Author: Vardiafrica

West African regional bloc ECOWAS on Wednesday officially recognised the exit of three of its former members Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic which became effective today, January 29, 2025, upon the expiration of a one-year notice period. However, in “the spirit of regional solidarity”, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) asked its member countries to still recognise the national passports of the three exiting countries bearing the ECOWAS logo until further notice. In a statement, ECOWAS Authority also said its doors remain open for more engagements with the three countries and thus requested its member states to:…

President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after Tanzania He had left Nigeria for the East African country to participate in the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Two days later, the presidential aircraft touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at approximately 7:40 PM. He was received by top government officials including the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila among others. The two-day summit is being hosted by the government of Tanzania, the African Union, the African Development Bank…

Their imminent departure from the bloc, alongside Mali, has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future. The three junta-led countries formally notified ECOWAS of their plan for an “immediate” withdrawal in January 2024, citing the organisation’s excessive dependence on France in particular. Paris has become the common enemy of the three juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran. However, ECOWAS required one year’s notice for the departure to be effective — that deadline falls on Wednesday. The three Sahelian countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation…

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has been appointed as the new leader of the South-South Governors Forum. This decision was reached during Tuesday’s forum gathering at the Government House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. A communiqué released after the meeting indicated that the South-South Governors Forum convened to address crucial issues and strategies for the region’s unity and growth. The attending governors affirmed their dedication to cooperative governance, safeguarding the welfare of their citizens, and promoting sustainable development. The newly appointed chairman, Governor Douye Diri, is currently serving his second term as the governor of Bayelsa State. Other governors present…

The Lagos State House of Assembly has revealed plans to address corruption allegations against its former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, following his return to the House. This was disclosed by the Assembly’s spokesperson, Olukayode Ogundipe, during an exclusive interview at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday. Ogundipe stated, “Once he is physically present, the allegations against him will be addressed. There are reports of significant financial expenditures linked to him, and while we don’t know the source of some records, we will take necessary actions when he joins us.” Responding to inquiries about the possibility of involving the Economic…

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has announced that the AfDB and the World Bank Group are pledging $40 billion towards the Mission 300 initiative. Mission 300 aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. This disclosure was made during his opening remarks titled, “From Ideas to Action to Accelerate Energy Access,” at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit held on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Adesina revealed that the financial commitment includes $18.2 billion from the AfDB and $22 billion from the World Bank. He noted that support from other partners is increasing, with…

US President Donald Trump’s administration has fired more than a dozen justice department lawyers who worked on two criminal cases against him. They were fired after Acting Attorney General James McHenry concluded they could not “be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president”, a department official told the BBC’s US partner CBS News. The lawyers were part of former special counsel Jack Smith’s team which investigated Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his alleged attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The firings on Monday are effective immediately. Mr Smith…

The Debt Management Office (DMO) has said President Tinubu inherited a total of N87.38 trillion debt upon assumption of office President Tinubu took office on May 29,2023 The DMO revealed the above in a bid to clarify recent media reports claiming that President Bola Tinubu inherited N21 trillion in public debt which rose to N142 trillion. In a statement issued by the DMO on Monday, the agency said the actual total public debt as of June 30, 2023, after President Tinubu took office stood at N87.38 trillion. According to the office, the figure includes the external and domestic debt of…

The Lagos State Government said it has signed an MoU with the Federal Government’s Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to kick-start exploratory work on the development of the Green Line project. The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy. Gbenga Omotoso made this known in a statement on Tuesday. He added that the 68 km Green Line once completed will connect Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone. He recalled that in 2024, the State Government completed 36 road projects, including bridges, link bridges, and pedestrian infrastructure noting that it also has over 51 other road projects that are at…

US President Donald Trump has again hinted at the possibility of running for president for a third time. The US Constitution does not permit anyone to be elected president more than twice. Trump spoke with House Republicans at a gathering on Monday. “I’ve raised a lot of money for the next race that I assume I can’t use for myself, but I’m not 100 percent sure,” he said. “I think I’m not allowed to run again.” “Am I allowed to run again?” he continued, prodding Mike Johnson, house speaker. “Mike, I better not get you involved in that”. Johnson, a former constitutional…