Author: Vardiafrica

Nigeria has signed a bilateral air services agreement (BASA) with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to allow both countries to commence direct flight operations. The agreement was signed on Monday by Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, and Rohan Sinanan, Trinidad and Tobago’s minister of works and transport, at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and Tobago. In a statement, Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to Keyamo, said the development marks the official commencement of direct air links between the two nations. Moshood noted that the agreement is the outcome of diplomatic and technical…

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has described the N300 million received from the Rivers State government as a gift, not payment for hosting rights for its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC). This clarification was made in a statement on Monday, April 14, by Emeka Obegolu, chairman of the AGC planning committee, amid rising controversy following the NBA’s decision to move the conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu.  The Rivers State government, under the leadership of Sole Administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas, had demanded a refund of the money, alleging that it was paid for the rights to host the conference. The government…

President Bola Tinubu expresses profound sorrow over the recent bloodshed in Plateau State, a tragedy that has claimed the lives of over 40 individuals. He strongly condemns the violence and extends his sympathies to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the state government, and the people of Plateau while urging him to summon the necessary political will to resolve the crisis and establish enduring peace. In his call for harmony among the people of Plateau State, President Tinubu emphasises the importance of love and unity beyond religious and ethnic lines. He encourages community, spiritual, and political leaders within and beyond the state to…

Amidst ongoing controversy trailing talks of mergers and coalitions ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum says the party is not prepared to join any coalition or merger. The resolution was made in a communique issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Monday. After the meeting which lasted about six hours behind closed doors, the Chairman of the Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who read the communique clarified that rather, the PDP remains open to welcoming individuals, parties, and groups committed to rescuing Nigeria and…

President Bola Tinubu has flagged off the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano federal highway, a critical road which is vital to the socio-economic life of Northern Nigeria. Speaking at the event on behalf of the president, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani described the road as a major route linking the Federal Capital Territory to over 12 states across the North Central, Northwest, and Northeast geopolitical zones. At the event, which took place at Jere in the Kagarko local government area of the state, the governor disclosed that the road had suffered neglect for several years, costing lives and hurting economic growth.…

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku has been honoured with the “African Public Service Award” by the Heritage Times in recognition of his transformative leadership and service to the people of the Niger Delta region. The 3rd Edition of the African Heritage Concert and Awards 2025. took place in Marrakesh, Morocco, with notable Nigerian and African leaders in attendance, including the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabiru Yusuf and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. At the ceremony, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, represented by the NDDC Executive Director of…

The political crisis in Rivers has taken a new turn as a coalition of women groups stormed the streets of Port Harcourt in support of the emergency rule in the oil-rich state. The women who were dressed in white marched from the Garrison Flyover to the Isaac Boro Cark and were seen carrying placards with inscriptions such as “State of Emergency is Constitutional”, “We Don’t Want Fubara,” among others. They were led by a former Commissioner for Social Welfare in Rivers, Ifeyinwa Aguma, who is an ally of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. The protesters threw their weight…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has expanded the second phase of its contactless biometric passport application system to four additional countries, including the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, and Brazil. In a statement, NIS Public Relations Officer AS Akinlabi confirmed that the system was launched in the United States on Friday, April 11, and commenced on Monday, April 14, in the three other countries. The latest rollout follows the successful introduction of the service in other regions, as the NIS moves to ease passport renewal processes for Nigerians living abroad. Akinlabi stated that the contactless application system is also currently available…

The Rivers State Government has expressed disappointment over the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to relocate its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu and is demanding a ₦300m from the body. The government described the reasons given by the association for the decision as “misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming.” In a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator of the State, Hector Igbikiowubo, the Rivers State government acknowledged the NBA’s right to choose its preferred venue but faulted the association’s suggestion that the current administration, headed by a Sole…

A former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has visited victims and families of those affected by the recent spate of killings in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. In a statement shared via his official X handle on Monday, the 63-year-old expressed sorrow over what he termed “senseless killings,” describing the violence as unacceptable in a country not officially at war. “Yesterday, I travelled from Abuja to Jos, Plateau State, to condole with and show solidarity with Governor Caleb Mutfwang and the people of Plateau State over the recent senseless killings in the Bokkos…