Author: Vardiafrica

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Solid Minerals Development, Commerce, Industry and Special Duties to investigate the arbitrary increase in the price of cement by manufacturers in the country like Dangote Cement and BUA Cement.  This followed a motion by a lawmaker, Jonathan Gaza. A 50kg bag of cement is currently sold for N10,000 in most parts of the country, about 100% increase from its initial price of N5,000 in the last three months. Cement manufacturers in Nigeria had met government representatives in February and agreed to bring down the price of the product to between N7,000 and…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made a substantial contribution to the agricultural sector by donating over 2 million bags of fertilizers, with a total value of N100 billion, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to farmers. Yemi Cardoso, the Governor of the CBN, delivered the bags of fertilizers to Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, during a ceremony on Wednesday in Abuja. According to Cardoso, the donation corresponds with the fundamental objective of both the apex bank and the agriculture ministry, which centers on food security. He mentioned that the initiative not…

The Senate on Wednesday convened a private meeting with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, and the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe. This meeting was prompted by summons issued by the Senate two weeks prior, requesting their briefing on security matters within the FCT, following a recent kidnap incident at the Galadima area of the Abuja metropolis. The Senate had reached this decision following a motion put forward by Senator Nwoko, Ned Munir, representing Delta North. Senator Nwoko emphasized the urgent necessity of bolstering security measures within the FCT. Wike and the Police Commissioner are…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger and the lifting of other sanctions against the country with immediate effect. This directive is in compliance with the decisions of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja. ECOWAS leaders had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the President directed that the…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Wednesday administered the oath of office to 17 Commissioners of the National Population Commission at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The brief exercise took place before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by the President. Nine of the Commissioners were re-appointed and sworn-in for the second term while 8 others, who are fresh appointment were also sworn-in. The oath taking process of the commissioners were conducted in three batches of six, six and five. Recall that the Senate had recently confirmed the nomination and reappointment of the 17 commissioners of…

The federal government says it is still making adjustments to the student loan policy. Akintunde Sawyer, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELF), told Arise TV on Tuesday that the body would not be able to commit to a specific launch date for now. President Bola Tinubu, in June 2023, signed the Access to Higher Education Law to grant indigent students access to interest-free loans, enabling them to pursue their education in any government-run tertiary institution. The scheme was slated to commence between September and October 2023. However, this was deferred. There was a revised timeline for…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Tuesday held the Q1 2024 Staff TownHall Meeting at the 1000-seater NCDMB Conference Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The quarterly TownHall Meeting enables NCDMB’s Management and Staff to interact and communicate effectively. This edition allowed the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe to canvass for team spirit among staff, towards achieving the targets of the Nigerian Content 10-year Strategic Roadmap. Directors of the Board also spoke at the meeting and charged staff to eschew divisive tendencies, to continue delivering on their responsibilities, and to maintain the Board’s performance as the Number 1 MDA in…

Joe Biden and rival Donald Trump each won enough delegates Tuesday to clinch their party nominations in the 2024 presidential race, networks projected, all but assuring a rematch and setting up one of the longest election campaigns in US history. The results in four statewide elections Tuesday, the latest in the months-long march to determine the Democratic and Republican party flagbearers, were essentially a foregone conclusion as incumbent Biden and former president Trump had already seen off all primary challengers. Biden crossed the threshold of 1,968 delegates needed when he won Georgia — a US swing state where Trump faces…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dayo Mobereola as the director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). In a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, the appointment followed the exit of Bashir Jamoh, whose tenure recently expired. Jamoh had handed over to Chudi Offodile, the executive director, finance and administration, on March 11, after his tenure ended on March 10. Ngelale said: “Dr. Mobereola holds a Ph.D, and an M.Sc in Transport Economics from the University of Wales, United Kingdom. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, England, and…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the chairman and commissioners of the federal capital territory (FCT) civil service commission. The president appointed Emeka Ezeh as the chairman of the FCT civil service commission. In a statement on Tuesday, Anthony Ogunleye, director of press in the office of the minister of FCT, said Tinubu appointed commissioners into the FCT civil service commission. The appointed commissioners are Ahmed Mohammed (north-west), Anthony Okeah (south-south), Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim (north-east), Miskoom Alexander Naantuam (north-central), Jide Jimoh (south-west), and Martin Azubike (south-east). The president equally appointed coordinators of some agencies in the federal capital…