Author: Vardiafrica

The new minister of education, Tunji Alausa, has overturned the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions in the country. Alausa spoke on Wednesday at his inaugural ministerial press conference, which is ongoing in Abuja. The minister, however, stated that there would be no reversal of the Federal Government’s decision to void over 22,700 degree certificates obtained by Nigerians from some “fake” universities in neighbouring Togo and the Benin Republic. He added that practical education will help to address the unemployment situation in Nigeria, as tertiary institutions will not continue to churn out graduates every year without providing jobs for them.…

Japanese researchers launched the world’s first wooden satellite, “LignoSat,” into space on Tuesday, marking a breakthrough in exploring renewable materials for future lunar and Mars missions. Developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, LignoSat—a palm-sized satellite made from honoki, a type of magnolia wood—will be flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX mission before being released into orbit about 400 kilometres (250 miles) above Earth. The satellite’s name derives from the Latin word for “wood,” and it represents an early attempt to demonstrate the potential of timber as a sustainable resource for space exploration. Professor Takao Doi,…

A plan by Britain’s government to introduce a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking is expected to clear its first hurdle on Tuesday, despite vocal opposition from within Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The bill, a key policy announced by Sunak last year, will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009. It has the support of the opposition Labour Party and is expected to pass. But Sunak faces rebellion from more libertarian-minded members of his party, who criticized the proposals as “unconservative.” If passed, the bill…

President Bola Tinubu has decorated the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Olufemi Oluyede with a higher rank of Lieutenant General. Sources in the Villa confirmed the development to Channels Television on Tuesday. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga later confirmed the development which took place at the President’s office. If confirmed by the Senate, Oluyede will become the substantive army chief, permanently replacing Lagbaja. The acting COAS was promoted from the rank of Major General to Lieutenant General, days after he was appointed as acting army chief by the President. “It is both an honour and a privilege to decorate you today,” the…

Democratic Presidential candidate, Kamala Harris and her bitter rival and former President, Donald Trump are in a tight race for the US top seat according to the latest polls, with key swing states presenting narrow leads for both candidates. Trump’s lead in Georgia and North Carolina has shrivelled to under one point, while he is ahead by 2.2 points in Arizona. In Pennsylvania and Nevada, less than half a point separates the two: Harris has sneaked ahead in the former, though only marginally, after trailing Trump narrowly for the past two weeks; while the Republican candidate is barely ahead in…

The national grid has suffered another collapse, according to the official handle of the Nigeria National Grid on X. The development comes after the grid collapsed three times in one week towards the end of last month. This brings grid disturbance incidences to nine in 2024 alone.  As of 2:45 PM, hourly generation readings from power generation companies such as Afam IV & V were 0 MW, Afam VI. 0 MW, Azura-EDO 0 MW, Dadinkowa. 0 MW, Delta 0 MW, Egbin 0 MW, Geregu 0 MW, Geregu-NIPP. 0 MW, Ibom-Power. 0 MW, Jebba 0 MW, Kainji 0 MW, Odukpani. 0…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on Tuesday told electricity distribution companies in Nigeria not to charge their consumers for the replacement of prepaid meters. The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, gave the directive at a stakeholders’ meeting on electric meter issues held at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja. The meeting was convened to address pressing metering issues facing consumers in Nigeria’s electricity sector. Bello said the meeting highlights the FCCPC’s collective responsibility in safeguarding the rights and well-being of electricity consumers amidst critical challenges. According to him, while electricity should be reliable, accessible, and…

Equatorial Guinea has suspended all officials who had sexual relations in the offices of ministries. Announcing the decision on Monday via social media, Teodoro Nguema, Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president, said the government would take “severe measures” against such acts. “Today, we will proceed with the immediate suspension of all officials who have had sexual relations in the offices of the country’s ministries,” the statement reads. “The Government will take severe measures against these acts, since it constitutes a flagrant violation of the Code of Conduct and the Public Ethics Law. “This action is a decisive step in our policy of zero…

The Federal government through the Ministry of Works has announced the termination of the N740 billion contract with Julius Berger for Section I (Abuja-Kaduna) of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway in FCT, Kaduna, and Kano States. In a statement from the Ministry, it explained that the decision was based on non-compliance with reviewed cost, scope, and terms, stoppage of work, and refusal to remobilise to site. According to the Ministry, the decision was reached at a Management meeting after several months of ongoing discussions that yielded no meaningful progress. It noted that over the past 13 months, the Ministry has been…

Inspector-General Egbetokun Under Fire For Detaining Minors, Summons Top Police Officers, Heads Of Investigation Units Over Malnourishment Of Protesters The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has summoned some top senior officers, including all DCs, CID, and Heads of Investigation Units over bad welfare and poor state of minors detained since August for participating in #EndBadGovernance protests. SaharaReporters had reported that following their rejection at Kuje Prison, the malnourished minors were detained by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in a facility meant for adults at the Intelligence Response Team unit in the Apo area of the Federal Capital Territort. The kids who…