Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is probing the destruction of the country’s passport by a lady and has also invited the woman for questioning. A viral video captured the female traveller identified as Favour Igiebor destroying the Nigerian Standard Passport – said to belong to her husband – at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. It was initially unclear the reason for her action but in a Monday statement, the NIS spokesman Kenneth Udo said the incident is a violation of the law. “The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a formal investigation following the circulation of a…

In response to a new, more virulent strain of monkeypox (mpox) which has been discovered in some African countries, the Federal Government has implemented a stringent health screening protocol for incoming international travellers. This measure, announced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention aims to curb the spread of the Clade Ib subclade of monkeypox, which has been increasingly impacting several African nations. The new variant of monkeypox started ravaging African countries especially DR Congo in September 2024. Nine days ago, the World Health Organisation said it was considering…

The Organized Labour has firmly rejected the explanation provided by the Nigerian Police regarding what it describes as an “invasion” of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters. The rejection follows a police statement on Friday, August 9, claiming that their operation was not targeted at the NLC but rather focused on apprehending a foreign national linked to criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries. The police maintained that the operation, which took place within the NLC headquarters building, was legally sanctioned and aimed at a rented shop within the premises that was being used by the suspect as a…

Amidst the clamour for good governance and reduction in the cost of living in the country, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo has asserted the Federal Government’s firm determination to advance the nation’s gas resources as the surest pathway to economic prosperity. The Minister stated this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Wednesday when he visited the facilities and projects of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), where he serves as the co-chair of the Governing Council. He stated that Nigeria is endowed with vast natural gas resources of about 209 trillion cubic feet…

Nigeria’s head coach Rena Wakama has been honoured as the Best Coach at the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite the D’Tigress not advancing to the final four. Wakama’s leadership was instrumental in guiding Nigeria’s senior women’s national basketball team, known as the D’Tigress, to a historic performance at the tournament. Under his guidance, the team achieved several milestones, making a significant impact on the competition. Wakama, who is 32 years old, led the D’Tigress to notable victories, including their opening-day win over Australia. This victory marked Nigeria’s first-ever success in a Group phase match at the Olympics. The team continued to…

Rwanda’s all-powerful President Paul Kagame was sworn in Sunday for a fourth term, saying regional peace was a “priority” in the face of ongoing conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Kagame swept to victory in elections last month with a staggering 99.18 percent of the vote, giving him another five years in office. Several dozen heads of state and other dignitaries from African nations joined the inauguration ceremony at a packed 45,000-seat stadium in Kigali, where many were dressed in the green, yellow and blue colours of the Rwandan national flag. The outcome of the July 15 poll…

President Joe Biden, in his first TV interview since dropping out of the White House race, warned that Republican candidate Donald Trump was “a genuine danger to American security.” “Mark my words, if he wins… this election, watch what happens,” Biden told CBS News in a pre-taped interview broadcast on Sunday. “He’s a genuine danger to American security. Look, we’re at an inflection point in world history… and democracy is the key.” Biden, 81, has kept a low profile since withdrawing after his flailing debate performance against Trump underlined fears about his age and mental abilities. In the short TV…

Poland says seven of its nationals did not fly Russian flags in Kano, a city in North-West Nigeria. Andrzej Szejna, Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, told private radio station RMF FM that the six students and the teacher “were in the wrong place at the wrong time”. The seven Polish nationals were accused of playing a “suspicious role” in protests against government policies and economic hardship, the Department of State Services said upon their arrest on Thursday. The Polish foreign ministry, however, said they were students and a teacher. Africa’s most populous country is struggling with its worst cost-of-living…

The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has apologised to Nigerians for Team Nigeria’s dismal performance during the 2024 Paris Olympics when the country did not secure any medals. Daily Sun reports that Nigeria has officially concluded its participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, without winning a single medal. Hannah Reuben was Nigeria’s final hope for a medal on Saturday, but she was defeated 5-2 (by points) in the second round of the women’s freestyle wrestling 76kg by Mongolia’s Davaanasan Amar Enkh. In a statement he signed on Saturday, Enoh said: “The Olympic Games, Paris 2024, have ended,…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu, to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and appropriate anti-corruption agencies, to promptly and thoroughly investigate the spending of $1.5bn World Bank loan obtained by the 36 states and Abuja for poverty reduction and social protection across the states. SERAP said, “Suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any proceeds of corruption should be fully recovered.” SERAP also urged him to direct Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate…