Author: Vardiafrica

The federal government has announced plans to phase out subsidy payments in the power sector from 2027. Joseph Tegbe, the minister of power, announced the plan during a media interactive session on Friday, while speaking on the power sector debt. He said the subsidy will be gradually removed, but noted that Nigerians will not be deprived of any benefits. The minister also reiterated that there is no plan to increase tariffs in the immediate term. “We have the mandate of Mr. president to clear the legacy debt and come up with sustainale structures to make sure this doesn’t pile up…

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to equipping Nigerian teachers with future-ready digital skills through the nationwide rollout of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Teacher Capacity Development Programme across all Federal Unity Colleges. The initiative, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education through its Education Support Services Department in partnership with ICEDT Consult Limited, follows the successful completion of a pilot phase in six Federal Unity Colleges representing the six geopolitical zones. The programme is designed to strengthen teachers’ digital competencies, improve lesson planning, enhance classroom instruction and promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in education. Speaking at the…

Segun Aina, a professor of computer engineering who turned 40 in July, has officially assumed office as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Aina took over leadership of the board on Friday at its headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, succeeding Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, whose two-term tenure of 10 years ended on July 31, 2026. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Aina as the substantive registrar on May 21, when Aina was 39 years old, making him the youngest person to hold the position in the examination body’s history. In a statement announcing the appointment, the President’s Special Adviser…

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has directed litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers to discontinue the use of the title “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in all official engagements. The directive is contained in a memorandum dated July 13, 2026, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi. According to the memorandum, the Chief Registrar said he was directed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to notify all concerned that the use of “Barrister” as a prefix to names is considered inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it will embark on a nationwide strike from August 10 if the federal government fails to address its demands. In a communique issued after its ordinary general meeting (OGM) held in Gombe, the association said the demands include the payment of salary and allowance arrears and resolution of welfare issues affecting doctors across federal health institutions. The communique was signed by Mohammad Suleiman, NARD president; Shuaibu Ibrahim, secretary-general; and Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, publicity and social secretary; on Thursday. NARD said the decision was reached after its members reviewed the implementation of previous agreements with…

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said increased competition among airlines will help reduce domestic airfares in Nigeria, amid concerns over the rising cost of air travel. Keyamo stated this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, noting that domestic flight fares had already dropped significantly from the levels recorded during the Christmas period. According to the minister, the decline is being driven by the entry of more airlines into the country’s commercial aviation market. “Guess what? What did you pay during Christmas? Four hundred and something, five hundred thousand. What is it now? It’s a…

Ghana has accepted a proposal to extend the presidential term from four to five ‌years and lower the minimum age for contesting the presidency from 40 to 35. The development follows a review of the country’s 1992 Constitution by a committee set up last year by President John Mahama. However, Felix Ofosu, minister for government communications, clarified on Thursday that the proposed constitutional amendment would not apply to incumbent Mahama. Earlier, Dominic Ayine, attorney-general and minister of justice, announced that the government had accepted the committee’s recommendation, saying the proposal was intended to give future administrations a longer period to…

President Bola Tinubu has asked state governors to “stop building flyovers where there is no numeric traffic” and do more to improve the quality of life of citizens. Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Thursday while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo state led by Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the State House. Speaking directly to Ladoja, Tinubu said the financial allocations of states had increased more than four times compared to when the monarch and the president served as state governors. Tinubu was governor of Lagos from 1999 to 2007, while Ladoja served as governor of Oyo from 2003…

Esther Walson-Jack, head of the civil service of the federation (HoS), says due diligence was not carried out to verify documents presented by the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) before approval was granted for its staffing structure and recruitment waiver. Walson-Jack spoke on Wednesday while appearing before the committee investigating the controversy surrounding the PFIPC and the N1.3 billion allocated to the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act. She said her office approved the staffing structure and recruitment waiver after receiving the council’s establishment Act, and the letter of appointment presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi, its purported director-general. “My office received the letter of appointment…

As more Nigerians turn to herbs, roots, and traditional remedies, the Federal Government says it will continue striving to achieve health equity and equality for better well-being of all citizens. Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, made this known during a visit to the laboratory complex of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, NNMDA, on Victoria Island, Lagos. The visit also saw the unveiling of seven new herbal products manufactured by the Agency. The Minister, visibly impressed by the Agency’s recent progress, declared that meeting Nigeria’s health needs requires exploring every available option. While unveiling the new…