Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has constituted a high-level panel to investigate the crash of its ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo state.Sunday Aneke, chief of air staff (CAS), spoke on Thursday when he visited the crash site in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje LGA, where recovery operations were ongoing.Aneke said the panel would comprise military and civilian aviation safety experts, including representatives of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), accident and emergency management authorities, retired senior military officers and experienced NAF personnel.On Monday, a NAF ATR-42 aircraft with registration number NAF 931, conveying 25 passengers and seven crew members crashed while…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to urgently reduce the price of petrol and commence the renegotiation of the national minimum wage, warning that failure to meet its demands could trigger further action by the labour movement. The ultimatum was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the NLC National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) at Labour House, Abuja. The communiqué, signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated that the two-week deadline would commence on Friday, October 9, 2026. The labour centre also directed its affiliates and…

The federal government yesterday unveiled a 10-point intervention to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices and the wider energy crisis, offering a 30-day discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) filling stations nationwide, with public transporters to receive priority. The measures, announced by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, also included a negotiated N1,350 per litre ceiling on the ex-gantry or landing cost of petrol, forward sales of crude to domestic refineries as well as removal of illegal levies. Besides, the government said it was hastening the deployment of Compressed Natural…

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday opened its hearing into Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in favour of Morocco. The hearing in Lausanne comes almost 10 months after Pape Gueye’s extra-time goal gave Senegal victory over the tournament hosts following a chaotic finish to normal time. Many Teranga Lions players had walked off the pitch in protest at a late penalty award to Morocco, which was missed by Brahim Diaz once the Senegalese players returned to the pitch almost 20 minutes later. But in March, the Confederation of African…

The Federal Government has inaugurated the 2026 oil and gas licensing round, offering 40 blocks across land, shallow water, and deepwater terrains to local and foreign investors. Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Commission Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), announced the round in Abuja at the commission’s fifth anniversary. Eyesan said it had the approval of President Bola Tinubu, who is also Minister of Petroleum Resources. She said the bidding process would require investors to disclose their beneficial owners, while the commission would publish the full evaluation results. “The measures are meant to help Nigeria compete for capital in a…

The Senate has postponed its two-day National Security Summit scheduled for October 12 and 13, 2026, following the fatal crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje local government area of Ondo State. The crash, which occurred on Monday, was initially reported to have claimed 25 officers and seven crew members, bringing the reported number of fatalities to 32. But the NAF authorities yesterday clarified that there were five crew members and 20 passengers. The Senate said the summit would be deferred until further notice in honour of the victims and in solidarity…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has now hit 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and final biometric cleanup. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders Meeting held by the commission at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday. Amupitan said the three phases of the CVR exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrations following the conclusion of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) exercise. According to him, the 103 million voters now makes Nigeria the largest democracy…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been admitted as a full institutional member of the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals, WAPPP, a Geneva-based global body for Public-Private Partnerships, strengthening its drive for public-private collaborations, investments and sustainable development across the Niger Delta. In a joint statement, WAPPP President Ziad-Alexandre Hayek and NDDC Managing Director Dr Samuel Ogbuku noted that full membership makes NDDC one of the few Nigerian public agencies and one of only about 40 PPP Units globally to belong to the exclusive network of over 300 PPP professionals from 60 countries. Hayek said: “On behalf…

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as the head of the Nigerian delegation to the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum, which holds from October 7 to 9, 2026. On arrival in Addis Ababa, he was received by the Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ambassador Nasir Aminu; Minister in the Mission, Mr. Nura Aliyu; Senior Counsellor, Mr. Onovo Emmanuel Isaac; the Defense Attaché, Wing Commander Gabriel Batubo, and other senior Ethiopian government officials. He was invited to attend the Pearl Exchange Forum by the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Temesgen Tiruneh,…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State Governor, and leaders of the SIMplified Movement, the governor’s support group, in an apparent effort to close ranks ahead of the 2027 general elections. Wike and leaders of the Rainbow Coalition met Fubara and his supporters, including some former local government council chairmen who formed the backbone of his grassroots support base, at the governor’s residence in Port Harcourt. Details of the meeting were not immediately available to the media. However, reports that emerged on social media hours later suggested…