Author: Vardiafrica

Sweden has sent out millions of pamphlets advising residents how to prepare for possible war while Finland has launched a new website on preparedness, as the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on. The move follows the Nordic neighbours dropping decades of military non-alignment to join defence alliance Nato after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “The security situation is serious and we all need to strengthen our resilience to face various crises and ultimately war,” said Mikael Frisell, director of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) which sent out the brochures. Weapons wanted by Ukraine – in pictures Since the start of the war, Stockholm has repeatedly urged…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has warned electricity distribution companies not to forcefully migrate customers with faulty meters into the estimated billing regime. It also ordered the Discos to replace obsolete prepaid meters for their customers free of charge. This mandate was outlined in a statement released by the regulatory body’s management and posted on its official X handle on Monday. It highlighted that, according to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry Act, it is the responsibility of Discos to replace faulty and outdated prepaid meters for their customers. The directive follows recent reports of some electricity companies requiring customers to…

President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed on his social media network that he plans to use the US military to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants. On Monday, he posted “TRUE!!!” in response to a conservative commentator who wrote that Trump would declare a national emergency and use military assets to lead “a mass deportation program”. At campaign events, Trump repeatedly pledged to mobilise the National Guard to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency tasked with carrying out deportations. Trump’s latest comment comes as questions grow about how he would fulfil his pledge to execute the…

President Bola Tinubu has announced a fresh shake-up in his cabinet, with the approval of Sunday Dare and Daniel Bwala as co-spokespersons to Bayo Onanuga. A statement shared by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga late Monday, said there is no longer a single person as the president’s spokesperson, adding that both Sunday Dare and Daniel Bwala will also, henceforth jointly serve in his office as spokespersons. The presidency explained that the shakeup is aimed at ensuring effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements. “President Bola Tinubu has re-designated the positions of two…

Governor Monday Okpebholo has assented to a N485 billion revised supplementary budget passed by the Edo State House of Assembly. Okpebholo signed the revised budget on Monday in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The governor while reacting to the speedy passage of the bill thanked the lawmakers, who were at the Government House, for presenting the document. He believes their action would enable the government to carry out expeditious execution of development plans in the state. The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly Blessing Agbebaku led other members of the legislature on the formal visit. Agbebaku disclosed…

The United Kingdom has urged the Nigerian government to address harmful practices linked to state-owned enterprises that hinder trade and investment. If this is done, it will accelerate the economic reforms by the Nigerian government. Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), made this call during Nigeria’s Trade Policy Review in Geneva on Monday, November 18, 2024. Manley highlighted feedback from British investors in Nigeria, pointing to issues such as harmful subsidies, forced technology transfers, discriminatory enforcement of competition policies, and complex regulatory frameworks. He emphasized that addressing these barriers would not only boost investor…

Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has raised the alarm that 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have not accessed the 2024 UBE matching grant. Bobboyi made this disclosure on Monday in Abuja during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) to the commission. He highlighted that only Katsina and Kaduna states had accessed both their first and second quarters of the 2024 matching grant. Providing an overview of UBE grant access from 2020 to 2024, Bobboyi explained that the failure to access these funds remains a…

Federal Government, in an effort to enhance food security, has outlined several initiatives and priorities aimed at enhancing food production in the country. These initiatives include the delivery of agricultural inputs to farmers, the repositioning of agricultural institutions, and deepening engagement among farmers, herders, and communities. The Hon. Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari,CON, outlined these measures while addressing the 46th meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security, held in Calabar, Cross River recently. Kyari stated that “as priority actions, ongoing tasks include the delivery of agro-inputs to farmers, the repositioning of agricultural institutions,…

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has pledged to focus on serving the people of the Niger Delta region as mandated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Speaking during a radio programme on Rhythm 94.7 in Yenagoa, Ogbuku dismissed insinuations that he was planning to contest for the governorship election in Bayelsa State in 2027. He declared: “I don’t have any ticket to contest the governorship of Bayelsa State in 2027. I want all those people who are forming groups and causing confusion through unsolicited solidarity to desist from that because the only ambition…

NLNG on Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, kicked off its Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development (NC-HCD) Basic Training Programme for the NLNG Train 7 Project, a major NC programme aimed at reskilling young graduates and developing human capital. A total of 331 young graduates from diverse academic disciplines, who emerged successful out of 848 previously shortlisted from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Joint Qualification System (JQS) portal of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), are undergoing the 12-month programme. Areas of training include ICT, Engineering, Welding and Fabrication, Non-destructive Testing (NDT), Lifting and Working at Heights, Quality…