Author: Vardiafrica

South African Government has relaxed its visa rules for Nigerian tourists and business people, saying they can now apply for a visa without submitting a passport. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this on Tuesday at the opening of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town, which President Bola Tinubu attended. This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. According to the statement, President Ramaphosa said South Africa has simplified its visa processes to facilitate travel for Nigerian business people and tourists, with measures such…

The house of representatives has asked President Bola Tinubu to mandate Wale Edun, minister of finance, to unfreeze all accounts of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) within 72 hours. The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during plenary on Tuesday. This was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker, and 20 other lawmakers. The programmes under SIP include N-Power, conditional cash transfer (CCT), government enterprise and empowerment programme, and the home-grown school feeding initiative. The parliament said unfreezing the accounts of the NSIPA will enable the “smooth” recommencement of all the programmes. The…

Aero Contractors has announced a significant reduction in its airfares, lowering them to N80,000 for all domestic routes, down from the N110,000 previously charged. This price adjustment, part of a holiday initiative, is aimed at making air travel more accessible during the economic downturn. The announcement was made by Capt. Ado Sanusi, the airline’s Managing Director, on Tuesday while speaking to journalists at a media briefing at the airline’s office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). According to Sanusi, the decision was driven by the airline’s desire to give back to its…

The House of Representatives has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend its “planned” retirement of 1,000 staff members, citing concerns over transparency and due process. The apex bank reportedly intends to retire the officials with a severance package totalling over N50 billion. During Tuesday’s plenary session, the lower chamber resolved to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the “process and legality” of the exercise. The investigation aims to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper utilization of funds. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Kama Nkemkama, a lawmaker from…

Nigeria has sought South Africa’s backing for its bid to attain full membership in the G20, BRICS and the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB). Nigeria is also seeking South Africa’s support for it to assume leadership roles in thematic discussions of interest under South Africa’s G20 presidency. This request, according to a statement from the Presidency on Monday, was made by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during her closing remarks at the ministerial session of the 11th Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday. South Africa officially assumed the presidency…

President Bola Tinubu and his entourage touched down in Cape Town, South Africa, late Monday for the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC). Tinubu was received by Roland Lamola, South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation; and Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs. The BNC deliberations with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa will span across themes like political consultations, consular and migration, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments. The Nigeria-South Africa BNC was established in 1999 to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation between…

U.S. President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and gun convictions as he prepares to leave office. In a statement issued by the White House on Sunday, December 1, Biden said that his son had been “singled out” and “selectively, and unfairly” prosecuted due to his family name. This official grant of clemency cannot be rescinded by President-elect Donald Trump. Hunter Biden was scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12 for his conviction on federal gun charges. He also was set to be sentenced on Dec. 16 in a separate criminal case…

The Federal Government has said the malaria vaccine will now be part of the national routine immunisation schedule. The development was after it vowed to eliminate Malaria following a loss of $1.1bn annually to the health crisis. Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister for Health & Social Welfare at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN) held in Abuja last week, described malaria as not just a health crisis, but also an economic and developmental emergency that must be eliminated. In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister stated that the federal government is resolute in…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, not to be disturbed by the political crisis rocking the state. Jonathan spoke at an event in the Nihi Community in the Etche Local Government Area of the State on Sunday. He explained that Fubara would eventually emerge as a “general in politics,” despite the political war staged against him. “I know you (Fubara) are passing through challenges, and on occasions like these, I try to keep quiet. I don’t like to say certain things,” Jonathan said. “But this is the first time you are holding a top political…

President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations if they undercut the US dollar. “We require a commitment… that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100 percent Tariffs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website, referring to the grouping that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others. The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies. The BRICS…