Author: Vardiafrica

The federal government has disbursed about N13 billion worth of interest-free loans to 7,450 academic and non-academic workers across 153 public tertiary institutions nationwide. In a statement issued on Friday, Boriowo Folashade, director of press and publications at the federal ministry of education, said the disbursement forms part of the 2025/2026 cycle of the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). According to the ministry, the intervention reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare, financial wellbeing and productivity of education workers under the renewed hope agenda. Established by the ministry of education and administered by the Bank of Industry (BOI), the…

The Federal Government has appealed to Nigerian journalists to prioritise national stability and patriotism by keeping activities of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements off their front pages. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal at a two-day National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja yesterday. The summit organised in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) has as its theme: “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building.” Idris said while the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu remains fully committed to upholding press freedom, responsible journalism…

The federal government has issued guidelines for the implementation of the Tax Acts 2025, setting out the transition process from repealed tax laws to Nigeria’s new tax framework, which took effect from January 1, 2026. The guidelines, released by the federal ministry of finance, provide direction to taxpayers, tax practitioners, revenue authorities and other stakeholders on how to address various issues arising during the transition period. This was announced on Thursday in a statement by Efe Ovuakporie, director of press relations at the federal ministry of finance. According to the document, the Tax Acts 2025 — comprising the Nigeria Revenue…

The United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab nation to prohibit children under the age of 15 from creating or operating personal social media accounts, joining a growing list of countries tightening regulations to protect minors in the digital age. The landmark policy, approved by the UAE Cabinet on Thursday, places the Gulf nation at the forefront of global efforts to address concerns over children’s exposure to harmful online content, cyberbullying, predatory behaviour, excessive screen time, and the collection of personal data by technology platforms. Unlike some jurisdictions that permit younger users to access social media with parental consent,…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says it has indefinitely suspended its leader Nnamdi Kanu. The proscribed group added that Kanu has also been delisted as director of Radio Biafra in a bid to reposition the organisation and strengthen its operations. The decision was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Chikadibia Edoziem, head of the directorate of state (DOS), IPOB’s highest decision-making body. The group said IPOB was established as a self-determination movement “formed and nurtured by Biafrans in the diaspora”, and not by any individual, for the restoration of a sovereign Biafra. It said no individual has the authority to…

The Russian capital was shrouded in thick black smoke Thursday after Ukraine launched what appeared to be its largest attack on Moscow since the Kremlin invaded its neighbor more than four years ago. Waves of Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery in the city for the second time this week, sending smoke and flames rising over the city through the morning. Local commercial flights were also disrupted. Kyiv cast the attack as revenge for strikes on a historic monastery that had drawn global condemnation. It comes as President Donald Trump signals renewed engagement with the conflict, boosting Europe’s hopes that he may back tougher action against…

A total sum of N2.300 trillion, being the May 2026 Federation Account Revenue, has been shared between the federal government, states, and the local government councils. In a statement on Wednesday by the spokesperson of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the revenue was shared at the June 2026 Federation Account Allocation Committee FAAC meeting held in Abuja. The N2.300 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N1.611 trillion and distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N688.785 billion. A communiqué issued by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) indicated that the total…

The Federal Government on Wednesday launched FreeTV, a digital television platform offering more than 100 free channels, as it unveiled Nigeria’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) Platform aimed at expanding access to digital broadcasting and accelerating the country’s transition from analogue television. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, officially launched the platform at the headquarters of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) in Abuja. FreeTV will provide a wide range of programming, including news, sports, movies, music, children’s content, educational programmes, as well as dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels. The service will be available through satellite…

A delegation from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has visited the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on a knowledge sharing and local content benchmarking study, with a view to deepen their understanding of the Board’s local content development practices in the areas of policy frameworks and implementation strategies, among other things. The delegation, led by the Director of Corporate Affairs at GNPC, Mr. Eric Pwadura, is on week tour of the NCDMB corporate headquarters, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and was received on Monday by the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe. Welcoming the delegation, the Executive Secretary…

The first woman president of OPEC and Nigeria’s former oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was cleared of bribery charges in a UK trial Wednesday, her defence lawyers said in a statement “Diezani Alison-Madueke was cleared of six charges of bribery at Southwark Crown Court on 17 June 2026, after a five-month trial,” defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw said in a press release. The trial was brought by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which targets serious organised and international crime, after a years-long investigation concerning alleged offences between 2011 and 2015. Laidlaw told the jury at the London court in January that…