Author: Vardiafrica

The National Assembly on Thursday passed the ₦54.99trn 2025 Appropriation Bill. The bill was passed separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives. A breakdown of the budget showed N3.645trn for statutory transfers, N14.317trn for debt servicing, N13.64trn for recurrent expenditure and N23.963trn capital expenditure (development fund), with fiscal deficit put at N13.08trn. The Deficit-to-Gross domestic product (GDP) Ratio was put at 1.52%. Last Week, President Bola Tinubu increased the 2025 fiscal year budget from an initial N49.7trn to N54.2trn, seeking approval from the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Abubakar…

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation of the nation’s deteriorating road infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for improved connectivity across all regions. Lawmakers also called for the extension of the Renewed Hope Super Highway Road Project to the North-East to ensure the region’s full integration into national economic activities. The call for inclusion followed a motion moved by Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje representing Gombe Central. Senator Goje in the motion entitled: ‘Federal Government’s Approval of ₦4.2trillion for the Construction of Lagos – Calabar Coastal Road and Other Road Projects Nationwide’, lamented that out of the…

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has urged the United Nations to give Africa, especially Nigeria a permanent seat at the Security Council. Mr Kalu emphasized the need to redefine multilateralism to accommodate the pressing needs of developing countries. While speaking at the Heads of Parliaments meeting at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, United States of America, USA and in preparation for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland in July under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Kalu stressed that the current multilateral approach is driven by…

MTN has issued a public apology to its customers in response to widespread dissatisfaction over a sudden 200% increase in the price of its popular 15GB data bundle. The price hike, which saw the cost of the 15GB weekly data plan surge from N2,000 to N6,000, caught many subscribers off guard and quickly sparked an outcry on social media. The backlash, which began on Wednesday, has drawn significant attention as users expressed frustration over the steep increase in data costs. But in an informal message via their social media handle, MTN, acknowledged the frustration of its customers. The post reads:…

Liberian President Joseph Boakai, who has pledged to fight endemic corruption, suspended Wednesday more than 450 government-appointed officials for failing to declare their assets. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) identified 457 officials, including the minister overseeing the budget as well as ambassadors, as having not declared what they own before a November deadline, as required by the country’s code of conduct for state officials. The officials have been “suspended for a period of one month without pay or until they submit the required declarations”, the president’s office said. Liberian law requires public functionaries to declare their assets when they take…

Ogbuku stated this when the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Rivers State, Major General Emmanuel Ejim-Emekah, paid him a courtesy visit at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt. The NDDC Chie Executive Officer commended the GOC for seeking collaboration with the NDDC and making the Commission his first point of call upon resumption of duties in Rivers State. He said, “For us in NDDC, we have done a lot to ensure that we collaborate with security agencies because we believe that security, peace, and development are intertwined. Where there is no security,…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is collaborating with the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, to enhance ongoing environmental restoration efforts in Ogoni land Speaking during an inspection visit to HYPREP’s remediation site in K-Dere and the Mangroves Restoration Project in Bomu, both in the Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, a Director in NDDC’s Environmental Protection and Control Directorate, Dr Henry Okokon , emphasised the Commission’s commitment to tackling environmental degradation in the region. He stated, “Ogoni is an integral part of the Niger Delta, and we cannot allow the degradation of the environment to continue. We must…

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has signed a $6 million agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) office of development affairs to support African entrepreneurs. In a statement on Wednesday, Moyo Awotile, TEF head of marketing and corporate communications, said the partnership, signed at the world governments summit, also involves Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, an affiliate of Erth Zayed She said the empowerment initiative includes business training, mentorship, access to professional networks, and a non-refundable $5,000 seed capital for 1,000 additional African entrepreneurs. “The agreement signed, at the World Governments Summit, by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, and the Director General of the…

The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in Paris, where both leaders discussed a partnership to expand Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills in Nigeria. Pichai first shared a picture of the meeting with Tinubu on X, noting that the discussions centered on the immense potential of AI in Nigeria. “It was great meeting with President Tinubu @officialABAT. “We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, and how we can partner to expand AI skills, enable innovation, and support Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem,” Pichai posted. Commitment to AI in Nigeria Responding to the…

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially confirmed Rt. Hon. S.K.E Udeh Okoye as the party’s substantive National Secretary after an overwhelming majority vote in a high-stakes meeting held today. Insider sources revealed that 15 out of 17 NWC members signed the resolution affirming Okoye’s position, signaling strong internal consensus. The resolution is already being transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant bodies for official recognition. The NWC’s decision follows a review of a memo presented by the Acting National Chairman, along with key legal documents, including a declaratory judgment…