Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the senate to confirm Joash Amupitan, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The request was conveyed in a letter read by Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, during plenary on Tuesday. “In accordance with the provisions of section 154 subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the letter reads. “Attached is his…

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), a subsidiary of Shell plc, together with Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited, have taken a final investment decision (FID) on the HI gas project offshore Nigeria. When completed, the project will supply 350 million standard cubic feet (approximately 60 thousand barrels of oil equivalent) of gas per day at peak production to Nigeria LNG (NLNG; Shell interest 25.6%), which produces and exports liquefied natural gas (LNG) to global markets. Production is expected to begin before the end of this decade. “Following recent investment decisions related to the Bonga deep-water development, today’s announcement…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postponed its 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, October 15, 2025, due to “recent developments” within the party. In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) announced the postponement, citing Section 29 (2)(b) of the party’s constitution. “All NEC members should please note the postponement and be guided accordingly,” the statement read. The decision comes amidst a wave of defections from the party, including the expected defection of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday. …

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Governor Mbah made his defection public in a televised broadcast on Tuesday. He said, “Today, after a long reflection, we have made the decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and join the All Progressives Congress.” Mbah said he joined the PDP to help transform Enugu and restructure the state’s political landscape. “Today, I stand before you to announce a break from the past and to share a decision that will shape the road ahead. “This concerns our values,…

The European Union (EU) has allocated N320.5 billion (€190 million) credit line to Nigerian banks to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector. In a statement on Monday, Bolaji Adebiyi, special adviser on media to Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and economic planning, said the European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing the credit line, which will be channelled through Nigerian commercial banks and financial institutions to increase lending for agribusinesses. According to the minister’s aide, the EIB announced the facility at a meeting between the bank’s senior executives and the federal ministry of budget and economic planning, on the sidelines of the Global…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has welcomed the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) draft guidelines requiring all banks to refund customers for failed Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transactions within 48 hours. To make the policy effective, the FCCPC said it would work with the CBN to establish systems for monitoring compliance and ensuring timely redress when banks fail to meet the 48-hour deadline. Director, Corporate Affairs of the commission, Ondaje Ijagwu, stated in Abuja yesterday that the draft guidelines follow the FCCPC’s Consumer Complaints Data Report published in September 2025. According to him, the report, which covered…

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said he has fled the country in fear for his life following a military rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on social media late Monday from an undisclosed location. Rajoelina has faced weeks of Gen Z-led anti-government protests, which reached a pivotal point on Saturday when an elite military unit joined the protests and called for the president and other government ministers to step down. That prompted Rajoelina to say that an illegal attempt to seize power was underway in the Indian Ocean island and leave the country. “I was forced to find a safe place…

The price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol, yesterday, increased by 6.8 percent to N955 per litre, from N890 per litre sold last week. Vanguard gathered that stations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and stations owned by Independent Marketers in Lagos and Abuja showed that the petrol was dispersed between N900 and N955 per litre. In a phone interview with the Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Mr. Chinedu Ukadike attributed the hike to supply and logistics challenges incurred by major marketers in the industry, which include NNPCL and Dangote…

In the pursuit for improved corporate governance, enhanced performance and effective service delivery to the nation and citizens, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Tuesday held a knowledge exchange session, leading to a strong committing to inter-agency collaboration, peer review of operations. The session held at the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), Swali, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and was attended by select management staff of the NDDC. The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, spoke through the Director, Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, and observed the benefit of having…

Tamrose Limited, a leading oil and gas service company has announced the successful repayment of a $10 million loan it obtained in 2019 from the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund), the dedicated financing scheme managed by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for growing capacity in the oil and gas industry. NCDMB confirmed that the final instalment was completed on September 30, 2025, with no missed payments throughout the six-year repayment period. At the time of accessing the loan, Tamrose operated with only four security patrol vessels. With the support of the NCI Fund, the company expanded…