Author: Vardiafrica

Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in December 2025 commenced the Nigerian Content Research, Innovation and Technology Challenge 2025/2026 with a call on interested individuals, research institutions, academia, oil and gas industrysuppliers, and members of the public with research innovations, to submit proposals for evaluation and admission into the NCDMB Technology Innovation and Incubation Centre(TIIC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The competition, which seeks to identify and develop new technologies to address specific challenges in the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors, requires that proposals be in line with approved thematic areas and priority industry challenge, namely, Geological and Geophysical Studies, Local Materials Substitution Studies, Technology Development Studies, Health,…

During his official defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu on Wednesday, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi issued a stern warning against electoral malpractice ahead of the 2027 elections. Speaking to a gathering of supporters at Nike Lake Hotel, Obi emphasised the need to protect Nigeria’s democracy and uphold the rule of law. He said, “Today is an important day. Today is the last day of 2025. So we are ending this year with a hope that in 2026 we will begin a journey of rescue of our country, for proper socio-economic development that will be…

Banks to start charging senders N50 stamp duty on transfers above N10k from January According to the Cable, banks are set to start charging senders a N50 stamp duty on electronic transfers of N10,000 and above from January 1, 2026, following the implementation of the Tax Act. The stamp duty or electronic money transfer levy (EMTL) is a single, one-off charge of N50 on electronic receipt or transfer of money deposited in any commercial money bank or financial institution on any type of account on sums of N10,000 and above. In an email sent to customers on Tuesday, United Bank…

Guinea’s junta chief Gen Mamady Doumbouya has won the presidential election by a landslide, getting 86.7% of the vote, according to provisional results published by the election commission. The general is hoping to legitimise his rule after seizing power in a coup in 2021. A civil society group calling for the return of civilian rule has condemned the election as a “charade” after Gen Doumbouya’s main rivals were barred from contesting, while opposition candidates said the poll was marred by irregularities. The Democratic Front of Guinea’s flagbearer, Abdoulaye Yero Balde, came a distant second with 6.6%, followed by the Liberal…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared local governments an autonomous third tier of government and nullified critical provisions of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, 2004, that placed them under state control. In a judgment delivered on October 13, 2025, Justice Emeka Nwite held that local governments are a distinct, autonomous tier of government under the 1999 Constitution and not appendages or extensions of state governments. The court consequently nullified critical provisions of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act 2004 that placed Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) under the control of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs). In…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mocked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, saying he is now afraid of losing the attention of President Bola Tinubu. Reacting to the Minister’s media chat earlier on Monday, the PDP said Wike’s grip on Rivers State politics is slipping and is frustrated by the “unbending nature of the true leadership of the PDP at the national level.” Posting on the party’s official X page on Monday evening, the spokesman of the Kabiru Turaki camp, Ini Ememobong, said Wike was excessively ingratiating with Tinubu during the media chat. Ememobong said…

President Bola Tinubu has extended his sympathy to boxer Anthony Joshua following a road accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway that claimed two lives and left the athlete injured. In a message shared on X on Monday, the president described the incident as a tragic loss that has cast a shadow over the season. He prayed for the repose of the victims and a quick recovery for Joshua. ”I extend my deep sympathies to you following the tragic accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, which claimed two precious lives and caused you injuries” ”This immense tragedy casts a deep shadow on this season.…

Pop Queen Beyonce is officially a billionaire. According to Forbes, her net worth is now estimated at over $1 billion, after she concluded her successful Cowboy Carter Tour in 2025, which grossed over $407 million, after dropping her mega-hit studio album, Cowboy Carter, in 2024. The 44-year-old superstar received lots of opportunities after the release of Cowboy Carter, including “new commercial opportunities,” her world tour, which was the highest-grossing of the year, and more in 2025, according to Forbes. The magazine reports that the singer earned $148 million in 2025 alone. The last estimate of her net worth had her at $780 million. At…

Cristiano Ronaldo said his passion for the game remains undimmed and that he is still motivated to reach his target of 1,000 career goals ​after the Portuguese forward was ‍named ⁠Best Middle East Player ‍at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday. Ronaldo’s double for Saudi side Al-Nassr on Saturday took his ‍tally to 956 goals for club and country, and with the 40-year-old ‌set to play on for “one or two more years” ​his target ‌looks achievable. “It’s hard to ‌continue playing, but I am ​motivated,” ‌he said after receiving the award for the second consecutive year. “My…

The US has offered Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, during talks on a revised peace plan with Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday. The US president said an agreement on this point was “close to 95%” done, but Ukraine’s leader has since said he would like guarantees for up to 50 years. President Zelensky outlined territorial issues and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as the last unresolved matters, with little said on the future of Ukraine’s contested Donbas region. Russia has previously rejected key parts of the plan, but a Kremlin spokesman agreed on Monday with Trump’s…