Author: Vardiafrica

The  Senate on Wednesday approved the harmonised version of the tax reform bills put forward by President Bola Tinubu.  The decision followed the consideration of the recommendations from the conference committee of both chambers, which was tasked with reconciling differences between the earlier versions of the bills. Presenting the harmonised report, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, outlined the final agreements reached. The move represents a major step in reforming Nigeria’s tax administration and revenue generation system, aligning with the Tinubu administration’s broader fiscal reform agenda. The four tax reform bills, transmitted to the National Assembly…

Billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday announced he was leaving his role in US government, intended to reduce federal spending, shortly after his first major break with President Donald Trump over his signature spending bill. “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote on his social media platform X. “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he added. The South African-born tech tycoon had said Trump’s bill would increase the deficit and undermine the…

In February, President Bola Tinubu dissolved the Governing Council of the University of Abuja and sacked the university’s vice-chancellor, Aisha Maikudi, amid controversy over her eligibility. The new governing council members for UNIABUJA are: 1. Prof. Rosemary Iriowen Egonmwan – South South 2. Dr. Adedeji Adefuye – South West 3. Prof. Sarki Abba Abdulkadir – North West 4. Prof. Aminu Mohammed Dukku – North East President Tinubu also filled the vacancies in the governing councils of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU). The members appointed for UNN are: 1. Rt. Hon. Barr. Ogbonna Eugene Odo…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to match bold policies with decisive implementation, declaring that the regional bloc must now translate its half-century legacy into tangible impact for its people—especially the youth and women who make up the majority of its population. Delivering a keynote address at the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS in Lagos on Wednesday, President Tinubu, who serves as Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, acknowledged the organisation’s many milestones in regional integration, trade liberalisation, peacekeeping, and democratic governance. However, he asserted that…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says he will not succumb to blackmail over the issue of unpaid ground rent. On Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) sealed off the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Zone 5 over an alleged failure to pay ground rent. Other buildings were also shut as part of enforcement efforts of the FCTA, which recently revoked 4,794 land titles in Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, and Garki over “years of unpaid ground rents”. FCTA officials said 8,375 property owners collectively owe about N6.97 billion,…

Amid growing insecurity and recent political instability in the region, members of the ECOWAS Parliament have called for a unified and strategic approach to tackle the challenges confronting the West African subregion. They made the call during the opening of the First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja. The lawmakers emphasized the importance of regional security cooperation, political stability, and economic integration, even in the wake of the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the regional bloc. In an address, Speaker of the Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, urged participants to reflect critically on ECOWAS’s past achievements…

The House of Representatives has mandated four of its standing committees to investigate alleged unethical practices surrounding the disbursement of student loans under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by a lawmaker representing Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, Aliyu Abdullahi Mustapha, during plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday. Mustapha expressed concern over alleged violations of the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024, by some tertiary institutions and finance institutions. The lawmaker, while presenting the motion, noted that the 2024 Act was enacted to ensure transparent, timely, and equitable…

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has announced that a joint session of the National Assembly will be held on June 12 to commemorate Democracy Day. He made the announcement after the upper chamber reconvened for plenary on Wednesday. Akpabio revealed that the Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate minority leader, Senator Abba Moro as well as the Chairman senate services, Senator Sunday Karimi will meet with their counterparts in the House of Representatives to finalize the programme of activities and coordinate arrangements for the special session. The Senate President also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has graciously…

The Senate has called on security agencies to immediately establish more security camps and increase surveillance along the borders of Taraba, Plateau, and Bauchi states in response to escalating violence and banditry in the region. The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Isa Shuaibu Lau (Taraba North), in the wake of a deadly farmer-herder clash in Munga Lelau and Maigami villages under the Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State. According to Lau, the crisis began on Friday, May 23, 2025, and escalated over the weekend resulting in the death of 60 to 70…

The Senate has passed the 2025 FCT Statutory Appropriation Bill, authorising a total expenditure of about ₦1.81 trillion for the Federal Capital Territory for the 2025 fiscal year after a third reading. The passage followed the presentation of the joint committee report by Senator Mohammed Ibrahim, which reviewed and harmonised input from both chambers in accordance with sections 62, 80, 88, 89, and 299 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). According to the report, the total statutory budget will be sourced from projected revenues for the year. The budget structure comprises personnel costs, ₦150.35 billion (8.29 per cent); overhead costs, ₦352.03 billion (19.41 per cent); and capital expenditure, ₦1.31 trillion (72.31 per cent). The…