Author: Vardiafrica

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has presented certificates of return to the 23 chairmen-elect declared winners of the recently concluded local government elections. The presentation took place on Monday at the RSIEC headquarters in Port Harcourt, with supporters and family members of the chairmen-elect in attendance. Officiating the ceremony, RSIEC Chairman, Michael Odey, restated the commission’s commitment to due process and transparency. Some of the chairmen-elect, including Aboiya-a Bob-Fubara of Akuku Toru LGA and Onengiyeofori George of Asari Toru LGA, spoke with Channels Television on how they intend to use the mandate to make meaningful impact at the…

The Federal Government has threatened to disconnect power-generating companies (GenCos) from the national grid if they fail to activate Free Governor Control (FGC) across all generating units, in a move aimed at curbing repeated system collapses and ensuring grid stability. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) issued the warning in Order NERC/2025/094, signed on August 26 by Vice-Chairman Musiliu Oseni and Commissioner for Legal, Licensing & Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye. The directive, which takes effect on September 1, 2025, mandates GenCos to comply with FGC requirements or face sanctions. FGC is a turbine governor control system that allows power plants to…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is delighted to announce that Professor Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and former chairman of NCDMB’s Governing Council, will serve as the Role Model and Guest Speaker at the NCDMB Business Mentorship Lecture Series (BMLS) for Q3 2025. This edition of the BMLS will be held on Monday, September 8, 2025, from 10am via Zoom Webinar and NCDMB’s YouTube channel. The session will be moderated by Richmond Osuji, a leading event compere in the oil and gas industry. Launched in 2019 under Section 67 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, the Business Mentorship Lecture Seriespromote the Act’s…

Sidi Ould Tah has been sworn in as the 9th president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding Akinwumi Adesina, whose 10-year tenure ended on Monday. On May 29, Tah, a seasoned economist and development finance expert from Mauritania, secured 76.18 percent of the votes in the election held during the AfDB’s annual meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. At the annual meeting 2025, the newly elected president, in his victory speech, expressed enthusiasm and readiness to begin his presidential duties. Tah emphasised collaboration and hard work as key to addressing challenges, adding that his administration focuses on economic development and social…

A district court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism. Ekpa, an agitator for the actualisation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was sentenced on Monday, September 1. In the ruling, the Päijät-Häme court found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Acording to Finnish newspaper Yle, the court said Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to stoke tensions in Nigeria’s south-east region between August 2021 and November 2024. The district court also noted that Ekpa had supplied certain groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition “through his network…

Capacity building for Nigeria’s maritime sector received a boost on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as 39 young graduates underwent preliminary processes for cadetship under a Nigerian Content-Human Capacity Development (NC-HCD) programmeof Chevron Nigeria Limited and Intels Nigeria Limited. The NC-HCD initiative, patterned after the 60:20:20 Strategic Training Model of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), provides for sea time experience and Certificate of Competence (CoC) training, practical exposure, and real-time experience across multiple technical domains within the facilities of the of Lagos-based StoilicShipping Limited, a leading member of the International Maritime Professionals Association (IMPA). Conceived in fulfilment of a policy thrust of…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with Coppercrux Limited, on Monday in Port Harcourt flagged off a 5-day Awareness and Capacity Building Workshop for youths in the South-South region on compressed natural gas (CNG) technologies and the associated value chains. Areas covered on Day 1 of the training programme include “Introduction to CNG and Energy Transition: Awareness, Importance and Benefits,” “Presidential CNG Initiative: An Overview,” and “Economic Opportunities for Youths in the Green Energy Sector,” with interactive sessions during intervals for questions and answers between participants and resource persons. In a welcome address at the event,…

 The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, recently conducted a joint project site inspection at the Government Technical College (GTC), Port Harcourt, in Rivers State. The inspection marked a significant milestone in the implementation of a Human Capacity Development (HCD) institutional strengthening intervention under the NCDMB’s strategic push for sustainable TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The NCDMB team was led by the Director, Capacity Building Directorate (CBD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, while the Renaissance Africa team was led by its Executive Director, Mr. Igo Weli. Also…

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of Saturday’s local government elections, describing it as a decisive step toward restoring full democratic governance at the grassroots. Vice Admiral Ibas, who monitored the exercise in several local government areas, expressed satisfaction with the comportment of voters and election officials, noting that their conduct created a calm and secure environment for the polls. Speaking with reporters in Port Harcourt, the administrator highlighted the voter turnout and the serenity at polling units as proof of Rivers people’s eagerness to reclaim and participate in grassroots…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Port Harcourt organized a workshopfor media stakeholders and youth groups, providing profoundinsights into the structural organisation, internal workings, accomplishments and operational targets of the agency after 15 epochal years as an effective driver of local content and regulator in the oil and gas industry. Billed as a signature event of the NCDMB, having been held regularly since the beginning of the Board in 2010, the workshop also acquainted participants with procedures for registration for employment or training programmes in industry-related skill sets, engagement as industry contractors or vendors, and also the Board’s ‘Community Content Guidelines,’ designedto ensure integration of host communities into the oil and gas…