Author: Vardiafrica

Three days after Northern Governors kicked against President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bill, which is presently before the National Assembly for consideration, the National Economic Council on Thursday told the President to immediately withdraw the Bill to allow for wider consultations and consensus building. Recall that President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council recently endorsed new policy initiatives to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration processes. The Federal Government had said that the new laws were meant to enhance efficiency and eliminate redundancies in the nation’s tax operations. The reforms emerged after a review of existing tax laws since August 2023. The National…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services will give security clearance to commercial bus and taxi drivers in the FCT from January 2025. Speaking at the FCT Renewed Hope Youth Empowerment Programme in Abuja on Thursday, Wike stated that the move is to end kidnapping and cases of ‘one-chance’ robbery in Abuja Wike disclosed that any commercial bus or taxi driver who is not cleared by the security agencies will not be allowed to operate with the FCT. He said, “Most of the Keke Napep…

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) on Thursday announced fresh N2.8 billion support from Google to accelerate AI talent development across Nigeria. This support, which is provided as a grant from Google.org to Data Science Nigeria, will bolster the Ministry’s ongoing AI-driven initiatives to upskill youth and under- and unemployed Nigerians, with a focus on AI skill development and education. The latest supports followed a N100 million commitment from Google to the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) AI Fund, which was announced in September According to a statement from the Ministry, this grant is part…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to roll out a phased contactless passport renewal system, beginning in Canada on November 1, 2024. This initiative, designed to simplify and modernize the passport renewal process, allows Nigerians to apply for passport renewals online, reducing the need for in-person visits to NIS offices. Following Canada, the service will extend to the UK, USA, and Italy on November 15, and by December 1, it will be available in Nigeria and other global locations The new system was officially announced on Wednesday via NIS’s X (formerly Twitter) account. “In its continued effort to…

Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday warned Nigerian courts against setting Rivers State on fire with their judgments and orders. Atiku’s warning came a few hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop releasing financial allocations to the Rivers State Government until a lawful appropriation act is passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly. This decision was made by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in response to a suit filed by the factional pro-Nyesom Wike Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule. Justice Abdulmalik held…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says power supply has been successfully restored to seven northern states through its 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line one. In a statement on Wednesday, Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s general manager of public affairs, confirmed that power was restored at 4:56 pm after repairs on the vandalised section of the line were completed “As restoration efforts continue, with the TCN engineering team preparing to commence work on the second 330kV transmission line, all necessary materials for the repairs are on hand, and work will begin as soon as the site is secured for the safety of our personnel…

Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina, who has been at the center of a fierce nationality row, is to be stripped of her South African identity and travel documents. BBC reports that the Department of Home Affairs initiated an investigation into her case after she became a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, facing scrutiny over her eligibility due to her mother’s Mozambican roots and her Nigerian father’s nationality. In August, she withdrew from the competition after the department revealed that her mother might have committed “identity theft” to acquire South African citizenship. Adetshina, a law student, later won the title of Miss…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff. This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga. He said Oluyede will hold sway as the COAS pending the return of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who is said to be indisposed and is receiving treatment abroad. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS),” the statement read. “Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive…

The Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Kemi Nandap, has said that Nigerian borders are now safer than before as the service deployed technology across the nation’s entry points. Nandap stated this when she paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau on Wednesday in Jos, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The comptroller added that the service had adopted some innovative initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety of all land borders and Nigerians. ‘’We are leveraging technology, innovations and other laudable initiatives, and I can assure you that our borders are now safer than before,’’ she…

Nigeria, alongside other West African countries, is set to adopt a unified driver’s license and vehicle registration system as part of a regional effort to streamline transportation and enhance road safety.The Federal Road Safety Corps is also collaborating with the Economic Community of West African States through the West African Road Safety Organisation to develop a Regional Vehicle Administration and Information System. The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this at a workshop on inter-agency collaboration in Abuja on Tuesday.Represented by Deputy Corps Marshal Clement Oladele, he stated that the initiatives aim to create a standardised system for driver’s licenses,…