Author: Vardiafrica

NNPC chief, Bayo Ojulari, hails Dangote Refinery as “the front line of world-class technology” while undertaking a tour alongside senior management. The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Engr. Bayo Bashir Ojulari, has described the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a symbol of technological audacity and national pride following a landmark visit to the facility on Saturday. Ojulari, alongside members of the NNPC board and executive management team, toured the refinery in what marks the first official visit by senior management of the state-owned energy firm to Africa’s largest and most modern refinery. The visit…

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the Japanese government have agreed to set up a $50 million Impact Innovation Fund to empower the Nigerian start-up ecosystem. The finalised agreement establishing the Fund was signed on Friday in Abuja between NSIA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The NSIA is Nigeria’s investment institution established under the Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Act (2011) to manage and invest in a diversified portfolio of medium and long-term funds with a mission to driving sustained economic development for the benefit of all Nigerians by building a savings base for the Nigerian people, enhancing the…

The Nigerian airports digital infrastructure on Thursday received an additional boost as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAA) in collaboration with MTN Nigeria simultaneously rolled out the launch of free WiFi services at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The partnership, both bodies explained, will be followed up with similar development taking place at the airports in Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu within the next few months. The service they say will greatly enhance travelling passengers’ experience and position Nigeria’s aviation sector as a leader in digital…

A Moroccan court on Thursday sentenced 18 Senegalese football fans to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months over hooliganism charges. The group had been in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of the heated AFCON final in which Morocco lost to Senegal 1-0 on home turf, after some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion while others threw objects onto the field. Seeking the maximum penalty for some, the prosecution had told the court that the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match”. It said the group “committed acts of violence broadcast live…

The Abuja residence of a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, was searched on Thursday by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The development was confirmed in a brief statement by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye. According to the statement, ICPC officials arrived at El-Rufai’s residence around 2 p.m. and immediately began searching the entire property. El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, condemned the raid, describing it as “unlawful and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights”. The ICPC, on Wednesday, confirmed that El-Rufai was in its custody in connection with an ongoing…

The federal government has announced that 30 per cent of the 2025 capital budget will be executed by November 2026, as part of efforts to ensure timely and effective project implementation. The Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, according to a statement issued by the Office’s spokesperson, Mr Bawa Mokwa, on Thursday. Ogunjimi stressed that the remaining 70 per cent of the 2025 budget has been rolled over into the 2026 capital budget, noting that the move is aimed at maintaining continuity and seamless execution in line with directives from President…

President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have resolved to improve bilateral relations between their two countries and to strengthen collaboration in the security, power, and railway sectors. In a telephone conversation on Wednesday afternoon, the two leaders also expressed their willingness to cooperate in creative arts and skill development. President Tinubu and the German Chancellor spoke on the Presidential Power Initiative, during which the Nigerian leader indicated that the country would require assistance with power transmission. The German Chancellor pledged that Siemens would be ready to assist in that regard, while Deutsche Bank would be willing to finance…

In a strategic move to shift the Niger Delta’s economic dependence from crude oil to sustainable commerce, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Senate Committee on Local Content have launched a high-impact “Linkage Capacity Building Programme” in agribusiness. The initiative, hosted in Oleh, Delta South Senatorial District, marks a significant expansion of the “Local Content” philosophy traditionally reserved for the oil and gas sector into the multi billion naira agricultural value chain. Representing the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, Senior Special Adviser Paul Emumena Michael emphasized that the region’s fertile…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, is currently in its custody. In a press release issued by the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, the anti-graft agency stated that the former governor was detained as of the close of work on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. According to the ICPC, El-Rufai’s detention is in connection with ongoing investigations, although the specific details of the allegations against him were not immediately made public. The ICPC detention marks another chapter in the legal…

The Rivers State House of Assembly has halted impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu. The decision was made during Thursday’s sitting, shortly after the House concluded a Committee of the Whole. The impeachment process had been delayed due to legal and political challenges, and further action was put on hold pending the outcome of ongoing court cases and consultations. Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, told lawmakers at the plenary that the decision followed a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa. The meeting involved him, Governor Fubara, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom…