Author: Vardiafrica

The House of Representatives has greenlit President Bola Tinubu’s request to borrow $2.35 billion in external funds to part-finance the 2025 budget deficit, while also approving a landmark $500 million sovereign sukuk issuance in the international capital market to boost infrastructure and diversify funding sources. The approvals came on Wednesday after the lower chamber adopted the report of its Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management. Lawmakers authorized N1.84 trillion (equivalent to $1.23 billion at the budget rate of N1,500/$1) as new external borrowing under the 2025 Appropriation Act, targeting the N9.28 trillion deficit. An additional $1.12 billion in bridge…

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the removal of persons convicted for kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms from the list of beneficiaries under the federal government’s prerogative of mercy. A statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu took the decision “following consultations with the Council of State and public opinion”. “Following consultations with the Council of State and public opinion on the matter, the President directed a further review of the initially approved list for consideration in furtherance of the President’s discretionary powers under Section…

The senate on Wednesday confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for the positions of service chiefs. Those confirmed are Olufemi Oluyede as chief of defence staff, Wahidi Shaibu as chief of army staff, Idi Abbas as chief of naval staff, and Kennedy Aneke as chief of air staff. Tinubu had, in a letter addressed to the upper chamber, requested the screening and confirmation of the nominees. The senate subsequently devoted its Wednesday plenary to the exercise, holding a closed-door session that lasted over two hours. During the session, lawmakers engaged the nominees on their plans to strengthen intelligence coordination, modernise military…

Russia has successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, defying U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings with Moscow’s second test of a new nuclear weapons system in just a few days. Putin on Sunday oversaw a test of another advanced nuclear-capable weapon — the Burevestnik cruise missile, which he said had an “unlimited range.” Trump called that exercise not “appropriate.” “Yesterday, another test was conducted for another prospective system — the unmanned underwater device ‘Poseidon,’ also equipped with a nuclear power unit,” Putin said in televised remarks while visiting a military hospital treating Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine. The Russian…

The European Union (EU) Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has pledged to strengthen cooperation with Nigeria in the areas of security, trade, and governance, as part of ongoing efforts to deepen relations with West Africa’s largest democracy. A high-level EU delegation led by Mr. David McAllister visited the Nigerian Senate in Abuja on Tuesday, where it held discussions with Senate President Godswill Akpabio on shared priorities, regional stability, and democratic governance. “We are here to deepen our understanding of the situation in West Africa and strengthen our partnership with Nigeria,” McAllister said, describing Nigeria as a key ally in promoting peace and democratic governance across the region. Welcoming the delegation, Akpabio reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to closer collaboration with the…

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, expressed joy at the milestone, stating that it would equip youths with creative skills and prepare them for a productive future. He noted that the programme represented NDDC’s shift “from transaction to transformation,” focusing on sustainable empowerment rather than short-term interventions. “We don’t believe in quantity; we believe in quality. In the past, we trained thousands for a few days and gave out starter packs. This time, we camped participants for six months to ensure real transformation,” Ogbuku said. He urged the beneficiaries to remain innovative, confident, and…

The newly appointed service chiefs have arrived at the national assembly for screening by the senate and house of representatives. On October 24, President Bola Tinubu appointed Olufemi Oluyede, a lieutenant general, as the chief of defence staff; Waidi Shaibu, a major general, as chief of army staff; and Sunday Kelvin Aneke, an air vice marshal, as the chief of air staff. He also named Idi Abbas, rear admiral, as chief of naval staff, while Emmanuel Akomaye Undiandeye, a major general, retained his position as chief of defence intelligence. Tinubu sacked the previous service chiefs following growing public pressure for…

Armed personnel of the Nigerian Army have reportedly stormed the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, over an alleged link to a coup plot currently under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). According to multiple security sources, the operation was carried out by a special military team in the early hours of Tuesday at Sylva’s residence in Maitama, Abuja. It was gathered that the raid followed intelligence reports linking the former governor to a series of secret meetings allegedly held with some of the detained military officers accused…

South Korea presented U.S. President Donald Trump with the nation’s highest decoration, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, and a replica gold crown during his arrival on Wednesday, October 29, ahead of crucial trade talks with regional leaders. Trump received the honor, named after South Korea’s national flower (the Rose of Sharon), in recognition of his role as a peacemaker on the Korean peninsula, according to the South Korean presidential office. A South Korean official confirmed Trump is the first U.S. president to receive the decoration. Military honors began immediately upon arrival, with U.S. and South Korean warplanes escorting Air Force…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has announced that there will be electricity disruption lasting over two weeks in parts of Abuja. TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. According to the company, the outage, scheduled from Tuesday, October 27, to Sunday, November 16, is due to road construction activities in the Federal Capital Territory. It explained that the 132-kilovolt Gwagwalada–Kukwaba–Apo double-circuit transmission line would be without power supply during the period. Consequently, bulk electricity supply will be temporarily unavailable in the Apo, Lokogoma, Guzape, Asokoro, Wuye, Utako, Jabi, and Idu Industrial Layout areas within the…