Author: Vardiafrica

The House of Representatives has inaugurated the House Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate the unestablished Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the Federal Budget Framework. The Speaker of the House, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas said the House through the inauguration of the committee is showcasing transparency and accountability. Mr Abbas said “the subject of the agency had been dominating discussions and debates.” “The subject before this Committee is one that has generated considerable public interest. For weeks now, discussions surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council have dominated media reports, public commentary, and policy debates. Questions have been raised about its…

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham took power Monday promising a 10-year plan to ease cost-of-living pressures and restore political stability, signalling a leftward tilt for his ruling Labour party. Burnham, 56, pledged to re-industrialise Britain and end sleeping rough on the streets after he met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace to become the head of government after Keir Starmer stepped down. Accompanied by his wife Marie-France van Heel, Burnham arrived at Downing Street to resounding applause from supporters and acknowledged he was the country’s seventh prime minister since the start of 2016. Britain needed to show the world…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is set to commence a nationwide campaign to review the minimum wage, while also demanding for the introduction of a national minimum pension for retirees. Speaking at the inauguration of the Godwin Abumisi Pensioners’ Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja, Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, said the welfare of pensioners must receive the same level of attention as that of active workers. He noted that organised labour would no longer advocate improved wages without seeking better living conditions for retirees. “The Nigeria Labour Congress is currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for…

The Summit of Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hosted, Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) governing the development of the Nigeria-Morocco African Atlantic Gas Pipeline. The 6,800-kilometer energy infrastructure will transport natural gas from Nigeria to Morocco, before connecting to the European gas network. The agreement marks ECOWAS Member States endorsement of the Nigeria-Morocco African Atlantic Gas Pipeline. King Mohammed VI and former Nigerian President, the late Muhammadu Buhari launched the project in 2016. The project received continued support from current President Bola Ahmed…

Kylian Mbappe has become the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice after earning the award for top scorer at the 2026 tournament. The France forward netted 10 goals in eight games to edge out Lionel Messi in a high-quality race. Spain’s Unai Simon claimed the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper after conceding just once in eight games. Another Spain player, Pau Cubarsi was selected as the Young Player of the Tournament at just 19 years while Manchester City midfielder Rodri, a key figure in Spain’s run to a second men’s World Cup triumph, was named Best…

The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has set July 31 as deadline for all large companies to wholly adopt the national electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) and electronic fiscal system (EFS). The agency announced the deadline on Sunday in a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser on media to Zacch Adedeji, NRS chairman. According to the statement, NRS has already commenced compliance monitoring activities in order to evaluate the level of adherence to the e-invoicing mandate among large taxpayers. “Consequently, any defaulting member may be subjected to appropriate regulatory and enforcement actions in accordance with the provisions of the relevant tax laws and regulations,”…

Spain set a new mark for an undefeated run in men’s international football after beating Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s World Cup final. The win extends Spain’s unbeaten run to 38 matches without losing, breaking a tie with Italy. The shutout win over Argentina was Spain’s seventh clean sheet of the 2026 World Cup, and they become the first team to win the tournament while only conceding one goal. Spain pulled clear of the unbeaten run of Italy, who had previously gone on a 37-game unbeaten run between 2018 and 2021 — a span which saw the Italians beat England in the final of Euro 2020. By overcoming France last Tuesday…

Senegalese President Bassirou Faye has been elected chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Faye was elected on Sunday at the 69th ordinary session of the ECOWAS authority of heads of state and government held in Lungi, Sierra Leone. He succeeds Sierra Leonian President Julius Bio. In another diplomatic win for the French-speaking West African country, Birame Diop, former minister of the armed forces, was elected president of the ECOWAS Commission for the 2026-2030 term. It is the first time Senegal has been elected to preside over the commission since the bloc was created in 1975. Diop…

FIFA broke new ground on Sunday by staging the first-ever halftime show in a FIFA World Cup final, turning football’s biggest match into a global music spectacle during the 2026 tournament finale between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium. The approximately 12-minute performance, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in partnership with Global Citizen, formed part of an extended 27-minute halftime interval. Produced by Live Nation and Done + Dusted and directed by veteran live-event producer Hamish Hamilton, the show blended music, football and philanthropy on the sport’s biggest stage. The halftime show was organised in support of the FIFA…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on other African countries to lend their voices to unanimously condemn the ongoing Afro-phobic attacks, also known as Xenophobia, in South Africa. A united voice, according to the Nigerian leader, will send a clear message to that Southern African country that such intolerance is absolutely not acceptable under any form. Speaking on Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Tinubu, who was represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, informed the African leaders that the Nigerian Government had “already…