Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in Mr Taiwo Oyedele, the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, as Minister of State for Finance, extolling his determination and dedication to duty. President Tinubu, who spoke after the brief ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the appointment was a vote of confidence in Mr Oyedele. The President extolled the new minister for his professionalism in coordinating the work of the Tax Reforms Committee. He noted that Oyedele’s commitment and deep knowledge of tax policy played a critical role in shaping the reforms designed to simplify the…

Chelsea football club have been handed the Premier League’s biggest fine along with a one-year transfer ban suspended for two years. The total fine of £10.75m relates to secret payments made to agents worth £47.5m between 2011 and 2018, when Roman Abramovich was the owner, and breaches of rules around registering youth players. The investigation determined these payments “occurred with the knowledge and approval” of former senior employees and/or directors, the sanction agreement shows. The transactions came to light during the due diligence process when the new American owners bought the club in 2022. They self-reported the irregularities to the…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation says a train incident occurred near Asham on Monday morning but confirmed that no fatalities were recorded. In a statement issued Monday, the corporation’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kayode Opeifa said the incident happened around 10:30 a.m. and involved a rear locomotive and a passenger coach. Preliminary findings indicate that the rear locomotive made contact with the coach directly behind it due to a coupling issue. The corporation said some passengers sustained injuries and were attended to before being taken to a nearby medical facility for further treatment. According to the NRC, emergency response…

FIFA has sanctioned Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo following incidents involving supporters during their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification playoff match played in November. In a disciplinary report released by the global football governing body, both countries were found to have breached provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code due to the conduct of their fans during the African qualifying playoff final, which DR Congo won on penalties. The Nigeria Football Federation was fined 1,000 Swiss francs after Nigerian supporters were reported to have thrown objects onto the pitch during the match. FIFA ruled that the incident violated…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to award a cost-of-living allowance and tax relief for workers, to cushion the effects of the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol caused by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. The demands were made in a statement, ‘Save Nigerians From This Shock: An Urgent Relief Has Become Necessary,’ signed by its president, Joe Ajaero, on Sunday. The Group noted that the petrol price hike had worsened the economic hardship for Nigerian workers and citizens. The NLC listed its demands as including immediate wage…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to distribute rice to Nigerians to mark the ongoing Ramadan fast for Muslims and ongoing Lent for Christians. This was disclosed by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who is also the director-general of the group. The Renewed Hope Ambassadors is a campaign group established to rally support for the president and his second term ambition. Mr Uzodinma said the group’s members will coordinate the rice distribution across the country. “This initiative reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to unity and compassion. Ramadan and Lent are seasons that remind us of sacrifice, charity, and care…

President Bola Tinubu has received the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, in audience at the State House, Abuja. The Sultan, who is also the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), was received by the President during the visit on Sunday. Details of the meeting were not immediately made public as of the time of filing this report. The visit forms part of a series of high-level engagements between President Tinubu and the prominent national leaders and elder statesmen at the Presidential Villa. Within the past ten days, the President has also received elder…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu “to urgently direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, and the appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate the alleged expenditure of about ₦5.9 billion reportedly spent on the rebranding of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). In an open letter dated March 14, 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged President Tinubu “to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and…

Air Peace has been summoned to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) headquarters for an urgent meeting over the unexplained disruptions, including complaints received yesterday from passengers on the Heathrow-Abuja flight who were rerouted via Gatwick-Lagos-Abuja and left stranded in Lagos because of a reported cracked windshield. However, in a swift response, Air Peace has clarified that no passenger was abandoned or left stranded at any point during its handling of the situation under reference. The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, in a post on his X handle yesterday, noted: “We will not tolerate…

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, yesterday said there was no going back on the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) cashless policy across major airports in Nigeria. This was as the Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, yesterday also inspected the rollout of the hybrid payment system at the tollgate of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Keyamo gave the hint at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, during his on the spot assessment following implementation of the hybrid system the country adopted following Mr. President’s directive to suspend the strict application of the cashless system because of its challenges. According…