Author: Vardiafrica

The Federal Government has announced the end of the era of “briefcase farmers” benefitting from agricultural interventions, unveiling a sweeping reform agenda aimed at identifying and supporting only genuine farmers across the country. Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, made this known on Wednesday in Kaduna during a technical session at the Government-Citizen Engagement Forum organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation. He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu, which inherited a food crisis, is deploying data-backed strategies to revive Nigeria’s agricultural sector, ramp up production, and eliminate elite capture of farming incentives.…

The Federal Government has introduced the Accelerated Basic Education (ABE) programme, a nationwide initiative aimed at providing learning opportunities for 80 million underserved non-literate Nigerians, including out-of-school youths and adults who lack access to basic literacy. The programme was unveiled on Wednesday by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, during a National Stakeholders Engagement Meeting on Youth and Adult Literacy in Abuja. It is designed to deliver inclusive and adaptable learning across the country’s six geopolitical zones, focusing on reaching learners in their communities without compromising educational quality, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). While…

The Federal Government is set to introduce compulsory drug testing for university students and revise the secondary school curriculum to include drug education, as part of a broader initiative to combat the growing problem of substance abuse among young Nigerians. This was disclosed in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja. According to the statement, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Ministry of Education have reached an agreement to integrate drug education into secondary schools and enforce mandatory drug testing in tertiary institutions The agreement was reached…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has officially ruled out the sale of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, reaffirming its commitment to completing high-grade rehabilitation and retention of the plant The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Limited, Bashir Ojulari, announced this during a town hall on Tuesday at the NNPCL Towers, Abuja. He stated that the position was not a shift, but rather informed by ongoing detailed technical and financial reviews of the Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri refineries. The ongoing review indicates that the earlier decision to operate the Port Harcourt refinery before full completion of its rehabilitation was ill-informed…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed the Deputy Controller General of the the Federal Fire Service, (FFS) Olumode Samuel Adeyemi as the new substantive Controller-General of the Service. This was announced on Wednesday, July 30, by the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Major Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril (rtd) on behalf of President Tinubu. The appointment of the new Controller-General is effective from August 14, 2025. The Board said the appointment followed the “imminent retirement of the outgoing Controller-General, Engr. Abdulganiyu Jaji Olola, on August 11 2025, upon attaining the age of 60.” “DCG Olumode Samuel Adeyemi brings a wealth…

The interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, David Mark, has warned members that the party will not accept any anti-party activities or indiscipline. Mark said only committed ADC members would be carried along in the scheme of things under his leadership. The former Senate President disclosed this while addressing some ADC members in Abuja. According to Mark: “There will be zero tolerance for anti-party and any form of indiscipline; you are either in ADC or not in ADC. “No mid-way in this business and those not with us, we will not carry them along. “Those who are…

Italy said Wednesday it opened a probe into social media giant Meta for potentially breaking EU competition laws by installing its AI tool into WhatsApp. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Several months ago, its Meta AI tool appeared on the screens of the WhatsApp messaging service. “In March 2025, Meta, which holds a dominant position in the market for consumer communications apps, decided to pre-install its artificial intelligence service on the WhatsApp app,” Italy’s antitrust body said in a statement. “In doing so, Meta may be ‘imposing’ the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users.”…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has conducted a public auction of forfeited houses acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking or used as instrumentality of committing the crime. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise, which took place in Abuja, had pre-qualified auctioneers, bidders, representatives of civil society organisations and the media as well as other government agencies in attendance. Speaking at the occasion, the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, said that the agency would continue to combine incarceration with asset forfeiture. Marwa, represented by the NDLEA Secretary, Mr Shedrack Haruna, said it would also…

Nurses under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI) have commenced a seven-day warning strike today, despite appeals by the Federal Government. The union said the action, which began at midnight, became necessary following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued on 14 July, 2025, demanding improved welfare, fair allowances, and better working conditions for nurses across federal health institutions. National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, on Tuesday, stated that the Federal Government failed to engage meaningfully with the association during the window provided. “As far as we are concerned,…

YouTube will be included in Australia’s world-first social media ban for children under 16, after the government ditched a previous exemption for the platform. The video sharing site was set to be excluded from the ban – which will limit TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat and is due to start in December. Under the ban, teenagers will still be able to view YouTube videos but will not be permitted to have an account, which is required for uploading content or interacting on the platform. YouTube – owned by Google – had argued it shouldn’t be blocked for children as…