Author: Vardiafrica

The planet’s water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, swinging between too little and too much, the United Nations warned Thursday, with an unprecedented El Nino expected to exacerbate the long-term trend. Last year was among the driest for the world’s rivers in over three decades, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said in a report. In 2025 — one of the warmest years on record — glaciers also shrank across all regions, even as groundwater levels in many parts of the world are in multi-year decline, it found. Overall, the WMO’s annual State of Global Water Resources report showed that the…

Todd Boehly has stepped down as Chelsea chairman after selling his stake in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital, which has now taken full control. Boehly and director Mark Walter sold their shares in a deal that hands Clearlake complete ownership. Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss previously each held a 12.8% stake, while Clearlake owned 61.5%. The club confirmed Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group. Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, paid approaching £1 billion for the stakes, which represent about a quarter of the club. Club…

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the federal government to urgently introduce measures to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices on Nigerians. The congress canvassed among others, wage awards, naira-priced crude for local refineries and increased national fuel storage capacity. NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the demands in a statement titled, “Save The Situation Now,” warning that the latest surge in petrol prices was deepening poverty and eroding the purchasing power of workers and households. Ajaero said petrol was selling for as much as N1,430 per litre in major cities where the product was readily available, while prices…

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken delivery of five new helicopters as the Federal Government accelerates efforts to modernise Nigeria’s airpower capabilities and strengthen the Armed Forces’ capacity to respond effectively to contemporary security challenges. The platforms comprise three AW-109 Trekker B helicopters manufactured by Leonardo Helicopters of Italy and two H-125 helicopters manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. The three AW-109s, which form part of 10 recently acquired by the Federal Government, were received in Lagos on 15 September 2026, with the remaining seven expected to be delivered before the end of 2026. The two H-125s had been delivered earlier.…

The Federal Government has rolled out 215,000 MAMA kits, 40,000 maternal food-support packs and 40,000 sets of newborn clothing for vulnerable women and families nationwide This is as the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for stronger collaboration among governments at all levels, traditional and religious institutions, development partners and philanthropists to tackle Nigeria’s maternal and newborn mortality burden. She said the scale of the challenge among pregnant women and infants requires collective action to ensure that the interventions reach them, particularly those in poor, underserved and hard-to-reach communities. Speaking at the flag-off of the distribution at…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) Limited and Geoplex Drillteq Limited, on Thursday in Port Harcourt graduated seven young Nigerian engineers and geologists in Directional Drilling and Evaluation Services (DD/MWD) and Electric Wireline Evaluation Services (EWL) for which the trainees collectively received 18 international certifications from reputable European organisations. Under the contractual framework provided by SNEPCO, Directional Drilling and Evaluation exposed the trainees to jar maintenance, bottom-hole assembly components, measurement-while-drilling principles, formation integrity and leak-off test procedures. For Electric Wireline Services, they had hands-on training on wireline logging,…

The Federal Government has committed ₦10.5 billion to the Digital Training Academy (DTA), an initiative designed to equip 32,000 Nigerians with relevant digital and professional skills for improved employability and participation in the global digital economy. The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the official launch of the Digital Training Academy, explaining that the programme was established to address Nigeria’s skills gap while creating a direct link between professional training, certification, employment, entrepreneurship and national development. Alausa said the initiative is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), in line with the Renewed…

The Progressives Governors Forum is set for a clash with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike after it rejected his rainbow coalition. Wike, who is a PDP member but has strong affiliation with the APC, has formed what he described as a ‘’Rainbow Coalition” in Rivers state where members of the coalition would work in the interest of both the APC and PDP in Rivers State for the 2027 general election After a closed-door meeting in Abuja on Monday, September 14, the APC chairman of the Forum and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, announced the forum’s position on such affiliation In…

The Dangote refinery IPO officially opened its initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, offering 4.1 billion ordinary shares at N525 each. The offer will close on October 13, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares at N5,250, according to the IPO terms. If fully subscribed, the offer is expected to raise N2.15 trillion for the expansion operations. Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), formally opened the offer by sounding the gong at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) in Lagos on Monday. The IPO is open to retail, institutional, and eligible African investors, according to the offer terms. Speaking at…

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Paris, France, as he continues his three-week annual leave in Europe. Tinubu arrived in the French capital on Sunday and was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador to France, Emmanuel Ayodele Oke. The President departed Abuja on August 30, 2026, to begin his vacation in London, United Kingdom, before travelling to Paris for the next phase of his leave. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had announced the vacation in a statement issued on August 30. In the statement, titled “President Tinubu Begins Three-Week Leave,” Onanuga said the President would return…