Author: Vardiafrica

The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee on Book Ranking and Selection, to strengthen the quality and affordability of textbooks used in Nigerian schools. The initiative is aimed at addressing gaps in the current textbook approval process, which has allowed poor-quality materials, lack of standardisation and excessive financial burden on parents, to thrive. Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said that the existing system had failed to adequately validate and rank textbooks before approval. He said that this had led to a situation where some subjects had up to 50 approved…

Six young engineers shortlisted from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) last week in Port Harcourt commenced a 12-month Human Capital Development (HCD) Training programme for provision of Community Electrification Interdependency Project tagged Opukushi Transmission Node. The training, which entails supervised classroom and practical work experience with Hommaston Training Institute, a member of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), will focus on key skill areas approved by the NCDMB, namely, Civil and Structural Engineering Design, Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering Design, Onshore…

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. His arrest, according to sources in the secret police, borders on fresh allegations of terrorism financing. Security sources say Malami, who is standing trial before a Federal High Court on allegations of money laundering, was on Monday taken into custody by security operatives shortly after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja. The source disclosed that DSS operatives picked him up immediately after he exited the facility. Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed that Malami was…

Former Nigerian petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday for the preliminary hearing of her bribery case. The court appearance was part of early proceedings ahead of her full trial relating to allegations connected to her time in office. Alison-Madueke served as Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 and was the first woman to hold the position, as well as the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The case was listed on the cause list for Court 8 before Justice Thornton. The preliminary hearing took place…

The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, met with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja on Monday. The governor was seen arriving at the President’s office at 4:13 p.m. local time. The visit comes amid reports of his possible defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Recently, Kano politics has been thrown into fresh tension following reports of a planned defection by Governor Yusuf, from the NNPP to the APC, a move strongly opposed by the party’s leadership and its national leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. The development has sparked internal disagreements…

The Federal Government has opened applications for the 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Overseas Scholarship Scheme, offering Nigerian postgraduate students the opportunity to pursue studies in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Malaysia. The announcement was confirmed on Monday, January 19, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun. “FG has announced the commencement of applications for 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Scholarships overseas,” the post said. According to information on the scholarship board’s website, the programme is open to MSc and PhD candidates…

In continuation of last year’s demonstrations over unpaid contractual fees, local contractors again besieged the the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, yesterday where they attempted to obstruct the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite from gaining access to the ministry. Under the umbrella of All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), the protesters, who had first assembled close to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from matched to the finance ministry’s central gate around 10am.On getting to the ministry, they blocked the gate, demanding the payment of contract fees owed them by the federal government. In December…

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has confirmed Eric Chelle will continue as head coach following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. NFF had set a target of getting to the final and winning the trophy for Chelle, but he fell short of this, losing to Morocco in the semi-final and winning the bronze medal instead. Speaking after the tournament, Gusau stated that the national team displayed notable progress under Chelle and affirmed that the federation is committed to working with the coach as Nigeria aims to build on the performance.…

Vice President Kashim Shettima has formally opened the Nigeria House in Davos as the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) kicks off in Switzerland The unveiling, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, marks the first time Nigeria is establishing a House in Davos. The Nigeria House is designed to serve as a strategic hub for engaging global investors and promoting key sectors of the Nigerian economy. The facility will provide a platform for investment discussions, partnerships and policy engagements aimed at attracting foreign direct investment into the country. Members of the Nigerian delegation, alongside foreign partners…

The Federal Government (FG) on Monday re-arraigned human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an amended two-count charge over comments in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal”. FG, in the amended charge dated and filed on December 5, 2025, removed Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp. as co-defendants in the case, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant. At Wednesday’s proceedings, FG’s Counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, formally moved the amended change. His counsel, Marshal Abubakar, acknowledged service of the amendeded charge and did not…