Author: Vardiafrica

Brazil has formally announced Nigeria’s admission as a partner country in the BRICS alliance. The Brazilian foreign ministry communicated the development in a statement on Friday. “The Brazilian government welcomes the Nigerian government’s decision,” the statement said. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the alliance began to expand after more countries began seeking to join the group of leading emerging economies. The alliance’s partner-country category was created at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024. During the summit, reports indicated that Nigeria had joined as a partner country. Eche Abu-Obe, then-spokepserson of the ministry of…

A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos has restrained the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from arresting vehicles with faded number plates. Justice Akintayo Aluko made the order on Friday and also restricted the FRSC from imposing any fine or punishment on any drivers for driving with a faded vehicle plate number. The court made the orders while delivering judgment in a suit filed by a legal practitioner, Chinwike Chamberlain Ezebube against the FRSC. Ezebube in his Originating Summons filed on February 13, 2024, had asked the court to determine among other things: “Whether the Defendant, pursuant to Section 5…

Israel’s government has approved the new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, paving the way for it to take effect on Sunday. The decision came after hours of discussions that continued late into the night. Two far-right ministers voted against the deal. The security cabinet earlier recommended ratifying the agreement, saying it “supports the achievement of the objectives of the war”, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The terms of the agreement will officially come into force at 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Sunday, Qatari mediators announced Under the deal, 33 Israeli hostages still held by…

A total sum of ₦1.424 trillion, being December 2024 Federation Accounts Revenue, has been shared among the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils. The revenue was shared at the January 2025 Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held in Abuja. The Director of Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwa, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. The ₦1.424 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of ₦386.124 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of ₦604.872 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of ₦31.211 billion and Exchange Difference revenue of ₦402.714 billion. A communiqué…

President Bola Tinubu has commended the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for their unanimous support of four Tax Reform Bills currently under consideration by the National Assembly. In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga on Thursday, Tinubu lauded the governors for demonstrating bold leadership and fostering national unity by setting aside regional, ethnic, and political differences to prioritize Nigeria’s development. He praised the outcome of the recent consultation between the NGF and the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy as a model of effective cooperation between the Federal and State governments. The President highlighted that the Tax Reform Bills are…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Friday announced an upward adjustment in the prices of its Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly known as petrol, to its bulk purchase customers, citing escalating global crude oil price which is now above $80 per barrel. But the bulk price increase by the 650,000 barrels per day Lagos-based refinery will be responded to by a consequential hike in the pump price of petrol in the major cities currently selling between N925 and a little above N1,000 per litre. In a statement obtained by THISDAY, the refinery announced that its refined petrol would now be priced at…

The US Supreme Court has upheld a law that bans TikTok in the US unless its China-based parent company ByteDance sells the platform by this Sunday. TikTok had challenged the law, arguing it would violate free speech protections for the more than 170 million users it says it has in the US. But that argument was rejected unanimously by the nation’s highest court, meaning TikTok must now find an approved buyer for the US version of the app or face removal from app stores and web hosting services. The White House said it would fall to incoming President Donald Trump’s…

Pep Guardiola said Friday that Erling Haaland’s new nine-and-a-half-year contract at Manchester City is “exceptional news” for the Premier League champions. The 24-year-old striker’s existing deal was due to expire in June 2027 but he has now committed his future to the club for the next decade. The Norwegian made an instant impact after arriving in Manchester from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and his overall tally for the club stands at a remarkable 111 goals in 126 games. Haaland’s decision to commit his long-term future to City is a major coup for the club during a season in which they…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has once again reported an attack on its transmission lines conveying bulk power to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, at its 132kv transmission line and underground cable transmitting bulk power to the 132kv Central Area transmission substation, Katampe, in the Central Area of Abuja. According to her, the vandalism of the power infrastructure which affected the supply of electricity to Maitama, Wuse, Garki, Jabi, Lifecamp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi and part of Presidential Villa, was suspected…

The court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a judgement delivered on Friday by Hamma Barka, the court ruled that its earlier decision in November 2024, recognising Abure as the party’s chairman, remains valid and has not been overturned by any court. The ruling came in response to two separate appeals filed by Nenadi Usman, the party’s caretaker committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Barka held that the appellate court, in the two separate appeals, did not address the leadership dispute within the party because such…