Author: Vardiafrica

The Federal Government is set to unveil the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) as Nigeria braces for the new rainy season. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to officially launch the project at the Banquet Hall of the Aso Villa in Abuja. The event marks a critical moment in the nation’s disaster management calendar as the government shifts from reactive emergency responses to a proactive, data-driven strategy. Coming on the heels of a technical pre-launch meeting convened by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on March 31, this year’s outlook is expected to provide a comprehensive roadmap for navigating the…

President Bola Tinubu says his administration’s economic reforms are aimed at confronting structural weaknesses, restoring fairness, and rebuilding confidence in public institutions. Tinubu spoke on Tuesday at the commissioning of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) headquarters in Abuja. The president said the government is focused on building an economy anchored on discipline, equity, and opportunity, adding that the reforms being implemented are not merely rhetorical but a “covenant” with Nigerians. “We are here to mark a milestone in the Nigerian national journey — a reaffirmation of our fiscal foundation and a rebuilding of confidence in public institutions,” he said. “No…

Nigeria hopes to begin delivering natural gas to Abuja by July through its long-delayed Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline. According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), this marks a key milestone for the country’s gas development plans. “We’re hoping that by July, gas will be delivered to Abuja through the AKK gas pipeline,” a spokesperson for the commission told the regulator’s in-house magazine. The 614-kilometre (382-mile) pipeline is designed to deliver more than 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas per day and is a core part of Nigeria’s strategy to shift its energy mix towards gas, supply power plants…

NIGERIA’s power sector continues to face deep financial and operational challenges, with the Federal Government incurring a subsidy obligation of N418.79bn in the fourth quarter of 2025, even as inefficiencies across the electricity value chain resulted in losses exceeding N300bn during the same period. This was disclosed in the fourth-quarter 2025 report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, which highlighted declining remittances, persistent distribution losses, grid instability, and a marginal decline in available generation capacity. According to the report, generation companies issued total invoices amounting to N804.93bn for electricity produced within the quarter. However, due to tariffs that do…

Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged corruption charges. However, the court ordered that he remains in custody pending the perfection of the bail conditions. Justice Rilwanu Aikawa granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum, describing the conditions as strict and extensive. The court ruled that the one-time FCT Minister must remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC until all conditions are met. As part of the conditions, one surety must be a…

Romuald Wadagni, Benin Republic’s minister of finance, has secured a landslide victory in the country’s presidential election, with more than 94 percent of the votes, according to provisional results. Sacca Lafia, head ​of the country’s ​independent electoral commission, announced the results late Monday night on ‌national ⁠television. Lafia said voter ​turnout for the ​election ⁠stood at 58.78 percent. Before the results were announced, Paul Hounkpè, the sole opposition candidate, conceded defeat. Hounkpè had said he would accept the result depending on the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. His concession eliminates obstacles in Wadagni’s path to succeed President Patrice…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued the Mini-Grid Regulations 2026. This regulatory document, numbered NERC-R-001-2026, provides a comprehensive framework for the development, operation, and regulation of mini-grids in Nigeria. It aims to expand electricity access, especially in unserved and underserved areas, while ensuring safety, fairness, and investment protection. Highlights of the Regulation – Applies to Isolated mini-grids that operate independently of DisCo networks, up to 5 megawatts (MW); and Interconnected mini-grids which are connected to and coordinated with existing distribution networks, up to 10MW. – Covers developers, operators, distribution companies, and host communities. – Aligns with the Electricity…

Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, yesterday flagged-off a capacity building programme for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost customs revenue operations, curb leakages and enhance transparency and accountability. Adeniyi spoke in Abuja at the opening of a training on AI-driven revenue generation, remittances for NCS. He said over the past decade, technology had played a significant role in improving the service’s operations, adding, “We now deploy risk management systems that help us assess and monitor activities more effectively.” He said as part of ongoing reforms, the service was committed to transparency and accountability, stressing that…

FIFA has turned down Iran’s request to relocate its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, citing logistical impediments, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirms. Iran’s Football Federation (FFIRI) asked the sport’s global governing body to move its games out of the US last month, but FIFA said all World Cup fixtures will go ahead as scheduled, dismissing the possibility of Mexico hosting the Iranian team Sheinbaum reiterated FIFA’s stance on Friday, saying the matches will be played in the US as planned. “FIFA ultimately decided that the matches cannot be moved from their original venues,” Sheinbaum said at a news…

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke has denied all bribery allegations against her while testifying before a UK court, insisting she never abused her office or accepted illicit benefits. Former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has firmly rejected allegations of corruption during her ongoing trial at the Southwark Crown Court. Testifying on Monday, the 65-year-old told the court that she maintained integrity throughout her time in public service and never accepted any form of bribe. “I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort… and did not abuse my office,” she said. Prosecutors…