Author: Vardiafrica

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced that all valid foreign exchange backlogs of s$7 billion have now been settled, fulfilling a key pledge of its Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardosoo. In a statement on Wednesday, the apex bank’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Mrs Hakama Sidi Ali, in Abuja confirmed that independent auditors from Deloitte Consulting meticulously assessed these transactions, ensuring that only legitimate claims were honoured. She said that the CBN recently concluded the payment of $1.5 billion to settle obligations to bank customers, effectively settling the residual balance of the FX backlog. At a recent meeting, Governor Cardoso…

Service chiefs, on Wednesday, appeared before the Senate Joint Committee (comprising Army, Navy, Defence and Airforce committees) to begin an investigative hearing on the gruesome killing of military personnel in Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, last Thursday. A minute silence was first observed for the souls of the slain soldiers.Given the sensitivity of the matter, the Chairman of the joint committee, Ahmed Lawan, disclosed that the investigative hearing will be held behind closed doors.The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief…

The Federal Government has reportedly listed Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, and 14 others as terrorism financiers. The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit reportedly listed the identity of the 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and firms, according to The PUNCH. The newspaper said NFIU documents showed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, and specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing. “The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on…

The house of representatives has passed a bill seeking for an extension of the 2023 supplementary budget. President Bola Tinubu had asked the national assembly to extend the implementation of the 2023 supplementary budget to June 30, 2024. The President’s request was contained in a letter read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen. In the letter, President Tinubu also asked the House to extend the implementation of the supplementary appropriation act from March 31, 2024, to June 30, 2024. The President noted that the extension became necessary to ensure that the provisions of the two…

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to use his good office to explore all civil remedies to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in the best interest of the South-East. The call comes barely 24 hours after the IPOB leader’s bail application was rejected by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Reverend Lucius Ugorji, said this during the episcopal ordination of the Auxiliary Bishop of Orlu Diocese in Imo State on Wednesday. According to Most Rev.…

The United States has launched three culture and education programmes in Nigeria.  Assistant Secretary for Culture and Education at the Department of State, Lee Satterfield, made this known at the University of Lagos on Wednesday where she made a foreign policy statement on the new programmes. Her visit was a follow-up to Presiden Joe Biden’s meeting with African leaders in Washington DC 2022 and the visit of US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who was in Nigeria earlier in January. Satterfield announced the launch of the African Creative Initiative in TV, American Music Mentorship Programme for those in the creative…

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reiterated the call to Nigerians, to get more involved in agricultural production, saying “We can grow our food. Everybody should grow something”. She spoke when she received the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed in her office on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja. The First Lady noted, that the various interventions of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), especially in the areas of agriculture, empowerment, education, health and social welfare, were to complement the efforts of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “The President has made…

The Senate has passed the Student Loans Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024. The passage followed the consideration of a report of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), presented by the Chairman representing Katsina South, Sen. Mohammed Muntari. This is as the bill, last week, passed a second reading. President Bola Tinubu had last week, written to the Senate and the House of Representatives, seeking the repeal of the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Bill, and to enact a new one. The new act will enhance the implementation of the…

As global calls for transition to cleaner energy fuels continue to grow, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Ltd. Mele Kyari has said the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project will be taken in December 2024. Kyari revealed this while speaking during a Leadership Dialogue Session at the ongoing CERAWeek Conference in Houston, United States on Tuesday. According to him, the NMGP which is at an advanced stage, will create a pipeline that will pass through thirteen African countries to Europe, adding that the FID for the $25bn…

A bill seeking to grant five-month leave to persons who lose their spouse has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives. Sponsored by Honourable Saidu Abdullahi, the bill seeks to enable the widow or widower mourn the deceased spouse and make immediate arrangements for the challenges ahead. Honourable Saidu argues that there is a need for consideration of the bill on cultural and religious grounds. Abdullahi said the bill is designed to place Nigeria among the top countries in the world in terms of workers welfare as the law exist in many countries. According to him, research findings had…