Author: Vardiafrica

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Niger Delta region. Speaking during the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop to commemorate International Women’s Day in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Sir Victor Antai, said the Commission was taking significant steps toward promoting inclusivity and development for women across the region. Antai, represented by the Akwa Ibom State Director, Engr. Evong Evong commended the resilience and hard work of the women in the region. He emphasised NDDC’s dedication to gender inclusivity, stating, “In our sustainable…

Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, on Monday, signed a new law allowing civilians to be tried in military courts that critics said could be used against opposition leaders ahead of next year’s election. The new law comes despite a ruling by the Supreme Court in late January that it was unconstitutional for civilians to be tried in military courts as was the case for opposition leader, Kizza Besigye. Besigye, 69, was abducted by armed men in Nairobi in November and re-emerged a few days later at a military court in Uganda, where he was charged with treason, which carries a potential…

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has formally announced the commencement of registration and the unveiling of the official website for the National Youth Conference 2025, tagged Youth Confab 2025. Speaking during a press address in Abuja Nigeria’s capital, Olawande described the event as a historic journey and a generational turning point with the theme: “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future.” He said the conference would serve as a national movement and participatory platform to harness the voices, creativity, and leadership of Nigerian youth. He stated that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Youth Confab…

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, rejected an application by the Federal Government to issue a bench warrant against suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in an alleged defamation case against her. The government is prosecuting Akpoti-Uduaghan on behalf of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello. When the matter was called on Monday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr D.D. Kasue, told the court that the matter was for arraignment but that the defendant was not in court. Kasue told the court that he served the charge on the defendant’s counsel which meant that the defendant was…

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, on Monday, announced that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate has dropped to 22.97 percent. NBS said the May 2025 headline inflation rate decreased 0.74 per cent compared to the April headline inflation rate. According to the statistics office, inflation declined significantly to 1.53 percent in May from 1.86 percent in April, on a month-on-month basis. This indicated a slower pace in the rise of prices across the economy. On a year-on-year basis, the NBS said the headline inflation rate was 10.98 per cent lower than the rate recorded in May 2024 (33.95 per cent). It…

President Bola Tinubu has said that he will clear his schedule to pay a condolence visit to the people of Benue State on Wednesday, following last Saturday’s attack in the Yelewata community that left scores of residents dead. “I will adjust my programme and go see Benue people on Wednesday,” Tinubu said on Monday when he inaugurated the Greater Abuja Water Supply Network in the nation’s capital. The President also sympathised with the people of the state and those who lost their loved ones in the attacks. He urged the people of the state to manage their diversity, anger, and…

WhatsApp on Monday unveiled its most ambitious advertising strategy to date, marking a significant transformation for the messaging platform that has largely avoided traditional ads since its inception. The announcement signals a strategic shift for the Meta-owned app, which has long promoted itself as a private, ad-free environment for personal messaging. The new features represent Meta’s clearest move yet to monetize WhatsApp’s vast user base of over two billion monthly active users without compromising its core promise of privacy. The update comes less than two years after WhatsApp’s leadership firmly denied reports that it was considering integrating advertisements, amid public…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace over rising complaints from passengers across the country regarding non-refunds for cancelled flights. In a statement on Monday, Ondaje Ijagwu, director of corporate affairs at the FCCPC, said the airline is expected to appear before the commission at its Abuja headquarters on June 23. “The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over a deluge of consumer complaints from across the country relating to the non-refund of ticket fares, even in instances where the airline had cancelled…

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has attributed the recent wave of deadly attacks in the state to armed herders who enter communities without cattle, describing them as part of a growing security crisis involving bandits and terrorists. In an interview with Channels Television on Monday, June 16, Alia said the attackers have escalated from typical herder-farmer clashes to full-scale assaults by heavily armed individuals carrying AK-47 and AK-49 rifles. His comments follow the coordinated attacks on June 14 in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area, where more than 100 people were killed. Reports indicate the death toll…

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has kicked against Dangote Refinery’s move to distribute its petroleum products to outlets nationwide. Dangote Refinery announced during the weekend that it was getting ready to expand its fuel distribution across the nation. In a statement on Monday, signed by PETROAN’s national public relations officer, Joseph Obele, the association said this could lead to a monopoly in disguise. The association said the development could also pose a significant job loss threat to Nigeria. The statement reads: “The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has raised concerns about Dangote…