Author: Vardiafrica

Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF) has reaffirmed their dedication to promoting gender equality, child welfare, and women’s health nationwide, advocating for better legislative representation for women and enhanced maternal healthcare systems. A communique issued on Friday following their 2025 Annual Retreat in Calabar, which was attended by 22 First Ladies, emphasized the significance of continued initiatives for gender inclusivity, the support for the Reserved Seat for Women Bill, and the introduction of six months of paid maternity leave across all states. The document referred to the retreat as “a gathering of shared wisdom and renewed commitment,” with the First Ladies…

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, has fixed November 20 to deliver its judgment on the seven-count terrorism charge filed against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. The date was set after Kanu failed to utilize the six days allotted by the court to open his defence against the Federal Government’s charge.Instead of opening his defence on Friday, November 7, Kanu, who has chosen to represent himself after disengaging his lawyers, filed a fresh motion challenging the competence of the charge and the court’s jurisdiction to try him.…

A new Vatican decree approved by Pope Leo has tweaked various titles used by Catholics to describe Mary, the mother of Jesus. Among the popular Mary titles used by the denomination are “co-redemptrix” and “mediatrix”. For centuries, Catholics have prayed to Mary to intercede on their behalf with the use of rosary beads, believing that birthing Christ takes her up several rungs on the divination hierarchy. In the decree issued Tuesday, the Vatican noted that Mary only played a subordinate role in salvation. “Given the necessity of explaining Mary’s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, it is always inappropriate to use…

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has met with state chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) head of the party’s National Elective Convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan on November 15 and 16. The meeting held on Thursday night in Asokoro, Abuja at the Oyo State Government Lodge and the delegation was led by their Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, from Edo State. Aziegbemi commended Governor Makinde for his steadfast commitment to promoting unity and stability within the party, lauding his “visionary leadership and dedication to inclusivity,” which he said had strengthened the PDP across the country. He noted that the…

The world’s richest man was just handed a chance to become history’s first trillionaire. Elon Musk won a shareholder vote on Thursday that would give the Tesla CEO stock worth $1 trillion if he hits certain performance targets over the next decade. The vote followed weeks of debate over his management record at the electric car maker and whether anyone deserved such unprecedented pay, drawing heated commentary from small investors to giant pension funds and even the pope. In the end, more than 75% of voting shareholders gathered at the company’s Austin, Texas, headquarters approved the plan. “Fantastic group of shareholders,” Musk said after…

A total of 78 youths, drawn from Delta and Bayelsa States, have completed a two-day empowerment training organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) as part of its vocational and self-employment programmes for 2025. In the training which entailed exhaustive description of technical parameters of machines for use in Point of Sales (POS) and purpose-built powerbank businesses, participants were guided through practical demonstration on how best they could get established in income-generating activities with the devices. In a brief address at the Yenagoa segment of the training on Tuesday, a representative of NCDMB’s Board’s Project Office, Prince…

The Federal Government on Thursday unveiled the next phase of economic reforms aimed at propelling Nigeria towards a one-trillion-dollar economy, with a focus on removing barriers to investment and enhancing productivity. Updating the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chambers of the State House, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, provided an update on the administration’s economic reform performance. He outlined key measures underway, including a comprehensive review of tariffs and import restrictions designed to boost business confidence and attract new waves of capital investment into the…

For African nations to successfully transform their abundant hydrocarbon resources into shared prosperity for their citizens and economic development, they have to make local content policies and effective implementation the cornerstone of their energy future, the Executive Secretary Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe has advised. He made the recommendation on Tuesday at the 4th edition of African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) conference and exhibition on local content in Africa, holding in Brazzaville, Congo. The event is dedicated to advancing local content implementation and energy development in Africa, and is attended by industry stakeholder across the…

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, administered the oath of office to Dr Bernard Doro and Dr Kingsley Udeh as ministers, officially inducting them into the Federal Executive Council, FEC The ceremony took place at 1:52 p.m. inside the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, a few minutes before the commencement of the FEC meeting, the first since July 2025. The swearing-in on Thursday, restores cabinet representation for Plateau and Enugu States, both of which had been without ministerial presence in the past few weeks. Recall that Doro was nominated by Tinubu on October 21 to replace Prof Nentawe Yilwatda,…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has commended TotalEnergies and PIDWAL for their commitment to Nigerian Content development and for the successful completion of the Human Capacity Development (HCD) training under the “Provision of Drillship for the Egina Project.” The closeout ceremony was held on Tuesday at Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The one-year programme, implemented under NCDMB’s HCD framework, provided intensive training in Sea-Time operations, Certificate of Competency (COC) preparation, and Hydraulic Mechanics/Technician development. It aimed to develop skilled Nigerians capable of making meaningful contributions to the nation’s maritime and oil and gas industries. Representing the Executive Secretary…