Author: Vardiafrica

Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Brazil to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 30th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference tagged COP 30 scheduled to hold in the South American country. The summit convened by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in collaboration with other partners, will be held from November 6 to 7 in the city of Belém, capital of the state of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon. Vice President Shettima is billed to join other world leaders, development partners and business executives at the event themed, “Climate Action and Implementation,” with a…

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has reiterated the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to collaborating closely with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to enhance continental trade integration, improve data accuracy, and address structural barriers hindering intra-African trade. The Customs Chief made this known on Monday, 3 November 2025, during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, where he met with senior officials to discuss collaborative strategies for enhancing Customs efficiency and promoting the success of the AfCFTA Agreement. During the meeting, CGC Adeniyi commended the Secretariat for its continuous role in mobilising key stakeholders,…

The National Assembly on Wednesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to secure $2.347bn in foreign loans to part-finance the 2025 budget deficit and refinance Nigeria’s maturing Eurobonds. The approval, granted separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives, also included authorisation for the issuance of a $500m debut Sovereign Sukuk in the international capital market. In the House of Representatives, the approval followed the adoption of a report presented by the Committee on Aids, Loans, and Debt Management, chaired by Abubakar Nalaraba, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. The committee’s report indicated that $1.23bn would fund…

A high court in Oyo has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Umar Damagum, the national chairman, to proceed with the party’s national convention on November 15 in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.  A.L. Akintola, the presiding judge, issued the order on Monday following an ex parte application filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi. The PDP, Damagum, Umar Fintiri, governor of the state, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as defendants in the suit filed on Monday. Adelabi asked the court for an interim injunction restrained the defendants from “truncating, frustrating, the Guidelines, Timetable and Schedule of Activity and/or disrupting, preventing and…

China says it firmly supports the Nigerian government as it “leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions”.  Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing, Mao Ning, spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry, said “as Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force”. Ning was answering a question on US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians. She also responded to the report that Venezuelan…

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court has given the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu until November 5 to defend the alleged terrorism charges against him or waive his right to do so. Justice Omotosho said this after Kanu failed, for the fourth day, to enter his defence after the prosecution closed its case and the court overruled his no-case submission. Justice Omotosho said should Kanu fail to open his defence on November 5, he would be deemed to have waived his right to do so. The court had, on October 27 adjourned…

Guinea’s junta leader submitted his bid Monday to be a candidate for the presidential election in December, contradicting his earlier promise not to run for the office after he led soldiers in seizing power four years ago. Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, in power as junta leader and interim president since a September 2021 coup, could remain the West African nation’s leader for another seven years if he wins the vote scheduled for Dec. 28. The election will be held under a new constitution approved in a recent referendum, which allowed junta members to run for office, and extended the presidential mandate…

Australian households will be able to access three hours a day of free solar power under an energy-saving programme that the government unveiled on Tuesday and will begin next year. “We want to see the benefits of renewable energy flow to all,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen told national broadcaster ABC. In a statement, he said that Solar Sharer scheme will be rolled out from next year in some jurisdictions, including New South Wales and South Australia, before a possible expansion. “It’s not a silver bullet, and it is part of a suite of measures, but it’s a good one,” Bowen…

Superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has once again weighed in on the long-running debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time, insisting that his arch-rival Lionel Messi is not the greatest of all time. The Al Nassr and Portugal captain made this claim in a new interview with British broadcaster, Piers Morgan. In a preview of his upcoming interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, Ronaldo was asked: “They say Messi is better than you, what do you think?” The Portuguese star responded confidently, “Messi better than me? I don’t agree with that opinion. I don’t want to be humble.”…

Fired by a shared purpose to sustain momentum and achieve key milestones in local content development in the oil and gas industry, the Governing Council and top Management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) over the weekend held a two-day retreat to deepen understanding of statutory responsibilities, corporate governance principles and strategies for enhancedperformance, among other things. It was attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Board, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) and Co-Chairman of the Council, Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, and other members of the Governing Council. The Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe was attending an international…