Author: Vardiafrica

Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, has revealed that an increasing number of African countries are now procuring arms and ammunition from the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). He made this announcement in Abuja during the 60th-anniversary celebration of DICON and the launch of the maiden Africa Defence Industries Conference. DICON, established in 1964 to boost national security by reducing reliance on foreign arms, has grown its capabilities significantly over the years. Despite facing various industry challenges, DICON has remained committed to self-reliance and now possesses the capacity to produce military vehicles, artillery, and other defence equipment.…

The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, has met with key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), to sell crude oil to local refineries in naira. Those in attendance included the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Lydia Jafiya. Disclosing this in a post on its official X page, the Finance Ministry said the meeting…

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated 30 hybrid power compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In a post on X, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said the buses were inaugurated on Monday at the State House in Abuja. Onanuga said the CNG buses were donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. “Twenty of the buses were donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), while NNPC donated 10,” Onanuga said. The special adviser said the buses were assembled locally by Innoson Motors. On August…

Edo politician Philip Shaibu says he is back in his role as the Deputy Governor of Edo State and has directed his staff to follow suit. He also warned banks carrying out transactions with the Office of the Deputy Governor of Edo State without his express consent about the illegality of such transactions. In a video broadcast on Monday, Shaibu mandated those yet to resume work since his “reinstatement” to do so or face the consequences According to him, the judgement of the Federal High Court which reinstated him indicated that his office has never been vacant. He also disclosed that…

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Esther Walson-Jack as head of the service (HoS) of the federation. She was sworn in before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday. The president had appointed Walson-Jack as the HoS in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the president spokesperson, on July 17. Ngelale said her appointment will take effect on August 14 — a day after Folasade Yemi-Esan, the current HoS, retires from the civil service. Tinubu asked Walson-Jack to serve the country with integrity and transparency. The president also commended Yemi-Esan for her dedication to duty, describing her tenure as exceptional. ”We…

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Ms. Rena Wakama, D’Tigress’ coach, on her recognition as the best coach of women’s basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Nigeria women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, put up a spectacular performance at the Olympics, becoming the first African basketball team to play in the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games. President Tinubu states that the recognition of Ms. Wakama, 32, by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), further accents her well-established leadership qualities and dedication to excellence. The President commends the team, the coach, and all those who played a part in the unprecedented feat at the Olympics,…

An explosion has rocked the Action Peoples Party (APP) secretariat in Rivers state. Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers police command spokesperson, confirmed the incident to TheCable on Monday. Iringe-Koko said the command has deployed its bomb disposal team to the scene. “We have heard about the incident. We already sent our bomb disposal team to that place to ascertain what really happened,” she said. “I cannot say if it was bomb explosion yet. We have commenced investigation. The damage wasn’t that much.” She added that details would be made public after the conclusion of investigation. In June, an explosion occurred near the Hotel…

Iran’s Vice-President Mohammed Javad Zarif has resigned from President Massud Pezeshkian’s cabinet just 11 days after his appointment. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain his decision. “I am not satisfied with my work and regret that I have not been able to fulfill expectations,” he said on X. He also hinted that the selection of ministers for Pezeshkian ‘s new cabinet had been the reason for his decision. According to Mr Zarif, at least seven of the 19 ministers nominated were not his first choice Zarif was President Pezeshkian’s right-hand man during his presidential election campaign and, due…

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…