Author: Vardiafrica

The curtains have officially come down on the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, and with it, the spotlight has firmly shifted eastward. On Sunday night, African football entered a new chapter after CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe formally handed over the AFCON tournament flag to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, officially sealing East Africa’s joint hosting rights for the Pamoja 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The symbolic handover marked the formal start of preparations for the first-ever AFCON tournament to be jointly hosted by three nations, a historic milestone for East Africa and the continent at large. The ceremony,…

A tanker loaded with diesel has fallen on the Liverpool Bridge in the Apapa area of Lagos State, spilling its contents on the road. The incident, which occurred on Monday, saw residents of the area scooping the inflammable contents without considering the associated risks. Disclosing this in a statement via X, the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) said traffic has been diverted to the other side of the bridge for safety measures. According to the statement, emergency officials, including operatives of the Lagos State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, and LASTMA, are currently on ground to avert a…

Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority Monday, commenced an industrial action, shutting down activities across Abuja, over what they described as “unmet demands” by the Federal Government. Channels Television’s crew visited the FCTA Secretariat at 9:00 a.m. and observed a heavy security presence at the entrance, with personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police Force stationed at the gate. Workers were barred from entering the premises. The strike is expected to affect all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals, effectively grounding official activities within the…

FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes” which overshadowed their victory in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final when they walked off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco. African football’s showpiece event was marred by most of the Senegalese players leaving the pitch when, deep into injury time of normal play and with the match locked at 0-0, Morocco were awarded a spot-kick following a VAR check for a challenge on Brahim Diaz. As a group of their fans fought with Moroccan security personnel at the other end of the stadium,…

At least four more countries on Sunday said the United States has invited them to join President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” a new body meant to oversee next steps in Gaza that’s showing ambitions for a broader mandate in global affairs. A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the Trump-led board instead of a three-year appointment, which has no contribution requirement, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the charter, which hasn’t been made public. The official said the money raised would go to rebuilding Gaza. The board will be made up of world leaders.…

Senegal’s players sprinted away in celebration at the full time whistle, after they stunned Morocco 1-0 in the 2025 AFCON final in Rabat. The Teranga Lions claimed a second Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday (18 January). “The players deserve credit. It was an objective we set for ourselves, one we wanted to achieve, especially this year,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said after the game. “We prepared well to come and win this trophy. We knew it was going to be difficult, and we had some tough matches, especially the final. We really suffered, but we showed character and resilience. It paid off.”…

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have reportedly rearrested Abdulaziz Malami, the son of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, sources say. According to reports, the controversial incident unfolded on Friday when bailiffs from the Federal High Court arrived at the prison with fully processed bail papers authorising Abdulaziz’s release. However, detainees’ legal teams were said to be stalling after Malami reportedly resisted leaving the facility via normal public procedures, allegedly urging that his son be quietly moved out of the prison without customary formalities.…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has forecast dust haze and sunshine from Monday until Wednesday across the country. ‎NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja, predicted moderate dust haze over parts of Kebbi and Kano States of the northern region on Monday. ‎The agency envisaged horizontal visibility of 2km to 5km over the region with the rest of the northern States to be under sunny and hazy skies throughout the forecast period. ‎For central region, the agency said moderate dust haze with horizontal visibility of 2km to 5km is anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory and Niger…

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima on Sunday, arrived in the alpine town of Davos, Switzerland, to lead the Nigerian delegation at the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, scheduled to be held from January 19 to 23, 2026. The Vice President arrived from Conakry, Guinea, where he represented President Bola Tinubu at the presidential inauguration of President Mamadi Doumbouya on Saturday. He was received on arrival by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yussuf Tuggar, and Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and officials of the Nigerian mission in Switzerland. 2026 WEF marks a milestone in Nigeria’s global economic diplomacy…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike “over their failure to account for the spending of billions of naira of public funds in the name of ‘security votes’ by them since 29 May 2023 to guarantee and ensure the security of life and property of Nigerians.” The suit followed reports of the Benue massacre and well-documented ongoing cases of insecurity in several states and FCT, despite the over N400 billion budgeted yearly as ‘security votes.’ 10 governors reportedly budgeted about N140 billion as security votes…