circular recently issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. Akume conveyed the approval for the adjustment of “NYSC mobilisation criteria in accordance with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance…

The federal government has met with representatives of Dangote refinery over concerns raised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). According to a statement by Mohammed Manga, director, information and public relations for the ministry of finance, on Sunday, a meeting was held between Dangote refinery, the sub-committee on the crude and refined product sales in naira initiative, Wale Edun, minister of finance, and Zacch Adedeji, the chairman of the committee and the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The meeting also had in attendance Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and…

Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine early on Sunday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, in one of the most sustained attacks on the capital since the full-scale war began. Neighbouring Poland closed its airspace near two southeastern cities and its air force scrambled jets in response until the danger had passed. Ukraine’s military said that Russia launched 595 drones and 48 missiles overnight and its air defences shot down 568 drones and 43 missiles. It noted that the main target of the strike was the capital Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the…

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced a nationwide industrial action, directing its members to begin a total withdrawal of services in protest against what it described as the mass dismissal of over 800 Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery In a circular released after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday, September 27, 2025, and signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery of serious labour violations, including breaching Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and international labour standards. According to the NEC, the workers were dismissed…

 In line with its capacity building mandate, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is set to begin a comprehensive digitalization training programme targeting 3,700 youths across the country.   The initiative which is under the banner of the NCDMB Digitalization Initiative (NDI) is designed to equip young Nigerians with the essential skills needed to thrive in the current and emerging waves of industrial revolution. Giving insight into the programme, the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe observed that the oil and gas industry and its linkages sectors have adopted advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Industrial Internet of…

The Federal Government strongly condemns and categorically refutes recent allegations by certain international platforms and online influencers suggesting that terrorists operating in Nigeria are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians. Such claims are false, baseless, despicable, and divisive. Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality. While Nigeria, like many countries, has faced security challenges, including acts of terrorism perpetrated by criminals, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful. It oversimplifies a complex, multifaceted security environment and plays into the hands…