Author: Vardiafrica

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…

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, White House Artificial Intelligence and Crypto Czar David Sacks said in a Thursday (March 6) post on X. The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin seized in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings and owned by the federal government, so it “will not cost taxpayers a dime,” Sacks said in the post. The executive order also calls for a full accounting of the federal government’s digital asset holdings, Sacks said, adding that there has never been such an audit and that it is estimated…

President Bola Tinubu has launched the national health fellows programme, an initiative to revitalise Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. Addressing 774 fellows in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu urged them to monitor primary healthcare centres across all LGAs, promising employment after their one-year service. The president hailed the fellows as “vanguards of a new era”. The initiative aims to equip young Nigerians with the skills needed to drive meaningful change in the health sector. The programme is part of a broader initiative to upgrade existing primary healthcare centres and construct over 8,800 new ones across the country. The fellows began training on…

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the NDDC Board and Management to him at the Government House, Owerri, Governor Uzodinma said that the state government was willing to work with the Commission to bring development to the region.The NDDC team, led by the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, included the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku; the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye; the member representing Imo State on the NDDC Board, Dr Kyrian Uchegbu; and other Directors.Governor Uzodinma stressed the need for the governors of the nine oil producing states to partner with NDDC for…

The Nigerian government has launched the National Electronic Asset Register to strengthen transparency and accountability across the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government. In addition to the launch, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) unveiled a compendium of federation Account revenue allocation to all three tiers of government, comprising the federal, state and 774 local government councils from 2020 to 2023. Unveiling the two documents, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the two documents as strategic and important to government business. The Minister referred to the Electronic Asset Register as a…

 Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday quizzed the immediate-past Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, for her alleged roles in the misappropriation, violation of procurement process and diversion of public funds of ₦138.4m in the course of disbursing the 2023 budgeted funds for the Ministry. According to authoritative sources, the ex-minister arrived at the Commission’s headquarters around 11am on Thursday and faced interrogators on her alleged involvement in the fraud. The sources claimed that investigations by the EFCC showed that funds donated for the funding of P- Bat Cares for Women Initiative were diverted…