Author: Vardiafrica

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS has resolved that the trio of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali will cease to be members of the subregional body from the 29th of January, 2025. In a communique at the end of the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja, the leaders agreed that the mediation mission led by the President’s of Togo Faure Gnassingbé and his Senegalese counterpart, Bassirou Diomaye Faye will continue to engage them in an effort to return them back to ECOWAS. President of the ECOWAS Commission Dr Omar…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a six-month ultimatum, from January 29 to July 29, 2025, to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to reconsider their decision to exit the regional bloc. A statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga disclosed this on Sunday. According to the statement, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, announced the six-month grace on Sunday in Abuja after the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. The development follows the elapse of the one-year statutory period since the three…

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, says his administration has been delivering on key projects despite attempts by political opponents to undermine his efforts. Fubara made the remarks on Saturday, December 14, during the inauguration of a 14.1-kilometre road project in Omuma Local Government Area. While he did not directly name his opponents, tensions between the governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have created sharp divisions within the state, including a factionalized House of Assembly. Speaking on the importance of the newly commissioned road, Fubara emphasized his commitment to serving the people of Rivers State. “We are here, I don’t…

Nigeria has paid its accrued debt owed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the tune of ₦85 billion. President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, disclosed this in his statement at the opening of the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja. He said while the community had suffered slow response from member states in remitting their levies, Nigeria under the leadership of President Tinubu had cleared its levies from 2023 to date. According to Touray, this is the first time in 19 years that Nigeria will pay 100%…

Nigeria’s representative at the Mister International 2024 concert has beat every other contestant to win the crown. The 16th edition of the Mister International pageant, held at the Island Hall, Fashion Island, in Bangkok, Thailand on December 14, 2024. This edition featured 47 men from around the globe vying for the position of Mister International. Mr Nigeria, Nwajagu Samuel clinched the crown, making history. He was crowned by his predecessor, Kim Thitisan Goodburn of Thailand at the end of the event. Nwajagu is the first Nigerian, and the first African, to win the Mister International title

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has received former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and former Cross River Governor, Donald Duke. The political figures met on Saturday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. It is unclear what discussions they had, but it may not be unconnected with the 2027 general elections and the political permutations revolving around it. But Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate during the 2023 election, disclosed this in a post on his X account on Saturday night The NNPP chieftain stated that they were at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) residence in Ogun State…

In a major gain for President Bola Tinubu’s oil sector reforms, Nigeria’s Oriental Energy Resources Limited has unveiled a $315 million Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel to boost Nigeria’s oil production capacity. The vessel, with a storage capacity of one million barrels, which will kick off with an initial production of 17,000 barrels per day before increasing its production capacity to 30,000 bpd is expected to depart for Nigeria in the first quarter of 2025 and commence production at the Okwok Oil Field in the first half of 2025. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the inauguration and naming ceremony…

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has assured that the Commission will soon complete the 2-Kilometre double-lane Kaa-Ataba Road with two bridges in the Khana and Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. Ogbuku gave assurance during an inspection of a 1.2-kilometer-long bridge on the road, accompanied by the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai, and other Directors of the Commission. He stated, “The project is about 70 per cent done, and we are ready to complete it by the middle of next year. We have just finished discussing it with the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday at the Delta State High Court Conference Hall, Asaba, held a one-day sensitisation workshop for High Court Judges and members of the legal profession on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, its implementation and achievements to date. In his opening remarks at the event, the Director, Legal Services of the NCDMB, Barr. Naboth Onyesoh, said the Act, which established the Board, recognises the importance of other stakeholders to the successful implementation of the Nigerian Content law and expressly mandates the Board to create awareness and…

Abdullahi Ganduje, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),has announced the party’s intention to make Rivers state a stronghold by 2027. Ganduje spoke on Saturday while inaugurating Tony Okocha and 22 individuals as executive members of APC in the state. Ganduje said the APC is gradually making gains in a zone traditionally controlled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He cited the party’s successes in Cross River state during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency and Edo state under President Bola Tinubu as signs of progress. “You are from the South-South geo-politcal zone where the zone was dominated by the PDP.…