Author: Vardiafrica

China has pledged to strengthen financial ties with Nigeria by expanding the existing currency swap agreement and supporting the issuance of Panda Bonds, to boost trade and infrastructure development between the two nations. Recently, China and Nigeria renewed their currency swap agreement, valued at 15 billion yuan (approximately $2 billion), to enhance trade and investment between the two nations. The agreement, valid for three years, aims to strengthen financial cooperation and promote the use of both currencies in bilateral transactions. Speaking during a joint press briefing with his Nigerian counterpart, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on…

Wang Yi, China’s minister of foreign affairs, says his country will give African countries Y1 billion – over $130 million – to strengthen their military and police forces. Yi spoke with reporters on Thursday through an interpreter after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock villa. The Chinese minister is in Nigeria to consolidate on the agreements signed by President Xi Jinping and Tinubu when the latter visited the Asian country last year. The envoy said China would also help Africa in building a standby force. “China will firmly support Africa in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests, practicing true multilateralism…

There was calm in Chad’s capital early Thursday morning after armed men attacked the presidential palace, killing 19 people, mostly the attackers, according to the government. AFP journalists noted that in the area of ​​the presidential palace, where traffic has returned to normal, the enhanced security measures and roadblocks that were set up late on Wednesday evening were lifted. Just before 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday, heavy gunfire broke out near the presidential compound in central N’Djamena, the capital of the military-ruled Central African country. Government spokesman Abderaman Koulallah said a 24-man commando unit armed with…

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, is currently holding discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and members of his delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja. The meeting aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and China, with a focus on cooperation in key sectors such as trade, investment, health, technology, and infrastructure development. In his opening remarks, Tuggar reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to fostering a more resilient relationship with China. He also highlighted President Tinubu’s visit to China in September 2024, during which four Memoranda of Understanding were signed, and reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to the…

The Federal Government has confirmed plans to increase telecoms tariffs but assured Nigerians it won’t be by 100% as requested by operators. The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijan, made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday. He said the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would come up with modalities for tariff adjustment in the telecoms industry. Tijani said, “We’ve look at a number of things in terms of how to ensure that can meaningfully contribute to the development of Nigeria. “Some of those things include implementing the Executive Order around ensuring that we can…

Key political figures, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and allies of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, held a private meeting with the leadership of the Social Democratic Party in Abuja on Tuesday. The closed-door meeting, which took place at the SDP national secretariat, has sparked speculations about potential political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. Among the notable attendees were Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha an ex-presidential candidate and former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen Sani Abacha and Atiku’s former spokesman, Otunba Segun Showunmi. Although the specific agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it is being described as part…

The House passed a bill on Tuesday that would target undocumented immigrants charged with nonviolent crimes for deportation, an opening salvo from a Republican majority that has vowed to deliver on President-elect Donald J. Trump’s promised crackdown at the border. The measure, which drew the support of 48 Democrats as well as all Republicans, appears to be on a path to enactment, having garnered bipartisan backing in the Senate, which plans to take it up on Friday. It is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed last year in Georgia by a migrant who had crossed…

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of  Éric Sékou Chelle as Head Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. This was reached at its ”meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, 2nd January 2025, the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee had recommended the appointment of the former Coach of the senior men national team of Mali as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.” ”This recommendation was on Tuesday, 7th January endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee,” the federation’s website revealed His appointment is with immediate effect, and he has the responsibility of guiding the Super Eagles to earn a ticket…

US President-elect, Donald Trump has repeated his warnings that all hell will break loose in the Middle East if hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are not released before his inauguration on January 20. “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” Trump said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. “All hell will break out. I don’t have to say anymore, but that’s what it is.” Trump also emphasized his strong support for Israel and his commitment to achieving peace in the region, noting that the conflict…

John Mahama has taken the oath of office as Ghana’s new president in a ceremony attended by world leaders. Mahama was sworn in at Black Star Square in Accra, the Ghanaian capital on Tuesday. The new president took over from Nana Akufo-Ado who succeeded him in 2017. Before Mahama’s swearing-in, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang was inaugurated as the country’s first female vice president. The Chief Justice of Ghana Gertrude Torkornoo administered the oath of office at the event. “Today should mark the opportunity to reset our country,” the 66-year-old new president, wearing the West African country’s national dress, told a jubilant…