Author: Vardiafrica

Enugu State’s much-anticipated airline, Enugu Air, is set to officially launch operations on Monday, July 7, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the state’s ambitious push to become a major force in Nigeria’s aviation industry. The launch ceremony will be held at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, expected to attend alongside other top government officials and dignitaries. The announcement was made in a statement issued by the airline’s management ahead of the event. According to Enugu State’s Commissioner for Transportation Obi Ozor, Enugu Air is a critical part of Governor Peter…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says coalition leaders are only interested in “rescuing their stomach” and not Nigerians. Wike spoke in Abuja on Sunday at St. James Anglican Church in Asokoro during the thanksgiving service held for the “successful completion of inaugurated projects” in the FCT. The minister urged the congregants to be careful of “propaganda and blackmail” from politicians and appealed for patience and continued prayers for the Bola Tinubu-led administration. He said many of the coalition leaders failed to deliver meaningful results to the country when they had the opportunity to serve, noting that their recent move shows that…

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has put up Nigeria’s ageing Boeing 737-700 Business Jet (BBJ) for sale in Switzerland, following its replacement with a newly acquired Airbus A330 for presidential use. The decision comes amid growing scrutiny over government spending and calls for transparency in the management of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet. According to Controller, a website specialising in aircraft listings, the Boeing jet, purchased in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is currently undergoing inspections and preparation for sale at AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland. This private aviation firm also facilitated the acquisition of the new Airbus. The…

Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after dramatically falling out with US President Donald Trump. The billionaire announced on his social media platform X that he had set up the America Party, billing it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system. However, it is unclear if the party has been formally registered with US election authorities. Musk, who was born outside of the US and is thus ineligible to run for the US presidency, does not say who will lead it. He first raised the prospect of forming a party during his…

Nigeria Immigration Service Announces amnesty window for visa overstayers to regularize immigration status. In a bid to enhance compliance with the New Visa Regime and reinforce a secure and transparent migration system, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service, announces an Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty). This initiative provides a unique window for foreigners currently residing in Nigeria with expired immigration status to regularize their stay without facing penalties. 2.⁠ ⁠The initiative, which commenced on 1st May 2025, runs until 30th September 2025, and specifically applies to individuals who have either overstayed their visas or violated…

President Bola Tinubu says his administration will remove all barriers confronting Nigeria’s agricultural potential, particularly in livestock production, in a push towards food sovereignty and global exports.‎‎Tinubu made the pledge at a bilateral meeting with the Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, on Saturday at the Copacabana Forte in Brazil.‎This was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja.‎According to the president, excessive bureaucracy had delayed progress in agriculture, and Nigeria was undertaking reforms to make the sector globally competitive.‎‎He described agriculture as a key area where Nigeria holds a natural competitive advantage…

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the south-south have endorsed President Bola Tinubu and three governors of the zone for the 2027 elections. The stakeholders announced the resolution after a meeting in Benin, the Edo state capital. The meeting was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo north senator; Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation; Ali Dalori, APC acting national chairman; Victor Giadom, APC national vice-chairman, and governors of the geopolitical zone. In a communique signed by Keyamo, the APC south-south stakeholders passed a vote of confidence in Tinubu and four governors. The governors are Bassey Otu, governor…

Speaking during the inspection of the project, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, reiterated the Commission’s determination to deliver the road alongside several others, stressing that it was a mandate from President Bola Tinubu. Ogbuku, who was accompanied by the Executive Director Projects, Sir Victor Antai, and other Directors of the Commission, also paid a courtesy visit to the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, in his palace. The NDDC Chief Executive Officer informed the Bonny Monarch that, beyond visiting to inspect the ring road project, the Commission was…

The recently held 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference in Abuja highlighted the pivotal role of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in advancing local content policies and driving Nigeria’s energy sector transformation. At different sessions at the conference, leaders of the of the Nigerian oil and gas industry lauded the contributions of NCDMB and highlighted the impact the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act has played in transforming the oil and gas landscape, emphasising the need for continued support by Government and other stakeholders Through strategic initiatives, partnerships, and policy advocacy, NCDMB has empowered indigenous companies, fostered economic resilience, and…

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 17th BRICS summit. The presidential aircraft, which took off from Saint Lucia earlier on Friday, touched down at Rio International Airport around 8:45pm local time. On arrival, Tinubu was welcomed by Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, Brazil’s secretary for Africa and the Middle East. The Nigerian leader is one of four African presidents attending this year’s summit. Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, said Tinubu’s participation follows an invitation from Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil. He said Nigeria is attending the meeting as a “partner country”, which ranks…