Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed all electricity distribution companies to publish the refunds made to customers who purchased meters under the Meter Asset Providers (MAP) scheme. The Commission made the announcement on its X handle on Monday following its first Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry Stakeholders meeting in 2025. Meter Asset Provider Scheme is a program introduced by the NERC where third party companies are licensed by the regulator and engaged by the Discos to procure and install meters to customers. “NERC has directed Discos to publish details of MAP refunds on their websites for transparency. This will demonstrate…

MultiChoice Nigeria has announced an upward review of subscription prices for its Digital Satellite Television (DStv) and General Entertainment and Occasional Television (GOtv) packages, citing rising operational costs due to economic conditions.  The new rates will take effect from Saturday, 1 March 2025. In a statement issued to partners, the company explained the rationale behind the price adjustment. “Due to prevalent economic factors leading to increased operational costs, we have unavoidably had to adjust the prices of our DStv and GOtv subscription packages. We understand the impact this change may have on our valued partners, and we have only taken…

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has flagged off the distribution of Professional kits to midwives provided by her pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative. (RHI) The flag-off for the North West Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria was held in Kaduna State with the First Ladies of the seven states of the zone in attendance. Speaking at the event, the First Lady said the demands of the health profession go beyond mere skills and compassion, noting that the right tools and infrastructure are also needed. While commending the efforts and contributions of the midwives and the entire health workforce, Mrs Tinubu said the…

Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as the governor of Ondo State, marking the beginning of his first full four-year term after replacing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who died in office in 2023. The ceremony took place on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, the state capital, two months after he won the governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Aiyedatiwa took his oath of office just after his running mate Olayide Adelami around 12:59 pm. The governor thereafter rode in an open van around the complex, waving to cheers from supporters. ‘We’ll not rest…

The Nigerian Senate on Monday commenced a two-day public hearing on proposed tax reform bills aimed at overhauling the country’s tax system and enhancing revenue generation. The hearing, organized by the Senate Committee on Finance, brings together key government officials, industry experts, and other stakeholders to deliberate on the proposed legislation. The reforms seek to address inefficiencies in tax administration, broaden the tax base, and strengthen compliance mechanisms to boost national revenue. Senate leadership emphasized the importance of the reforms in aligning Nigeria’s tax policies with global best practices while fostering economic growth and fiscal sustainability. Stakeholders are expected to…

Aliko Dangote has said that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has enough Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, in storage to meet Nigeria’s demand. Speaking over the weekend after a tour of the refinery by Zambia’s Minister of Energy, Makozo Chikote, Dangote revealed that the facility has over half a billion litres of refined petroleum products and more than N600 billion worth of fuel in its tanks. Dangote said, “As we speak right now we have more than half a billion litres. The refinery is producing enough refined products, like gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, to meet 100 per cent of…

Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, have dismantled 18 illegal refining sites, arrested 17 suspected oil thieves, demobilized 10 boats, and recovered over 25,000 litres of stolen petroleum products across the Niger Delta Region. It further noted that at Ogale Junction along the Eket–Port Harcourt expressway, troops impounded a truck loaded with over 3,000 litres of stolen crude. The statement added that at Okwuzi in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, troops discovered an illegal oil bunkering dump containing over 2,100 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored in sacks. It explained that the suspected oil…

The Nigerian military has once again assured Nigerians that notorious bandits’ leader, Bello Turji, is being tracked and will be eliminated very soon. The Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, on Monday. Major General Onumajuru said that the military is aware of Turji’s current location but said he will not discuss that further. “First, I need to let you know that there is absolutely no forth and back between Bello Turji and the armed forces. “As I speak Bello Turji is hiding, completely in hiding and…

Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday — the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion — that he was ready to quit as Ukraine’s president if it meant Kyiv would be admitted to the NATO military alliance. He spoke as Russia’s TASS news agency reported that U.S. and Russian diplomats would meet in the next week, a follow-up to Riyadh talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Zelensky has faced fierce criticism from the new U.S. administration and said he wants to meet Donald Trump before the U.S. president meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir…

Palestinian militants have released two Israeli hostages, among the last to be freed under the first phase of a fragile truce, which also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners. The release brought an emotional end to a tense two days in Israel, where the family of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, confirmed receiving her remains. Bibas and her two young sons became symbols of the suffering endured by Israeli hostages since the Gaza war began. Palestinian militants seized numerous hostages during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking over 15 months of conflict in Gaza. The freed hostages, Tal…