Author: Vardiafrica

Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s first lady, on Wednesday attended the “Fostering the future together summit” hosted by Melania Trump, her US counterpart, at the White House in Washington, DC. Oluremi was among 45 first ladies, including France’s Brigitte Macron, who attended the event aimed at “expanding access to educational tools” and protecting children in digital environments. Melania introduced an American-made humanoid system, Figure 3, marking the first time such technology was formally presented to international leaders in a diplomatic setting at the White House. “The future of AI is personified – it will be formed in the shape of humans. Very…

The International Olympic Committee said on Thursday only “biological females” will be allowed to compete in women’s events, preventing transgender women from competing. The IOC is re-introducing testing for gender to determine eligibility to take part in women’s events from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics onwards. The move will also rule out many athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD). In a major shift of policy, the IOC is abandoning rules it brought in in 2021 which allowed individual federations to decide their own policy and is instead implementing a policy across all Olympic sports. “Eligibility for any female category…

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Tanimu Turaki, SAN. Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered the arrest following Turaki’s failure to appear in court for his arraignment. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) had filed a one-count criminal charge against him, alleging that he provided false information to the police. When the matter came up, prosecution counsel, Usman Rabiu, informed the court that the case was slated for the defendant to take his plea. Rabiu noted that Turaki was absent despite…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reiterated strong legislative and political backing for the creation of Anioma State, stating that the proposed state would have Asaba as its capital. Akpabio made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing party members at the South-South zonal congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in Asaba, Delta State, where governors and top political leaders across the region were in attendance. He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to the initiative, describing it as part of broader efforts to promote equity, development, and administrative efficiency. According to him, Warri would become the…

The Central Bank of Nigeria has officially abolished the cash pooling requirement for international oil companies, granting these multinational firms full and unrestricted access to their export proceeds. In a circular issued on Wednesday and signed by Musa Nakorji, the director of the trade and exchange department, the financial regulator announced that the new policy takes immediate effect. The directive explicitly supersedes earlier guidelines introduced in early 2024. Those prior rules mandated banks to pool 50 percent of repatriated export proceeds on behalf of international oil companies, while the remaining balance was systematically withheld for 90 days before it could be repatriated. Under…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says his administration will strengthen collaboration with the Japanese government to fast-track Abuja’s development in line with its master plan. Wike spoke during the visit of Suzuki Hideo, Japanese ambassador to Nigeria, alongside officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The minister applauded the role of Japan in the development and review of the Abuja master plan, stressing its importance for long-term growth. “You have contributed to education, health, nutrition, and other critical sectors that impact directly on our people,” he said. “You have been working closely with the FCDA…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alongside key national and international partners, has launched the updated National Voter Education Manual and a youth-focused Civic and Voter Education Manual, in a renewed push to tackle voter apathy and strengthen democratic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections. The event, held at Reiz Continental Hotel, brought together stakeholders from government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, and youth groups, in their call for a more informed and engaged electorate. In his welcome address, Mohammed Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, highlighted the steady decline in voter turnout since Nigeria’s…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all international money transfer operators (IMTOs) to open naira settlement accounts and route all remittance transactions through them. This means recipients of diaspora remittances will be paid in the local currency from May, ending decades of dollar payments to Nigerians when relatives abroad send money home. The CBN said the latest policy is aimed at deepening diaspora remittances while improving transparency, traceability, and monitoring of foreign exchange (FX) flows. The directive will take effect from May 1, 2026, according to a circular issued on Monday and signed by Musa Nakorji, director of the…

The Federal Government has launched Nigeria’s National Single Window in Lagos, a flagship reform to modernise trade, reduce costs, and improve efficiency across the economy. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, led the launch in Lagos. Edun explained that the platform integrates government agencies into a single digital system, streamlining import and export processes, reducing delays, and lowering the cost of doing business. “This is a decisive shift from complexity to coordination. “It will ease trade, improve competitiveness, and support economic growth,” the minister was quoted as saying on Monday, in a post by the…

The immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Tuesday, said the forceful takeover of his Abuja home by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unconstitutional, illegal and an affront on the rule of law. Malami argued that it was high-handed for the EFCC, a co-litigant in his legal feud with the Federal Government, to embark on illegal acts that are not backed by any valid court order. Addressing newsmen on the issue, Malami said: “The incident that happened on Monday was not an isolated one, because it was further compounded…