Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Tinubu has received the United Nations’ proposed 2027 budget from Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim. Ibrahim, who chairs the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters, presented the seven-volume document to the President following its submission to the committee by the UN Secretary-General. He described the occasion as historic, noting that it was the first time in 66 years that Nigeria had chaired the committee responsible for the organisation’s administrative and budgetary affairs. “This is the first time in 66 years that Nigeria will chair the Budget and Administrative Committee. It is…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) and Global Oceon Engineers Nigeria Limited, has launched a Human Capacity Development programme to train 48 Nigerians in subsea engineering. The kick-off ceremony took place on Friday, October 16, 2026, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of the Board’s efforts to address critical skills gaps and strengthen indigenous technical expertise in the oil and gas industry. The programme combines six months of classroom instruction with six months of structured on-the-job training, giving participants specialised knowledge and practical experience in subsea engineering. The…

Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Mali have resumed talks with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), more than 18 months after the three countries withdrew from the regional bloc. The two sides agreed on Saturday to establish joint working groups to develop a framework agreement for cooperation. The three countries, led by military juntas withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025 after forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), following a series of military coups and tensions with the regional bloc. Talks between ECOWAS and the AES have continued since January 2025, but Saturday’s meeting marked the first official…

The Federal Government has unveiled a 10-year capital market master plan targeting growth in Nigeria’s capital market from about N250 trillion to N750 trillion by 2036, as it seeks to mobilise long-term financing for infrastructure and economic development. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who unveiled the plan at the National Capital Market Conference 2026 in Abuja on Monday, said the capital market had become a critical instrument of national economic policy and should play a greater role in financing Nigeria’s development. The plan, developed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), seeks to deepen investor participation, expand investment products and strengthen…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, flagged off a five-day capacity building programme for 200 primary and secondary school teachers drawn from all local government areas of the State. Themed “Empowering Teachers for Effective Curriculum Delivery through Digital Innovation, Modern Pedagogy and Professional Excellence,” the training is centred on four pillars, namely, “Digital Literacy, ICT Skills and Digital Teaching Tools” (Pillar 1); Interactive Lesson Preparation, Presentation, and Learner Engagement” (Pillar 2); “NERDC [National Educational Research and Development Council] Curriculum Alignment and Competency-based Lesson” (Pillar 3), and “Positive Classroom Management, Discipline and Learner…

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to promote Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a cheaper transport fuel and accelerate the rollout of one million CNG-powered vehicles nationwide. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, gave the directive in Abuja while receiving progress reports from the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) and the Decade of Gas Secretariat. Ekpo, in a statement on Sunday, tasked the two bodies with prioritising interventions, increasing investments, expanding CNG infrastructure and strengthening nationwide adoption programmes. He said the Federal Government’s Auto CNG policy must deliver tangible benefits to…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), led members of the Rivers house of assembly and the 23 local government chairmen in the state to a fresh meeting with Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers governor, as efforts to consolidate reconciliation between both political camps continue. The meeting, held at Fubara’s private residence in Port Harcourt, comes barely two weeks after political leaders loyal to both men met at the same venue. Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the Rivers assembly, and Kingsley Chinda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, were among those who accompanied Wike to the meeting.…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has advised candidates not to accept any admissions that are not provisioned on Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). The Board made this known in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Abuja by the Head Public Affairs and Protocols, Fabian Benjamin. In the statement tagged “CAVEAT EMPTOR: ILLEGAL ADMISSIONS BY SOME INSTITUTIONS”, Jamb warned that any candidate who has not accepted and printed his/her admissions letter on CAPS should not pay any acceptance fee as any admission done outside CAPS is an illegitimate admission that would not be sanctioned by the Board.…

The European Union (EU) is preparing a €20 million defence assistance package for Nigeria’s Armed Forces, with a technical delegation expected in Abuja in November 2026, to finalise delivery arrangements under the European Peace Facility. The proposed assistance was discussed when the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), received the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, and his delegation at Ship House, Abuja. The meeting also reviewed bilateral defence agreements and security cooperation. Ambassador Mignot commended the Minister’s efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges and invited him to a meeting…

President Bola Tinubu has removed federal universities from the requirement to obtain recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), in a major policy shift aimed at easing staffing bottlenecks and strengthening institutional autonomy. The reform, which allows universities to respond more directly to their manpower needs, was disclosed by the President at the maiden convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, FUHSA, Bauchi State, on Saturday, where 50 pioneer graduates received their degrees. Tinubu, who is the visitor to all federal universities, was represented at the ceremony by…