Author: Vardiafrica

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said no fewer than 24,000 Nigerians will benefit from a new $65 million funding phase of the World Bank-supported Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project. The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the signing of performance contracts for the additional SPESSE financing. He said the new funding builds on the success of the initial $80 million SPESSE project, which became effective in 2021. Ribadu said the initiative was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in procurement, environmental management and social standards across public…

The Nigerian military says there is no “credible” or “substantiated” evidence of civilian casualties following an air strike on Tumfa market in Zurmi LGA of Zamfara state. According to AFP, at least 72 people were killed in the wake of Sunday’s missile launch. The newswire, citing a community leader, said some victims’ bodies were “blown beyond recognition”. “The actual death toll is hard to establish at the moment. Everybody, residents and bandits, goes to the market. People are at the mercy of the bandits. There is nothing they can do,” Garba Ibrahim Mashema told AFP. Amnesty International had said the…

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for a seventh term, extending his grip on power to nearly 40 years after a commanding victory in January’s highly contested elections. The inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, where thousands of supporters gathered to witness the veteran leader take the oath of office. Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents, secured 71.65 percent of the vote, according to Uganda’s Electoral Commission. His closest rival, opposition politician and musician Bobi Wine — whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi — won 24.72 percent but dismissed the results as…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s bid to host two major African football events — the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the 2026 CAF Awards Ceremony — in another significant boost for the country’s sporting profile on the continent. The announcement was made during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, after President Tinubu met with CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, and…

Aliko Dangote said he is targeting a $50 billion valuation for his refinery business ahead of a planned stock market listing in Nigeria later this year. A report by Bloomberg, quoting sources, noted that the company wants to sell up to a 10 per cent stake, potentially raising around $5 billion in one of Nigeria’s biggest capital market deals. The 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery has transformed Nigeria’s fuel supply chain by reducing dependence on imported petroleum products. A senior executive at the Dangote Group confirmed to Bloomberg that the projected valuation reflects the company’s internal expectations but declined to comment further on…

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with a former Kano State Deputy Governor and immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo. The meeting, which was held in Abuja, also had the member representing Bichi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abba Abubakar Kabir Bichi, in attendance. In a post on Gwarzo’s verified Facebook page shortly after the meeting, the politicians discussed political developments and affairs in Kano North ahead of the 2027 general elections. “Today, together with the former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the member…

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, on Thursday in Houston, Texas, United States, enumerated remarkable developments in Nigeria’s investment environment that have made the sector attractive for investments. Speaking at the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Networking Forum of the Offshore Technology Conference 2026, the NCDMB boss listed some of the developments to include the three landmark Executive Orders signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in February 2024, notably the Oil and Gas Companies (Tax Incentives, Exemption, Remission, etc.) Order, 2024; Presidential Directive on Local Content Compliance Requirements, 2024, and Presidential…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has handed over a fire truck to its Department of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), as part of its efforts to strengthen workplace safety and emergency preparedness within the Commission and its environs. Speaking during the handover ceremony at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, stated that safety remained a shared responsibility and emphasised the importance of equipping the HSE Department with essential firefighting tools to support accident prevention and emergency response initiatives. Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC Director, Administration and Human Resources, Sir Kelechi…

The federal government has pegged the minimum admission marks at 150 for both private and public universities in Nigeria. Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, announced the decision at the ongoing 2026 admission policy meeting of the education stakeholders organised in Abuja by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The federal government also set 150 as minimum admission cut off mark for colleges of nursing across the country. The committee placed the cut-off mark for polytechnics at 100, noting that any institution that admits below the agreed benchmark would be sanctioned. It was also stated at the meeting that any institution that wants…

The federal government has retained 16 years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions in the country. The government had in July 2025 fixed 16 years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions in the country, reversing the position earlier announced by Tahir Mamman, former minister of education. Speaking on Monday at the 2026 policy meeting on admissions to tertiary institutions held in Abuja, Tunji Alausa, the education minister, said the decision reflects a balance between inclusivity and academic readiness. “Following extensive consultations and policy reviews, government has maintained sixteen years as the minimum age for admission…