Author: Vardiafrica

The United Kingdom has urged the Nigerian government to address harmful practices linked to state-owned enterprises that hinder trade and investment. If this is done, it will accelerate the economic reforms by the Nigerian government. Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), made this call during Nigeria’s Trade Policy Review in Geneva on Monday, November 18, 2024. Manley highlighted feedback from British investors in Nigeria, pointing to issues such as harmful subsidies, forced technology transfers, discriminatory enforcement of competition policies, and complex regulatory frameworks. He emphasized that addressing these barriers would not only boost investor…

Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has raised the alarm that 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have not accessed the 2024 UBE matching grant. Bobboyi made this disclosure on Monday in Abuja during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) to the commission. He highlighted that only Katsina and Kaduna states had accessed both their first and second quarters of the 2024 matching grant. Providing an overview of UBE grant access from 2020 to 2024, Bobboyi explained that the failure to access these funds remains a…

Federal Government, in an effort to enhance food security, has outlined several initiatives and priorities aimed at enhancing food production in the country. These initiatives include the delivery of agricultural inputs to farmers, the repositioning of agricultural institutions, and deepening engagement among farmers, herders, and communities. The Hon. Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari,CON, outlined these measures while addressing the 46th meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security, held in Calabar, Cross River recently. Kyari stated that “as priority actions, ongoing tasks include the delivery of agro-inputs to farmers, the repositioning of agricultural institutions,…

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has pledged to focus on serving the people of the Niger Delta region as mandated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Speaking during a radio programme on Rhythm 94.7 in Yenagoa, Ogbuku dismissed insinuations that he was planning to contest for the governorship election in Bayelsa State in 2027. He declared: “I don’t have any ticket to contest the governorship of Bayelsa State in 2027. I want all those people who are forming groups and causing confusion through unsolicited solidarity to desist from that because the only ambition…

NLNG on Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, kicked off its Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development (NC-HCD) Basic Training Programme for the NLNG Train 7 Project, a major NC programme aimed at reskilling young graduates and developing human capital. A total of 331 young graduates from diverse academic disciplines, who emerged successful out of 848 previously shortlisted from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Joint Qualification System (JQS) portal of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), are undergoing the 12-month programme. Areas of training include ICT, Engineering, Welding and Fabrication, Non-destructive Testing (NDT), Lifting and Working at Heights, Quality…

The President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, on Sunday received a high-level Nigerian delegation led by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The delegation delivered a written message from President Bola Tinubu to President Déby. In the message, President Tinubu expressed his heartfelt condolences and unwavering support for the Chadian President and people following the recent terrorist attack on Barkaram Island, which claimed the lives of several Chadian soldiers. The delegation included Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence and Maj Gen Ali Salau, Force Commander MNJTF and other senior…

The National Automotive Design and Development Council, says it has put in place the necessary structures and frameworks to begin the manufacturing of 10 essential vehicle spare parts locally. It said this move will help reduce the country’s dependence on spare parts imports which currently gulps $1bn annually. The NADDC Director General, Joseph Osanipin, according to a statement, disclosed this at an event to conclude a two-week training of auto engineers and software automotive design in Abuja. The training boot camp focused on Midas NFX software for automotive design skill was organised in collaboration with Midas IT Co. of South…

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state. Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, and the Returning Officer of the exercise declared Aiyedatiwa winner at the INEC headquarters, in Akure at exactly 2:30PM on Saturday. He said Aiyedatiwa polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ajayi Agboola who scored a total votes of 117,845 while ZLP’s Dr Abbas Mimiko, younger brother of the former governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko…

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has expressed confidence that the country’s economy will experience significant growth by 2025. Speaking on Saturday in Abuja during a one-day retreat for presidential aides and heads of units in his office, Shettima highlighted key improvements, including the recent increase in crude oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day. Shettima urged both presidential aides and Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in fulfilling his mandate. According to a statement from the presidency, the Vice President emphasized that despite the economic challenges Nigeria has faced, the country’s economy is on a positive trajectory, thanks to…

President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. President Tinubu announced the award during the Nigeria/India Bilateral meeting at the State House, Abuja on Sunday. He said that the award was bestowed on the Indian leader to signify the country’s appreciation and commitment to the Nigerian-Indian partnership. “I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s National Honor, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This is to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner,”…