Author: Vardiafrica

The National Economic Council (NEC) has constituted a committee on livestock development to expedite the implementation of livestock production in Nigeria. This is as Chairman of the Council, Vice President Kashim Shettima, says a practical, enduring, and nationally accepted solution to the farmer-herder crisis will guarantee food security in the country. The NEC committee on Livestock Development, which was constituted on Wednesday during the 155th meeting of NEC held virtually, is to work in collaboration with other stakeholders. The committee has one member each representing the six geo-political zones, comprising Bauchi for the North-East, Niger for the North-Central, Ondo for…

The house of representatives has approved a proposal mandating the real-time transmission of election results. The resolution was adopted on Wednesday during the clause-by-clause consideration of the report seeking an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022. The approved clause states that the “presiding officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or polling unit agents, where available at the polling unit”. The existing law does not mandate that…

Burkina Faso has released the Nigerian soldiers detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country. The soldiers were released after President Bola Tinubu sent a delegation led by Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, to meet with Ibrahim Traoré, Burkin Faso’s junta leader, on Wednesday. A statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides amicably resolved the issue concerning the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew. The soldiers were detained for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”. Advertisement…

President Bola Tinubu has sought the approval of the House of Representatives to repeal and reenact the N43,561,041,744,507 budget for the 2024 fiscal year. The president made the request on Wednesday in a letter titled: ‘Transmission of the appropriation (Repeal and reenactment bill), 2024-2025’, with Reference No: PRES/134-1/17/HR/ARRENB, dated December 16, 2025 and addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. He explained that the proposed bill seeks to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation of the total sum of N43,561,041,744,507, comprising N1,742,786,788,150 for Statutory Transfers, N8,270,960,606,831 for Debt Service, N411,268,513,380,853 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure, and…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer…

Tinubu, on Wednesday, summoned Ahmed to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following allegations of economic sabotage and corruption. Also caught in the web of resignation was the CEO of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, according to a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy. Tinubu was said to have nominated successors to the senate for approval. “Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),”…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has staged a protest over rising insecurity in different parts of the country. The NLC was joined in the protest by several civil society organisations on Wednesday. In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the protesters marched from the NLC secretariat, under the watch of security agents from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). They later moved to the Federal Ministry of Finance. In Lagos, NLC members and civil society groups marched from Ikeja, the state capital, to the Government House in Alausa.…

The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for suspending its scheduled project inauguration as it joins other Nigerians in mourning the death of the state deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. Governor Diri gave the commendation during a condolence visit by a delegation from the NDDC, led by the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, at the Government House, Yenagoa. The NDDC delegation included the Executive Director Projects, Dr Victor Antai; the Executive Director Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde; the Bayelsa State Representative on the NDDC Board, Senator Dimaro Denyanbofa, and other Directors of…

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau says four persons have been hospitalised after an aircraft crashed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State. NSIB director of public affairs and family assistance, Bimbo Oladeji, said in a statement that the incident, involving a Cessna 172 operated by Skypower Express, occurred at about 8pm on Tuesday. Oladeji said the aircraft was en route from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Owerri. NSIB added that the aircraft crashed in the approach area while attempting to land on runway 17. All four occupants…

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night held a meeting with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as part of last-minute efforts to stop the proposed nationwide protest by the union against the growing insecurity across the country. The meeting, which was held at the State House, Abuja, started at about 11:27pm and had Joe Ajaero, NLC president, Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo and chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, Nasir Idris, governor of Kebbi, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Ed0, and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister of labour and employment in attendance. Last week, the congress declared a nationwide protest for December 17 over…