Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday achieved a much-needed consensus among critical oil and gas industry stakeholders and manufacturers to ramp up in-country production and utilisation of line pipes in oil and gas operations, as part of the strategy deepen local content, and conserve foreign exchange and create jobs. The Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), comprising all international oil companies, and their indigenous counterparts under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) met with the leading pipe manufacturing companies and pipe coaters as well as the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) at the…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has unveiled its 25th-anniversary logo and the mascot for the Niger Delta Sports Festival at a ceremony in Owerri, Imo State. Host Governor, Hope Uzodinma, congratulated the NDDC on the milestone and expressed his delight at having the event held in Imo during his tenure as the state’s helmsman. “I appreciate your decision to host this important event in Imo State even as I look forward to continued collaboration for the benefit of our people,” he stated. The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, who reeled off the accomplishments of the present NDDC board,…

A delegation of senators from opposition political parties visited suspended Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, at her home on Friday. The delegation was led by Seriake Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa state. Dickson, a member of the senate’s ethics and privileges committee that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, shared a photo of the visit on his social media pages. He said his engagement with the tax reform bills had kept him away from senate proceedings on the day of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. “The public may recall that, for the past 3 days, I was attending the 3-day workshop on the Tax…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigerian women on the occasion of 2025 International Women’s Day. Extolling women as the bedrock of the nation, driving progress from homes to farms, boardrooms, and communities, President Tinubu in a personally signed congratulatory message to women restated his administration’s commitment to its Renewed Hope Agenda, to remove obstacles and ensure equitable opportunities in governance, agriculture, and all other sectors for women in the country. The President also assured Nigerian women of expansion in access to finance to further empower them. “On this International Women’s Day, I celebrate the resilience, brilliance, and indispensable contributions…

The ongoing terrorism case against leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has been reassigned to another judge. The reassignment was directed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, John Tsoho, after months of intense pressure. The special counsel to Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. Justice Binta Nyako had been presiding over the trial of the IPOB leader. However, during the court’s hearing on 24 September 2024, Kanu requested that Nyako recuse herself from presiding over the matter, accusing the judge of bias. The statement read “Yesterday, before…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform. President Tinubu announced the appointment Friday, hoping to drive meaningful progress in the livestock sector and further strengthen national development efforts. Jega, former vice chancellor of Bayero University, co-chaired the Presidential Livestock Committee with President Tinubu. The committee delivered comprehensive recommendations that underscored sustainable livestock reforms. One recommendation was the creation of the Livestock Ministry, which now has a minister. Jega, 68, is a member of the International Elections Advisory Council and…

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement is reached with Ukraine. On his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump wrote: “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.” He urged both Russia and Ukraine to engage in immediate negotiations, warning, “Get to the table right now, before it is too late.” Trump has repeatedly stated his aim of serving as a “peacemaker”…

The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has granted refining licenses to three companies to establish new refineries in Abia, Delta, and Edo States. According to a post on NMDPRA’s official X page, the licensed refineries include a 100,000 bpd facility for Eghudu Refinery Ltd in Edo State, a 30,000 bpd refinery for MB Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. in Delta State, and a 10,000 bpd facility for HIS Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. in Abia State. Once completed, these three refineries will collectively add 140,000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity. The Authority’s Chief Executive,…

South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been released from prison a day after a court cancelled his arrest warrant. Footage aired on local TV channels showed Yoon leaving prison on Saturday, waving his hand and bowing deeply to his supporters. Despite the release, Yoon’s criminal and impeachment trials continue over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3. His lawyers said the court decision “confirmed that the president’s detainment was problematic in both procedural and substantive aspects”, calling the ruling the “beginning of a journey to restore rule of law”. In a statement, Yoon, who remains suspended…

Doyin Okupe, a former presidential aide, is dead.According to family sources, Okupe died on Friday morning in Lagos, aged 72, after a prolonged battle with cancer. The late politician served as special assistant on media and publicity to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and later as senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. He was the director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign in 2023. A medical practitioner, Okupe joined the LP from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2023 general election. He resigned his membership of the LP in January 2024, about 10 months after the election. In November…