Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York this year. The President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation. This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The statement noted that President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the United Kingdom, wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding in parts of the country. At UNGA 79, Vice…

The federal government has disclosed plans to build five buffer dams along the Rivers Niger and Benue axis to curb the incessant flooding resulting from release of water from the Lagdo dam. The Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr. Umar Muhammed who was represented by the Director of operational hydrology at the agency, Femi Bejide during an interview on Channels Tv. According to him, the agency has sent a proposal to the Presidency to build five buffer dams to contain excess water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon. Also speaking, he stated that recent flooding in Borno and…

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) says water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring francophone country, Cameroon, has been released into River Niger and River Benue in Nigeria’s North Central. While speaking on Channels TV this morning September 19, the NIHSA Director General, Umar Mohammed, warned Nigerians residing in floodplains to relocate immediately to safe spaces in anticipation of attendant floods that annually come with the release of water from the Lagdo Dam. Mohammed said his Agency met with the authorities in Cameroon and agreed that water from the Lagdo Dam be released “intermittently” for the River Benue and River…

The Liberal government says it will slash the number of international student permits it issues by another 10 per cent. The government says the new target for 2025 and 2026 will be 437,000 permits. In 2024, the target was 485,000 permits. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday the government expects the changes to “yield approximately 300,000 fewer study permits” over the next three years. Ottawa is also putting new limits on work permits for spouses of both foreign workers and students in master’s degree programs. Earlier this year, the Liberal government announced a temporary cap to reduce the number of…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced an advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to enhance the monitoring and management of the national power grid. This initiative, spearheaded by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), is funded by the World Bank and aims to reduce frequent power grid collapses while ensuring a more reliable electricity supply across the country. During the launch event held at the National Control Centre (NCC) in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, emphasized the significance of the SCADA system in transforming the grid’s operational efficiency. Represented by Emmanuel Nosike, the acting…

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Wednesday said the crisis in the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) is a creation of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He stated this while receiving members of the PDP Board of Trustees at the Government House in Bauchi, the state capital. “Any challenge is not insurmountable, it is insurmountable by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that,” he stated. “It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged.” “You will notice that this is the creation of the other side. They want us to be in…

The drama and controversy surrounding the ex-Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello’s corruption case has continued unabated. This is even as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, besieged the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja in an attempt to arrest former governor Yahaya Bello. This came soon after Yahaya was stated to have visited the EFCC office. The siege was announced by the Director of Yahaya Bello’s Media Office, Ohiare Michael, who raised the alarm in a statement on Wednesday night, titled, “Despite voluntary visit, EFCC officials surround Kogi Government Lodge, Abuja in an attempt to forcefully…

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it will introduce the FIRS e-Invoice, a digital solution for managing invoices, in line with the Tax Administration and Enforcement Act 2007. Executive Chairman, FIRS, Dr Zacchaeus Adedeji, stated this on Wednesday in Lagos at the LCCI-FIRS Organised Private Sector Stakeholders Engagement with the theme: “Emerging Tax Matters”. Adedeji, who was represented by Mrs Oti Olaniyi, Acting Director, Medium Taxpayers Department, FIRS, said the e-invoice was necessary as the country moved forward to innovate and enhance its tax system. He said the initiative, as part of the service’s digital transformation strategy, would facilitate…

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will soon launch new biometric passports, Mali’s military leader Colonel Assimi Goita said Sunday, as the junta-led states look to solidify their alliance after splitting from regional bloc ECOWAS. The three Sahel nations, all under military rule following a string of coups since 2020, joined together last September under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), after severing ties with former colonial ruler France and pivoting toward Russia. They then said in January that they were turning their backs on the Economic Community of West African States — an organization they accused of being manipulated by…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied reports claiming embattled former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, is in their custody. In a statement released on Wednesday, September 18, EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the ex-governor remains wanted “for alleged N80.2billion money laundering charges.” “Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is incorrect. The Commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody. Bello, already declared wanted by the Commission for alleged N80.2billion money laundering charges, remains…