Author: Vardiafrica

Global music streaming platform, Spotify, has announced Nigerian music sensations, Ayra Starr and Tems, as the most streamed Nigerian artistes globally. Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub- Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, announced this in Lagos on Wednesday. Okumu said that the top 30 artistes who had gained the biggest global numbers were revealed in Spotify’s music global impact list for 2024. She said that Rauw Alexandro and Ayra Starr’s Santa came top on the list, and Ayra Starr’s Comma emerged second while Tem’s Love Me Jeje, came third Luciano and Omah Lay’s Another Vibe came fourth; 21 Savage, Burna Boy and…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officiated the induction of eight new Federal Permanent Secretaries to address current and anticipated vacancies in various states and geopolitical zones within the senior administrative echelons of the Civil Service of the Federation. On Wednesday, President Tinubu administered the oath of office to the Permanent Secretaries before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting. The appointees emerged after stages of the selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Comprising a written ICT tests. The appointees are Dr Emanso Umobong Okop of Akwa-Ibom State, Obi Emeka Vitalis of…

President Bola Tinubu will meet with the Organised Labour in Abuja on Thursday to further discussions on a new minimum wage for workers in Nigeria. A top labour source told Channels Television that the President invited the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the meeting expected to be held at the Aso Villa in the nation’s capital city. The President is expected to make a decision on the ₦62,000 proposal of the government and private sector side; as well as the ₦250,000 demand of the Organised Labour. The Thursday meeting is coming about a month…

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, and six others will appear in court on Thursday to face charges related to alleged bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds amounting to billions of naira. This development followed a notice of trial served on the respondents through substituted means by order of the court. A Kano State High Court granted the order on June 5, 2024, allowing the state to serve the seven respondents through substituted service, which was subsequently executed via advertisements in two national newspapers on June 6, 2024. The respondents in the…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is planning another oil-backed loan to enhance its finances and allow investment in its business, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, has said. The state oil firm aims to raise at least $2bn through the proposed new loan. NNPC had in August 2023, announced that it had secured a $3.3bn emergency crude oil repayment loan from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). When the $3.3bn loan is added to the newly proposed loan of $2bn, it means the national oil company is about raising its crude-backed loans to $5.3bn. Kyari said the company…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged the commitment of his administration to invest in Nigeria’s Art and Culture Sector for the education of children and the benefit of mankind. He stated this during the presentation of a one-hour fifty-five-minute stage play titled; “Abibatu Mogaji : The Opera,” at the Conference Center of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The Nigerian Leader applauded the producer of the play, Ola Awaakan for exemplifying the life and times of the National Icon, his mother Alhaja Mogaji with legacies of true resilience, mentorship and enduring discipline. He further stated that the entertainment industry…

Australia’s Fair Work Commission has increased its minimum wage to $915.90 per week which already took effect since July 1, 2024. This follows an announcement made on a 3.75% rise in the National Minimum Wage, summing up a rise to $24.10 per hour. This adjustment aims to bolster compensation amid economic shifts and inflation, benefiting both local workers and international work visa applicants. The annual wage review ensures equitable remuneration for Australia’s lowest-paid workers, setting a new weekly minimum of $915.90. Starting from the first full pay period on or after July 1, 2024, these updated rates apply universally, establishing…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, assuring of his readiness to implement recommendations on ranching and other livestock reforms to enhance the Nigerian economy. Speaking at the inauguration, President Tinubu emphasized the potential of the livestock industry to boost agricultural productivity, export opportunities, and economic growth, noting that the sector contributes significantly to nutrition and food security. He thanked former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje for convening a national conference on livestock reforms and commended the committee members for their expertise and commitment to Nigeria’s prosperity. “Let me take advantage of the presence…

President Bola Tinubu has announced the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in a move expected to end the perennial clashes between pastoralists and farmers.  Tinubu approved the creation of the ministry on Tuesday when he inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja. ‘Solution is Here’ Nigeria has been locked in years of conflicts between farmers and herders. But an excited Tinubu believes the creation of the ministry will resolve the lingering impasse. “Who says the solution is far? I say, ‘No, the solution is here.’ Majority of…

The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has suspended trading in shares of eight companies over failure to file their audited financial statements for 2023. In a statement on Monday signed by Godstime Iwenekhai, NGX’s head of issuer regulation department, the bourse said the suspension took effect on July 8. “Trading in the shares of the eight (8) companies below have been suspended from the facilities of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX or The Exchange) effective today, Monday, 8 July 2024 for not filing their Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023,” NGX said. According to the stock market authority, the…