Author: Vardiafrica

Elon Musk has dismissed speculation that he is interested in acquiring TikTok, the popular social media platform facing scrutiny in the United States over national security concerns tied to its Chinese owner, ByteDance. Speaking at a conference in Germany last month, Musk made his first public comments on the matter, stating emphatically that he had not placed a bid for TikTok and had no plans to pursue an acquisition. “I have not put in a bid for TikTok. I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” Musk said. Musk’s remarks, published by Die Welt on…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has resumed the collection of access gate fees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, effective 8:30 a.m. on February 8, 2025. The charges had been suspended for two weeks, starting January 24, due to inconveniences caused by ongoing road construction at the airport. The announcement was contained in a public notice signed by FAAN’s management and shared via the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Authority on Saturday. “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to inform the general public that the authority has officially resumed collection of access gate…

President Trump said on Friday that he is “not interested” in deporting Harry, who currently resides in Montecito, Calif., with his wife, Meghan Markle. “I don’t want to do that,” Trump told the New York Post. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.” In February last year, Trump accused former President Biden’s administration of “protecting Harry,” adding that he wouldn’t do the same if he wins the White House. “He betrayed the queen. That’s unforgivable,” Trump told the U.K.’s Daily Express in an interview, adding that Harry “would be on his own” if reelected. Trump, in his…

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to impose “maximum enforcement action” against Kenya Airways over multiple consumer protection violations. This was disclosed by Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s director of public affairs and consumer protection, in a statement on Saturday, February 8. Achimugu expressed concern about Kenya Airways’ non-compliance with aviation regulations, particularly its obligations regarding passenger care and compensation policies. He stated that despite being given opportunities to address the issues, the airline has failed to take corrective action. The decision follows an altercation involving a Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, which highlighted Kenya Airways’ alleged mistreatment of…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday donated a fully equipped Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre to the Community Secondary School, Sangana-Akassa in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The Centre consists of 31 units of desktop computers (with a one-year Internet subscription), servers, a Wowbii Interactive Board (which makes it possible for lessons to be taught and received, questions asked and answered, from locations far apart), a printing system, and facilities for solar power along with a back-up power generating set. The gesture, which is the latest in a long list of such facilitiesbuilt, equipped and handed over to secondary schools in the…

Ghana’s President John Mahama has imposed a ban on first-class travel for all government appointees as part of efforts to cut down public expenditure amid the country’s economic difficulties. Speaking at the swearing-in of new ministers at the Jubilee House, Mr. Mahama said all non-essential travel would be prohibited, while the Chief of Staff must first clear any necessary trips. He revealed that he has directed the Chief of Staff to formally notify all ministers and government officials about an immediate restriction on non-essential travel, which aims to cut government expenditures. “Any travel that is deemed essential and necessary must be cleared…

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has applauded the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for initiating the Niger Delta Sports Festival billed to take place between April 1 to 9, 2025, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. Pastor Eno, who spoke during a courtesy visit by the NDDC Management team, led by the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, at the Akwa Ibom State Government House, Uyo, accepted the Commission’s invitation to host the festival. The NDDC Chief Executive Officer was accompanied on the visit by the Executive Director Projects, Sir Victor Antai; the Executive Director Corporate Services,…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, played host to a visiting team of ranking military officers from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja, who are in the state on a local study tour. At an interactive session at the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), corporate headquarters of the NCDMB, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, presented a portrait of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry in its first 50 years of operation and the highpoints in implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is again pushing for the creation of an electoral offence tribunal.  According to the INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, the move becomes important owing to the backlog of electoral offence cases. Mahmood spoke in Abuja on Friday during the commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media. “A major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound as is the case with post-election offences through the tribunals. Furthermore, they are solely prosecuted by the Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged…

The Federal Government has launched a free-to-use 112 emergency number for Nigerians to call in the event of kidnappings and other security-related incidents. The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, disclosed this during a press briefing on the activities of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on Thursday, February 6. “The Nigerian Communications Commission has facilitated an emergency response number, 112. The NCTC calls on all Nigerians to report suspicious activities, crimes, and kidnappings by calling the toll-free number 112, including the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap…