Author: Vardiafrica

Access Bank Plc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank, in Angola, and in Sierra Leone. The deal was announced July 14,2023, according to regulatory filing on Nigerian Exchange. Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Bank Plc disclosed this in a notification sent to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) in Lagos on Wednesday. Ogbonna said: “We are pleased to have successfully concluded two important acquisitions in Angola and Sierra Leone. “This affords us synergies to strengthen the quality of our earnings from both countries by significantly growing our share of the Corporate…

Buoyed by the ranking as Nigeria’s top performing organisation in efficiency and transparency from 2022 to date, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled plans to mark the 2024 World Anti-corruption Day on Thursday, 5th December at the Nigerian Content Tower, Bayelsa State. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Effective Whistleblowers Protection Mechanism: A Critical Tool in the Fight against Corruption,” and the celebration at the NCDMB is organized by the agency’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACTU) led by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu. According to the programme of event, the day will be…

Votes are being counted in Namibia in what could be the most competitive election since independence from white-ruled South Africa 34 years ago. The poll was marred by logistical issues with voting continuing for an unscheduled second day on Thursday in some areas. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is seeking to become the country’s first female president. She is the candidate of the governing South West Africa’s People’s Organisation (Swapo), to replace Hage Geingob, who died in February after nine years in office But high unemployment, poverty, inequality and corruption allegations have eroded support for the party. Nandi-Ndaitwah’s main challenger is Panduleni Itula…

THE TERTIARY Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced the immediate suspension of its foreign scholarships to academic staff of tertiary institutions across the country. While implementation of the new policy is with effect from January 1, 2025, academic staff who are already enrolled in foreign institutions will continue to draw down on the sponsorship up to the end of their respective programmes. The announcement, contained in a circular to all vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics and provosts of colleges of education, dated November 25, 2024, is personally signed by TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono. Arc. Echono cited higher…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has performed the inaugural harvest of its Rice and Cassava Farmers Empowerment Programme at Warrake in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State. Speaking at the first harvest at a rice farm in Warrake, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, described the event as a significant day in the history of agricultural programmes in the Niger Delta region. Ogbuku, represented by the NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, expressed delight at the young farmers’ enthusiasm for boosting food production.He declared: “This farm’s success is significant because it has adopted full…

 President Bola Tinubu said on Thursday Nigeria is “open for business” as he embarked on a state visit to France, with Paris looking to boost ties in English-speaking Africa following a series of setbacks with former allies on the continent. The 72-year-old president met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during the first official state visit by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades. Advertising Macron, 46, who has sought a “renewal” between Paris and Africa since his 2017 election, said his country will “continue to invest” in Nigeria, at a time when France’s influence on the continent is…

The House of Representatives on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).  While the constitution does not make provision for confirmation of appointments by the House of Representatives, the lawmakers adopted a report of its ad–hoc committee on the confirmation/screening of the Acting Chief of Army Staff and confirmed the appointment of Lieutenant General Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff. Chairman of the committee Babajimi Benson in presenting the report, said Lt. Gen. Oluyede had satisfied all requirements. President Bola Tinubu appointed Oluyede in an acting capacity in October following former army chief Taoreed…

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday began a two-day visit to France, with both sides seeking increased economic cooperation and Paris looking to boost ties in English-speaking Africa following a series of setbacks with former allies on the continent. French President Emmanuel Macron greeted his counterpart at the historic Invalides memorial complex, with the first official state visit by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades. The two national anthems rang out in the courtyard of one of Paris’s landmarks, kicking off a visit focused on encouraging economic partnerships between France and Africa’s most populous country. Macron has sought a “renewal” between Paris and Africa since his…

The United Kingdom has launched Africa’s biggest visa application centre in Lagos State. It was opened on Wednesday through the UK’s new commercial partner – VFS Global. Residents of Nigeria travelling to the UK can now book appointments to submit their visa applications via VFS Global’s new state-of-the-art Visa Application Centres (VAC) located in Abuja, Ikeja (Lagos), and Victoria Island (Lagos) which have commenced operations on 19 November. “I am delighted to witness the opening of this, the largest visa application centre in Africa. Nigeria remains one of the UK’s most important partners, and we hope that VFS deliver ever…

Workers in the Rivers State government civil service, on Wednesday, commended the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara for implementing the N85,000 minimum wage he promised. On announcement of the new minimum wage for the workers, Governor Fubara had assured that implementation will commence from November salary. It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu in July this year approved N70,000 minimum wage nationally, following pressures by the Nigeria Labour Union as a way to tackle the current economic challenges in the country. Considering the impact of the civil servants in Rivers State, Governor Fubara announced N85,000 as the new minimum wage…