Author: Vardiafrica

Namibia’s Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, stands on the brink of making history as she vies to become the country’s first female president in Wednesday’s presidential election. Approximately 1.4 million Namibians, representing nearly half the population, have registered to vote. The elections feature 15 political parties competing for the presidency and seats in the National Assembly. Early results from special polls for Namibia’s foreign missions, seamen, and security services, announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia, indicate that Nandi-Ndaitwah and her party, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), are leading the race. SWAPO has governed Namibia since its independence from…

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has voiced her strong support against gender-based violence, marking the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against this pervasive issue as a welcomed initiative. In a statement, the First Lady underscored the importance of formal education for the girl child, which she believes remains the key to empowering girls, helping them make informed decisions, and ultimately breaking the cycle of violence and inequality. November 25th is recognized globally as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Remi Tinubu highlighted that gender-based violence continues to be one of the most widespread human…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have announced plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening their collaboration in addressing climate change. A statement from NiMet on Monday highlighted that this partnership is crucial for Nigeria’s continued socio-economic development. Speaking during a meeting at the NGF’s office in Abuja over the weekend, Professor Charles Anosike, Director General and CEO of NiMet, emphasized that a formal partnership between NiMet and the NGF would benefit the country and its citizens. He noted that the increasing frequency of extreme weather events is significantly affecting communities…

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the constitution of a 14-man State Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of Godwin Obaseki. Governor Okpebholo will inaugurate the Committee on Tuesday, the 26th of November, 2024, in Government House, Benin City. Members of the Committee include: Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe- Chairman, Anslem Ojezua- Deputy Chairman, Prince Kassim Afegbua- Member, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale- Member, Mr. Taiwo Akerele- Member, Hon. Patrick Idiake- Member, and Hon. Rasaq Bello-Osagie- Member. Others are: Mr. Fredrick Unopah- Member, Frank Osumuede Edebor Esq- Secretary, Mrs. Abdallah Eugenia- Member, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon- Member, Pharm. Kenny Okojie- Member,…

Twenty-nine young Nigerians recently showcased various specialized skills they had acquired in the one year training organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Waltersmith Group Limited, a leading integrated energy company. The exercise was the Nigerian Content Non-Compliance remediation training mandated by the NCDMB for companies that flout certain provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. The training programme covered Project Management, Scrum Master, Quality Management System, ISO 9001:2015, Mechanical Engineering Design, Welding and Fabrication, Mobile Crane Operation, and Plumbing and Pipe-fitting. General courses studied in the programme included Entrepreneurship, Information…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) recently held a two-day workshop with officials of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC). The workshop was termed a productivity audit and formed part of the Commission’s Productivity Measurement and Improvement Scheme (PMIS) for public sector organisations. Welcoming the delegation to the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Director of Finance and Personnel Management, NCDMB, Mr. Ifeanyi Ukoha, thanked the Commission for selecting the Board for the productivity audit. He remarked that NCDMB had excelled over the years in the delivery of its mandate as enshrined in the Nigerian…

A long list of oil industry leaders, ministers of the federal republic, national assembly members, as well as oil and gas stakeholders are confirmed to attend the 2024 edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Conference and Exhibition slated for the first week of December at the magnificent Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The theme of the event is “Deepening the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation” and it will be the 13th edition of the annual conference and exhibition, a signature event hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in partnership with DMG Events. According to…

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has stated that Nigerians will start paying for the new national identity card due to low revenue. A two-day conference organized for journalists in Lagos, headed by the head of card management services at NIMC, Dr Peter Iwegbu, said the payment was to ensure that it was produced for only those who needed it. He also added that the decision was made to avoid repeating the mistake of the past efforts to issue physical cards to Nigerians for free, which many did not collect. “The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in…

The governors under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have reaffirmed their commitment to reposition their party and also restore the hope of Nigerians. Host of the governors and Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang, reassured supporters of the PDP, that his colleagues and other critical stakeholders were committed to re-strategising to stabilise the party and restore hope for Nigerians. Governor Mutfwang made the declaration on Friday during a Gala Night at the Banquet Hall, Government House in Jos, where he hosted the PDP Governors’ Forum for a strategic meeting. He expressed gratitude to the governors and other party faithful, who travelled…

The Federal Ministry of Education has reinstated Professor Joseph Ikechebelu as the acting vice-chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK). The announcement was made in a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo. The decision follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nullification of the appointment of Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh as the university’s seventh substantive vice-chancellor. Odoh’s appointment was deemed illegal by the dissolved 10th Governing Council of the university. The letter from Sani-Gwarzo read: “Sequel to the approval of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR vide letter Ref: PRES/84/EDU/10 dated 18th November, 2024 nullifying the…