Author: Vardiafrica

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Thursday announced he had dissolved the opposition-dominated parliament and set new legislative elections for November 17. “I have dissolved the National Assembly to ask the sovereign people for the institutional means that would allow me to give substance to the systemic transformation that I promised them,” Faye said on national television. “Today, more than ever, the time has come to open a new phase in our term,” the 44-year-old head of state said. Faye swept to a presidential victory in March 2024 on a promise of radical change for the West African nation. Along…

The United State has called for two new permanent seats on the UN Security Council for African nations, alongside a rotating seat for island states — but insisted they not have a veto. US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made the call on Thursday while delivering a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations. “I’m announcing the United States supports three additional changes to the Security Council,” she said. According to Thomas-Greenfield, this would include “creating two permanent seats for Africa.” The ambassador explained that “the United States supports creating a new elected seat on the Security Council for…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against mpox to be added to its prequalification list. The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely and increased access to this vital product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak. WHO’s assessment for prequalification is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for this vaccine. “This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has imposed a fine of ₦1.69bn on Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for overbilling customer According to NERC, the fine is based on AEDC’s non-compliance with the commission’s previous order on capping estimated billing for electricity consumers. The penalty was contained in documented ‘Order NERC/2024/114’ issued the commission. The fine is part of the commission’s September 2024 Supplementary Order, dated August 30 and signed by Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, and Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, obtained by Channels Television on NERC’s website on Thursday. After investigating AEDC’s billing practices, NERC identified that the…

President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the National Bureau of Statistics’s new report which states that Nigeria recorded another trade surplus in the second quarter of 2024, hitting ₦6.95tn. According to the report, the current surplus is 6.60 per cent higher than the ₦6.52tn surplus recorded in the first quarter. In a statement by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed confidence in the reforms his administration is pursuing, and believed they will create a more robust economy that will usher in a new era of prosperity for Nigerians. The NBS report, according to the presidential…

The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NPDC) on Tuesday at the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), corporate headquarters of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Yenagoa, tasked organisations in the country to treat personal data as highly sensitive information by instituting appropriate measures to minimise data breaches. Speaking at a one-day Data Protection and Privacy Induction Training for staff of the Board, facilitators drew attention to the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023, which aims “to safeguard the rights of individuals regarding their personal data and establish guidelines for organisations handling such data,” while highlighting multiple vulnerabilities in current data management…

King Charles III has hosted President Bola Tinubu at the at Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom (UK). Olusegun Dada, new media aide to the president, posted a photograph of both men exchanging pleasantries in a post on X on Thursday. The aide said continued diplomatic ties and partnership between Nigeria and the UK were discussed at the meeting. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited His Majesty, King Charles at Buckingham Palace,” he said. “The significant meeting, highlighting the continued diplomatic ties and partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.” Both men last met in November 2023 shortly before the 28th United Nations…

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (IVM) has unveiled its first locally produced electric vehicle. In a post on Facebook, the company’s Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Cornel Osigwe stated the electric vehicle was manufactured at the company’s production plant in Nnewi, Anambra state. He said, “I just test drove the first Innoson vehicle Electric vehicle produced in Nnewi. We are just starting.” Mr. Osigwe revealed that this marks the company’s first-ever production of an electric vehicle (EV). However, details regarding the pricing of the Innoson EV, number of units produced and the timeline for its commercial release were not disclosed.…

Armed bandits have blocked the ever-busy Gusau – Funtua highway, kidnapping unspecified number of travellers. Yusuf Tsafe, a commuter who is still stranded around the area told Channels Television that the bandits stormed the highway in the early hours of Thursday and mounted a roadblock around the Tazame axis of the road. According to him, the bandits in their large numbers with about 50 motorcycles, each carrying 3 persons, abducted an unspecified number of travellers “They entered the road around 7 am, and till around 9am, they were still there, we just parked by the roadside waiting for the military…

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has assured Nigerians that the implementation of the proposed temporary zero-duty and levy on selected food imports will ease food inflation. The minister disclosed this to journalists after the pivotal meeting of the Nigeria Customs Service Board held in Abuja on Tuesday and chaired by the minister. According to him, measure is designed to alleviate the current food shortage and reduce soaring food prices, which have been a major contributor to inflation in the country. “We discussed how to collaborate effectively to make food more affordable and accessible in…