Author: Vardiafrica

Sixteen young graduates of engineering, the geosciences and related academic disciplines on Wednesday in Port Harcourt underwent opening formalities for the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited Nigerian Content Human Capital Development (NC-HCD) programme, on the back of provision of coiled tubing and nitrogen pumping services for oil and gas industry operations. The 12-month programme, designed to train the young graduates on how to deploy jointless steel pipes for cleaning, repairs and stimulation of oil and gas wells and in the use of specialised equipment for conversion of liquid nitrogen into high-pressure nitrogen gas, has…

Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has affirmed the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) headed by former Senate President David Mark, dismissing a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, for lacking merit. Delivering judgment, Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, Mark and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola. The judge held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, which he described as non-justiciable. Justice Liman also…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched Power Force, a new national initiative that will train 5,000 young Nigerians to support the accelerated deployment of smart electricity meters across the country, create employment opportunities, and strengthen ongoing power sector reforms. The programme, implemented through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), a federation led initiative with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, is a practical intervention designed to close critical skills gaps in meter installation while expanding opportunities for young Nigerians to participate directly in national development. Power Force forms part of the administration’s broader effort to improve the performance and financial sustainability…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the opening of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja will renew the commitment to regional integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa. He called the new building a symbol of renewal, of resilience, and of confidence in the future of ECOWAS and urged a shift from regional market to regional production base. Speaking at the commissioning of the new edifice on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the new ECOWAS complex, described as the “Eye of Africa,”…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reaffirmed its position at the forefront of Nigeria’s drive to develop indigenous engineering capacity, rewarding exceptional innovation and investing in a new generation of young Nigerians whose ideas are poised to shape the country’s industrial future. At the Grand Finale of the maiden Nigerian Engineering Olympiad, held on Monday and Tuesday, in Lagos, Team Mavericks of Modibbo Adama University, Yola, emerged overall champions with their “Sarafa Community Security Alert” innovation; a community-powered rapid alert system that connects households through low-cost devices to instantly notify neighbors and emergency responders during security incidents. For their…

The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, yesterday formally launched its Electronic Case Management System (ECMS), ushering in what it described as the most significant digital transformation in its history and setting an ambitious target to become a fully paperless regional judicial institution by 2030. The unveiling of the multi-lingual digital platform at the Court’s headquarters in Abuja, it stated, marked the end of decades of largely paper-based judicial administration and the beginning of a technology-driven justice system designed to make litigation faster, cheaper and more accessible to over 400 million citizens across the 15 ECOWAS member states. Speaking at the…

The World Bank has approved a fresh $1.25 billion loan for Nigeria under its Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration programme. The approval was announced on Wednesday alongside the launch of a new Country Partnership Framework for Nigeria, spanning 2026 to 2032. The global financial institution noted that the newly endorsed strategy aims to guide its support over the next six years, primarily focusing on creating higher-quality jobs. This came on the heels of criticism that trailed reports that the Federal Government was seeking the facility to finance economic reforms, with many Nigerians arguing that previous borrowing had yet…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks across the country over multiple regulatory violations, including insolvency, prolonged inactivity, and failure to meet minimum capital requirements. The apex bank announced that the revocation took effect on July 1, 2026, following the approval of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso. According to the CBN, the decision was taken pursuant to its powers under Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 2020, after the affected institutions failed to satisfy the regulatory conditions required to continue…

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted an application filed by former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to present evidence of her acquittal by the Southwark Crown Court, London, in the UK. Justice Ekwo granted the motion on notice moved by Diezani’s lawyer, Godwin Iyinbor, which was not challenged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s counsel, Mofesomo Oyetibo. The UK court had, on June 17, discharged and acquitted the embattled former minister in respect of criminal allegations of bribery brought against her. Diezani had, in a suit filed before Justice Ekwo, sought to reclaim her…

A former Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, has reportedly been arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State while preparing to board a chartered flight to Abuja.  It was gathered that the former minister was taken into custody on Wednesday at the airport. According to Premium Times, sources disclosed that Nnaji is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation. Although the reason for the arrest was not officially disclosed, the development comes months after allegations surrounding his academic credentials resurfaced following a response by…