Author: Vardiafrica

As part of the strategies to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production and enhance revenue accruing to the national treasury, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has advocated for a week in each year to be dedicated to signing final investment decisions (FIDs) on new oil and gas projects. The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe made the proposal on Tuesday in his presentation at the 2024 African Energy Week (AEW), holding at Cape Town, South Africa. A final investment decision is the final point in an energy project, in which the company or partners owning and operating…

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Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory, according to a senior adviser to the vice president. The aide, who declines to be identified discussing a private conversation, says Harris talked about the need for a peaceful transfer of power. Harris, once viewed as a potential savior for the Democratic Party after Joe Biden’s reelection campaign stalled, is reckoning with a profound rejection by American voters in this year’s presidential election. She trailed in every battleground state to Donald Trump, a man she described as an existential danger to the…

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President Bola Tinubu has announced the passing of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, at age 56. According to a statement released by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, Lagbaja passed away on Tuesday night in Lagos after a period of illness. He, however, did not disclose the illness. President Tinubu expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces during this difficult time. He wished Lt. General Lagbaja eternal peace and honours his significant contributions to the nation. Lagbaja becomes the second Chief of Army Staff to die in office in…

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The World Bank has approved $50m in support of Nigeria’s food nutrition challenges. Country Director of the World Bank, Ndiame Diop revealed this during a meeting with Vice President, Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Tuesday. According to Diop, the fund was earmarked under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project 2.0 programme which is a crisis response window. Also, Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank, Trina Haque said there was a need for nutrition education for children and adolescents as it is important for early child development. While speaking during the…

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President Bola Tinubu and other world leaders have congratulated former President Donald Trump on “his re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America.” The congratulatory message, dated November 6, 2024, from Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, comes as several foreign media reports project Trump to win the election. New York Times currently projects that former President Donald J. Trump is closing in on the presidency, having claimed the crucial battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, with a 95 per cent chance of securing the presidential seat The US Electoral College operates in such a way…

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Zimbabwe’s government has issued a ban prohibiting police officers from using mobile phones while on duty, according to a memo that took effect immediately. Under the new directive, officers are required to surrender their phones to supervisors upon arriving at their stations and can only access them during designated break times. Although the memo did not specify a reason for the ban, it is widely believed to be an anti-corruption measure. The ban follows a recent incident in Harare, where two traffic officers were caught on video taking bribes from public transport drivers, sparking public outcry. Describing the detained officers…

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A multi-million dollar pipe threading and valve assembly facility built by Bell Oil & Gas was commissioned on Tuesday at Lekki Free Zone, Lagos State by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary hailed Bell Oil & Gas for its foresight and commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, noting that the company had invested in a key infrastructure that will meet a growing demand in the industry. He stated that Bell Oil & Gas’ areas of…

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Donald Trump is now 24 electoral college votes away from winning the United States presidential election. The Republican Party candidate has now amassed 246 electoral college votes, with Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party polling 210 electoral college votes at the time of reporting. There are 538 votes in the electoral college and it takes 270 — a majority — to win the presidency. Trump is now projected to win the battleground states of North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia, leaving Harris with a mountain to climb. There is currently no realistic pathway to a Harris victory. A “hush”…

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has said his principal, President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of the minors facing trial for treason on compassionate grounds. The VP said there was incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetration and actions of some of the protesters which were uploaded by the actors themselves. He lamented that the nation lost over N300 billion from the destruction and halting of economic activities orchestrated by the protesters. The VP said this on Tuesday while receiving the minors at the Presidential Villa, shortly after their charges were dropped by the Attorney General of the Federation…

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The new minister of education, Tunji Alausa, has overturned the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions in the country. Alausa spoke on Wednesday at his inaugural ministerial press conference, which is ongoing in Abuja. The minister, however, stated that there would be no reversal of the Federal Government’s decision to void over 22,700 degree certificates obtained by Nigerians from some “fake” universities in neighbouring Togo and the Benin Republic. He added that practical education will help to address the unemployment situation in Nigeria, as tertiary institutions will not continue to churn out graduates every year without providing jobs for them.…

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