Author: Vardiafrica

 Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), says his administration is laying a solid foundation for good governance in the state, driven by strong institutions, a results-oriented public service, and sustained capacity building. Ibas stated this on Monday in Port Harcourt while declaring open a 4-Day Transformational Leadership Training Workshop for Sustainable Development, organised by the Rivers State Government in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies. The training, which began on Monday, brought together Permanent Secretaries, Local Government Administrators, and Directors from various ministries across the state. Ibas, in his speech, said the workshop represented…

The UK, France and Canada have warnedIsrael they will take “concrete actions” if it continues an “egregious” expansion of military operations in Gaza. Sir Keir Starmer joined the French and Canadian leaders to call on the Israeli government to “stop its military operations” and “immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza”. No food, fuel or medicine had been allowed into Gaza since 2 March, a situation the UN previously described as taking a “disastrous toll” on the Palestinian population. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by saying the three leaders had offered a “huge prize” for Hamas in the Gaza…

The South-East Caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, over what it described as a “catastrophic institutional failure” in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The position was conveyed in a statement signed by Honourable Igariwey Enwo, as the lawmakers strongly criticised JAMB for the technical glitches that affected nearly 380,000 candidates — many of whom are now required to resit the exam. “Last week, particularly on May 14, 2025, the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, publicly…

Amid growing rumours of a possible coalition among opposition leaders to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has said that the only coalition he is interested in is the one against hunger, poverty, and the terrible state of healthcare and education in Nigeria. Obi, who visited the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kubwa in Abuja on Monday, emphasised that he was not desperate for any position. “I am in a coalition against hunger, in coalition against poverty, coalition against bad state of health. Politics for me…

The news comes nearly a year after the former president was forced to drop out of the 2024 US presidential election over concerns about his health and age. He is the oldest person to have held the office in US history. Biden, then the Democratic nominee vying for re-election, faced mounting criticism of his poor performance in a June televised debate against Republican nominee and current president Donald Trump. He was replaced as the Democratic candidate by his vice-president, Kamala Harris. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer affecting men, behind skin cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The…

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has appealed to the Federal Government to deploy decisive strategies that would ensure that Marte town does not fall to Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents. Zulum, who was actively involved in coordinating security logistics till late in the night on Saturday, undertook a tour to assess the challenges faced in Marte, while also exploring sustainable solutions to foster stability. Before Zulum’s arrival, Marte was completely deserted following a Boko Haram attack last Friday, with thousands taking refuge in Dikwa town. Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the governor emphasised that his visit to Marte was to foster community…

Nigeria claimed third place at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 after a dramatic 4-1 penalty shootout victory over tournament hosts Egypt on Sunday. The third-place playoff at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, before Nigeria kept their nerve in the shootout to secure their fifth bronze medal in U-20 AFCON history. It was a clash between two sides aiming to finish the tournament on a high after missing out on the final. Osama Omar put Egypt ahead early in the third minute, but Nigeria equalised shortly after the restart through…

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with Nigeria, particularly in the solid minerals sector, through the establishment of electric vehicle (EV) factories and increased industrial collaboration. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, at the weekend, Ambassador Dunhai emphasised the strategic importance of Nigeria in China’s foreign policy. “Nigeria is a great country blessed with tremendous natural resources. Chinese companies are already deeply involved in Nigeria’s mining sector, from exploration to processing. “We aim to deepen this collaboration, especially in line with President Tinubu’s…

President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, met with Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, and Kayode Fayemi, former Ekiti state, at Pope Leo XIV’s installation mass in Rome. In a post on X, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, said Fayemi sighted the president where he sat with other leaders and asked Obi to follow him to “pay homage” to Tinubu. “On getting to the President, Fayemi broke the ice between Obi and Tinubu. He said: ‘Mr. President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honouring the Pope with your presence.’ President Tinubu, ever quick-witted, responded,…

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, on Friday undertook a facility visit to Caverton Helicopters, Lagos, expressing amazement at the advanced state of its technical capabilities for aviation-related services in the oil and gas sector. He commended the company for its track record of performance and huge investments toward maintenance of helicopters within Nigeria, which he described as a milestone, assuring its Management that NCDMB was prepared to partner the company meaningfully in its ventures. According to the NCDMB boss, “This is what President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants: Nigeria First,”…