Author: Vardiafrica

State governors have called on the federal government to enforce a “no-meter, no-service” policy for all new electricity connections in the country. The plea was outlined in the Development of the National Integrated Electricity Policy & Strategic Implementation Plan: Policy Recommendations by State Governments to the Federal Ministry of Power document from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. In the document, state governments highlighted the critical importance of electricity meters in bridging the significant metering gap, which is essential for the viability of sub-national markets. The states also argued that State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) should have the autonomy to determine the…

Organised Labour on Saturday tackled the state governors, accusing them of acting in bad faith towards the new minimum wage negotiations ongoing in the country. Recall that the governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum rejected the proposed N60,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers. In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs for NGF, Halimah Ahmed, the governors said the proposed minimum wage was too high and not sustainable. The governors said if the N60,000 minimum wage is adopted, many states would allocate their entire Federal Account Allocation Committee funds to salaries,…

Narendra Modi has been sworn in as India’s prime minister for a historic but unexpectedly constrained third term, after a relatively weak election performance caused by citizens’ concerns over rising inflation and unemployment. A survey published in The Hindu national newspaper on Thursday showed that concerns over inflation and a lack of decent jobs to employ India’s vast working-age population almost crushed Modi’s third term bid. The 73-year-old performance in the over one-month long election will leave him dependent on coalition allies in the world’s biggest democracy. Modi, flanked by officials from his Hindu-nationalist party and his coalition members, vowed…

Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has said the Federal Government has commenced an investigation into a viral video of 10 Nigerian teenagers who were trafficked to Ghana for prostitution. The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, who disclosed this on Saturday at the ‘Unlock Training and Grants’ ceremony in Abuja, said the ban on lodging of young girls in hotels will help tackle the menace of trafficking. She was reacting to the recent rescue of ten teenage Nigerian girls allegedly trafficked to Ghana for prostitution. Kennedy-Ohaneye said action against such practices like trafficking from the Ministry of Women Affairs…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, shamed many people by completing the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) petroleum refinery. Akpabio, who spoke on Saturday during a tour of the facility, described the refiner as the ninth wonder of the world. The senate president said the refinery is highly commendable, adding that Dangote deserved all the accolades for the feat. Akpabio condemned those who were sceptical of the completion of the refinery, describing them as “dream killers”. He said detractors of the refinery had all been silenced and previous governments had been put to shame with…

The 36 state governors who make up the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have said that the N60,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government is not sustainable and cannot fly. A statement by the Acting Director, Media Affairs and Public Relations of the Forum, Mrs Halima Ahmed, noted that if allowed to fly, many states will use all their monthly allocations from the federation account to pay workers’ salaries. The governors appealed to members of the tripartite committee to agree on a minimum wage that would be fair and sustainable. READ ALSO: Tripartite Committee On New Minimum Wage Meets In Abuja “The…

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano and presided by Justice Simon Amobeda, on Friday, reserved judgement in the fundamental human rights suit filed by the dethroned 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, following a heated argument between the prosecution counsel and defendant counsel during the hearing. Counsel to second respondent, Mahmood Magaji, told the court that he filed a preliminary objection dated May 30th and filed May 31st on four grounds bordering around his fundamental rights and the repealed Kano Emirate law. “We filed our 21 paragraph counter affidavit deposed by Abdullahi Garko and written address dated May…

The Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Nedogas Development Company Limited for initiating and successfully executing the 300 million standard cubic feet (MMscf) Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) Facility and Nedogas Plant in Umusam community, Delta State. Speaking at the formal commissioning of the two projects on Thursday, the Minister said the outcome of the strategic collaboration between the two companies represents “a significant advancement in the country’s efforts to promote sustainability, energy efficiency, and economic expansion.” According to him, “The NCDMB and Nedogas…

 Key officials of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) on Monday began a working visit to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), stating that they were here to learn and that their country stands to gain substantially from Nigeria’s experience in local content development. Welcoming the four-member UNOC delegation at a meeting at the Nigerian Content Tower, Corporate Headquarters of the NCDMB, Swali, Yenagoa, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu, said the visit would open up new vistas for mutually beneficial collaboration in oil and gas operations between Nigeria and Uganda. Citing statistics indicative of the resource base…

The tripartite committee meeting for a new national minimum wage is underway.  The meeting, which is the fifth since the suspension of the industrial action by organised labour, is holding behind closed doors at the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja. Some prominent members of the committee are in attendance including the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF); the Minister of Labour and Employment (State) Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the Governor of Imo State Hope Uzodimma; a representative of the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission; the Minister of Finance Wale Edun as well as the Minister of Budget and National Planning…