Author: Vardiafrica

Iran’s sports minister said there is no way that the nation’s soccer team will compete in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America. Ahmad Donyamali addressed the situation in the wake of combined American and Israeli attacks against his Middle East nation in an interview with state television. ‘Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe, and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,’ he said, per CBS Sports. ‘Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced…

Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd), has summoned all the Service Chiefs to his office for a crucial meeting over recent attacks on different military bases in the North East. Those currently attending the meeting at the Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, Abuja, include the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Olufemi Oluyede and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu.Others include the Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Aneke, an Air Marshal; Chief of Naval Staff, Idi Abass, a Vice Admiral; representatives of National Intelligence Agency among others. Daily Trust reports that no fewer than three Commanding Officers who…

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of about 100,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kits across Nigeria as part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices. Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), Ismaeel Ahmed, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting with President Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja. Ahmed said the President issued a direct mandate for the rapid rollout of the kits to accelerate the conversion of vehicles and tricycles to run on gas, making transportation more affordable for Nigerians. The directive…

The Federal Government has launched a public consultation to gather citizens’ views on measures aimed at protecting children online, including the possibility of setting minimum age limits for social media use. The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the initiative on Tuesday, noting that while the internet provides valuable opportunities for learning and communication, it also exposes children to significant risks. In a post shared on his official X account, the minister said the consultation is part of the government’s efforts to develop policies that ensure safer digital environments for young Nigerians. “While the internet offers significant…

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to screen and confirm Mr Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance, replacing Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite. Tinubu equally charged the Senate to confirm former Rivers South-East senator, Magnus Abe, as chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC. These were contained in separate letters read during plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio. Tinubu urged the Senate to consider and approve Oyedele’s nomination as part of ongoing adjustments within the Federal Executive Council. Oyedele, from Ikaram in Akoko, Ondo State, served as chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated that no state governor in Nigeria is currently struggling to borrow from banks to pay workers’ salaries, describing the development as a sign that the nation’s economy is gradually stabilizing. The President made the remark while addressing religious and traditional leaders during a gathering held to mark the coinciding fasting periods of Ramadan and Lent. According to Tinubu, the economic reforms introduced by his administration have helped improve the financial standing of states, enabling governors to meet their obligations to workers without resorting to emergency borrowing. “No governor in this country, in any of your…

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has cited the ongoing legal dispute and crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the primary reason for his defection from the party. The Zamfara State Deputy Governor, Mallam Mani Mummuni, announced the formal defection on Monday after a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Gusau. A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, described the defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a necessary step for the greater good. The statement noted that joining the APC was a decision made by stakeholders in Zamfara…

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has announced the suspension of the enforcement of helicopter landing fees for two months. He disclosed this during a meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and a delegation from the oil and gas industry at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. According to a statement by his Special Adviser On Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, on Tuesday, the delegation from the petroleum sector included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, as well as representatives of…

The United States embassy in Nigeria has warned of a possible terrorist threat targeting US facilities and US-affiliated schools in the country. In a security alert issued on March 9, the US mission in Nigeria advised American citizens to exercise increased vigilance when visiting its diplomatic facilities and affiliated institutions. “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja informs U.S. citizens of a possible terrorist threat against U.S. facilities and U.S. affiliated schools in Nigeria,” the advisory reads. The mission urged American nationals to take additional precautions when travelling to US diplomatic premises in the country. “The Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens take…

President Bola Tinubu on Monday afternoon received in audience the Minister of State for Finance nominee, Taiwo Oyedele, at the State House, Abuja. Oyedele’s visit marked his first official audience with the president since his nomination as Minister of State for Finance was made public last week. The meeting, which took place at the first floor office of the president, according to sources, served as an opportunity for both men to exchange views on Nigeria’s ongoing fiscal reform agenda and the government’s strategy to strengthen public finance management. Before his appointment, Oyedele had been engaged with the president and other…