Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on the outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, in recognition of his service and contributions to Nigeria’s democratic process. In a statement released on Tuesday by presidential spokesperson Mr Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu formally accepted the terminal leave of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and expressed appreciation for his dedicated service to the nation. The President commended Professor Yakubu’s steadfast commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the conduct of credible, free, and…

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, inaugurated the first commercial flight of the Gateway International Airport, Ilishan Remo. The aircraft owned by Valuejet, with registration number 5N-BXS and 90 passengers on board, departed the airport at 10:10 a.m. to Abuja. Speaking at the airport located along the Iperu-Ilisan road in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the State, the governor said the journey to actualize the airport started in 2021 and was part of the vision to provide a well-modeled transport system for the State. He said: “I am glad to be here today to actually witness the…

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has handed over the leadership of the commission to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will now serve as acting national chairman. Yakubu made the announcement on Tuesday during a meeting with resident electoral commissioners (RECs) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja. Agbamuche-Mbu, who represents Delta state on the commission, is the oldest serving national commissioner. She will oversee the affairs of the electoral body pending the appointment of a substantive chairman by President Bola Tinubu. In his brief remarks, Yakubu thanked members of the commission for their cooperation during his tenure and…

The Senate resumed plenary on Tuesday after a 10-week recess, with the Senate President Godswill Akpabio presiding over the session. A notable development at Tuesday’s plenary was the return of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central. She appeared at a Senate plenary for the first time since serving a six-month suspension. In a show of international solidarity, some senators arrived at the chamber dressed in Palestinian colours and attire, advocating for a free Palestine. Senator Akpabio delivered a charge in his opening address, urging lawmakers to recommit themselves to accountability, discipline and purposeful governance. Addressing his colleagues in the…

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Tuesday, October 7, reserved judgment in a suit filed by the Osun State Government seeking to compel the Federal Government to release all withheld allocations belonging to the Local Government Councils (LGCs) in the state. A seven-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji reserved the matter for judgment after both parties, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Attorney-General of Osun State, adopted their respective briefs of argument. The former AGF, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), appeared for the Federal Government, while Mr. Musibau Adetunbi (SAN) represented Osun State. In the suit, marked SC/CV/775/2025,…

African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced plans to extend a $500m loan to Nigeria this year as part of a $1bn budget support programme, citing the country’s ongoing economic reforms under President Bola Tinubu as a major factor driving its decision. Bode Oyetunde, executive director representing Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe on the AfDB Board, disclosed this on Monday during the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja. He said the facility, which is subject to board approval, could be finalized before the end of the year. According to Oyetunde, the bank is providing the funding in recognition of Nigeria’s “bold…

Nigeria is in discussion with China’s Export-Import Bank for a $2 billion loan to finance a new “super grid” to ease the country’s power shortages.  According to Bloomberg, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this during an economic summit in Abuja on Monday. Adelabu explained that the project is part of government efforts to decentralise power generation and encourage large-scale industrial users who left the national grid due to its unreliability to reconnect. The new transmission infrastructure will link the eastern and western regions of the country, where most of Nigeria’s industrial consumers are located. “It’s part of plans…

African football boss Patrice Motsepe said on Monday he is “absolutely confident” the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead in Morocco, the scene of daily anti-government protests for more than a week. Young Moroccans took to the streets on Sunday for a ninth straight night of protests, calling for an end to corruption and a change of government. The protesters have demanded reforms to social services, especially health and education, and voiced anger over social inequality. Morocco is scheduled to stage the Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21 to January 18 at nine venues, with 24 national…

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has inaugurated an ad hoc committee to examine the economic, regulatory, and security implications of cryptocurrency adoption and Point-of-Sale (POS) operations in Nigeria. Speaking at the inauguration on Monday in Abuja, Mr Tajudeen said the initiative became necessary following rising cases of fraud, cybercrime, and consumer exploitation within the digital finance sector. He noted that despite periodic economic challenges, Nigeria’s economy has shown remarkable resilience, particularly through growth in non-oil sectors, an environment, he said, where cryptocurrency could potentially thrive. However, Mr Tajudeen warned that the vulnerabilities associated with cryptocurrency operations could…

The Bayelsa State Government has bought two aircraft to begin commercial flight operations at the Bayelsa International Airport. A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, on Tuesday said the two aircraft are expected to be used in the Yenagoa-Abuja and Yenagoa-Lagos routes. According to the statement, Governor Douye Diri made the disclosure on Monday during the courtesy visit by the Prime Minister of the State of Africa in Diaspora, Dr Tin Louise-George, to Government House, Yenagoa. The governor stated that his administration was determined to make the Bayelsa International Airport more commercially effective for flight operations. While…