Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, pledged its continued support for the yearly Bayelsa Media Awards (BMA), stating that its collaboration with the mass media has been very rewarding in driving local content to a level of excellence. “This is one event we are proud of and we will keep the sponsorship going,” declared the Assistant Manager, Government Relations, Mr. Teddy Bai, who represented the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, at the event, which had representatives of the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and Secretary to the State…

The Nigerian Federal Government has evacuated another batch of 111 Nigerian nationals stranded in South Africa, following the increasing Xenophobic and Agoraphobic attacks against Africans in the former Apartheid enclave. The Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olufemi Adeniyi, in a statement on Sunday, said the distressed Nigerian nationals arrived in Lagos from South Africa aboard South African Airways (SAA) Flight SA060 on Thursday, 8 October 2026. The group, comprising 44 men, 23 women and 44 children, was received upon arrival by the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), National Agency for…

Nigeria is seeking to transform its agricultural sector by adopting lessons from Ethiopia’s agribusiness model, with a focus on mechanization, improved seeds, climate-smart farming and large-scale food production to achieve food sovereignty and strengthen economic resilience. The initiative was highlighted by Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima during the Ethiopia–Nigeria Leadership Exchange, which included visits to farms and agricultural facilities in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. The engagement aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries and identify practical approaches to improving agricultural productivity across Africa. Shettima pointed to Ethiopia’s progress in wheat production, noting its transition from spending approximately $1…

President Bola Tinubu yesterday defended his administration’s economic reforms, citing stronger economic growth, rising foreign reserves and increased revenues to states, and welcomed last week’s World Bank report indicating Nigeria’s steady economic growth. The president also disclosed that the federal government had forgone more than N3.3 trillion in fuel taxes and duties to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices, while highlighting the expansion of compressed natural gas (CNG) transportation as part of efforts to reduce the cost of living. The president’s comments on the reforms came as the country emerged among the top 10 recipients of the $112 billion…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has called on indigenous oil and gas companies to strengthen their capacity and competitiveness in order to thrive in international markets. It identified access to assets, financing, technology, and markets as critical drivers of sustainable growth. Speaking at the 2026 Energy Conference of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC), held on October 8 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, the Board’s General Manager of Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, made the appeal while representing the NCDMB. He highlighted that the conference theme, “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth,”…

For the umpteenth time, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could transform or eliminate about 40 per cent of jobs worldwide, urging governments to invest in skills, infrastructure and new employment opportunities to protect workers, especially young people. World Bank Group President, Ajay Banga, said the growing number of young people entering the labour market presented a major opportunity for developing countries, but only if governments could provide the education, healthcare, skills and economic opportunities needed to make them productive. Speaking at a panel discussion involving the IMF Managing Director, Kristalina…

The National Automative Design and Development Council (NADDC) has stated that it has concluded modalities to implement the ‘Nigeria First Policy,’ which was signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu The Director-General of the NADDC, Joseph Osanipin said this in Abuja on Friday at a joint press conference with the Bureau of Public Procurement on the implementation of Nigeria First Policy, noting that for decades, Nigeria has remained a major consumer of foreign-assembled automotive products, which has strained foreign exchange reserves, exported local jobs and suppressed the growth of domestic manufacturing. “We are fundamentally shifting the Nigeria First Policy. All vehicles…

As preparations intensify for the 2026 edition of the Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum, slated for November 30 – December 3, 2026, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and its partner, DMG Events, have strengthened their long-standing collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government, to ensure the seamless hosting of the flagship industry gathering. This commitment was underscored on Tuesday during a strategic engagement between officials of NCDMB and DMG Events with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr. Peter Pereotubo Akpe, at the Government House in Yenagoa. The meeting was convened to appreciate the State Government for its…

The Nigerian Government says it is negotiating a ₦1,350 per litre ceiling on the ex-gantry or landing cost of petrol, under a proposed price-modulation arrangement aimed at shielding Nigerians from sharp fluctuations in global crude prices and exchange rates. The government says the mechanism would allow refiners and importers to absorb temporary increases in costs and recover the difference when market conditions improve, thereby reducing volatility in petrol prices. The Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele disclosed this at a press briefing, explaining that the ceiling would be reviewed monthly, with the figures published…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disassociated itself from a viral list circulating on social media, purportedly containing fake, adulterated or substandard products in Nigeria. The denouncement is contained in a statement to newsmen by the agency’s resident media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, in Abuja on Thursday. The statement said the agency wished to make it categorically clear that the circulating list did not emanate from NAFDAC and should not be regarded as an official alert, recall or safety communication. It stated that NAFDAC, as a responsible regulatory authority, does not make sweeping declarations…