Author: Vardiafrica

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu “to urgently direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, and the appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate the alleged expenditure of about ₦5.9 billion reportedly spent on the rebranding of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). In an open letter dated March 14, 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged President Tinubu “to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and…

Air Peace has been summoned to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) headquarters for an urgent meeting over the unexplained disruptions, including complaints received yesterday from passengers on the Heathrow-Abuja flight who were rerouted via Gatwick-Lagos-Abuja and left stranded in Lagos because of a reported cracked windshield. However, in a swift response, Air Peace has clarified that no passenger was abandoned or left stranded at any point during its handling of the situation under reference. The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, in a post on his X handle yesterday, noted: “We will not tolerate…

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, yesterday said there was no going back on the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) cashless policy across major airports in Nigeria. This was as the Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, yesterday also inspected the rollout of the hybrid payment system at the tollgate of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Keyamo gave the hint at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, during his on the spot assessment following implementation of the hybrid system the country adopted following Mr. President’s directive to suspend the strict application of the cashless system because of its challenges. According…

Thirty-three young graduates of engineering, geology and related disciplines on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, underwent opening formalities for a 12-month training programme in pipeline engineering, corrosion control and monitoring. Organised under the Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and MJD Oilfield Services Limited Nigerian Content Human Capital Development (NC HCD) Training Programme, in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the training is geared towards developing expertise for protection and sustenance of the country’s energy infrastructure. Trainees will have classroom technical sessions, simulation-based learning, field demonstrations, on-the-job training, mentorship and coaching, case study reviews, and continuous…

President Bola Tinubu has asked the media to hold states and local governments accountable for how they utilise their allocations. The president spoke on Friday during an interfaith breaking of fast with media proprietors and executives at the State House in Abuja. Tinubu said his administration’s economic reforms, especially the removal of the petrol subsidy, have increased funds available to states. “We have opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money. But how they use it is in your hands, so don’t bombard me alone. Look at local governments too, and equally, the sub-national,” Tinubu said. “Today, there is no state that is borrowing to pay the salaries of employees. Yes, we can complain that it is not enough. We can complain we are not where we should be, but we…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released updated guidelines for mobile financial services, limiting the amount customers can transfer in the first 24 hours of activating a new banking app.  The measure is part of the central bank’s broader effort to enhance security and prevent fraud in instant payment operations. “For new accounts, transaction limits (inflow and outflow) shall be imposed on a newly activated mobile financial services app in the first 24-hours of activation,” the circular said. “The limit shall be as determined by the financial institution, subject to a maximum transaction limit of N20,000.00.” For existing accounts…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the establishment of a Presidential Petroleum Reform & Value Optimisation Taskforce to design and sequence the next phase of structural reforms in Nigeria’s petroleum sector. Mr Fola Adeola, co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank and founder and chairman of the Fate Foundation, is the Task Force’s chairman. As chairman, he will coordinate the group’s work and ensure the timely delivery of its mandate. Other members of the Taskforce are: Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Osagie Okunbor, Abubakar Suleiman, Adaeze Aguele, Farouk Gumel, Phillipa Osakwe-Okoye and Seyi Bella. Mofoluwasho Fadayomi will serve as secretary. As constituted, the Taskforce…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the repositioning of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) from the supervision of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to report directly to the Presidency. The decision resolves a long-standing structural contradiction and places Nigeria, for the first time, closer to the governance architecture used by the world’s most credible transport safety systems, where accident investigation sits near the centre of national policy oversight. The Presidential approval, which was sighted by the Nigerian Tribune on Friday, and dated 5th of March 2026, was transmitted to the Minister of Aviation for immediate implementation on…

Pushing back on U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments, Iran’s national soccer team says “no one can exclude” it from playing in the men’s World Cup in the United States. Instead, a post on the team’s official Instagram account Thursday suggested maybe the U.S. team should be excluded after Trump indicated that the host country couldn’t guarantee the safety of the Iranian players. Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday that the Iranian team was welcome at the World Cup despite the ongoing war with Iran but that “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has instructed commercial banks across Nigeria to prevent loan defaulters from obtaining new credit facilities. The directive was conveyed in a circular issued by the apex bank to banks, targeting borrowers who have failed to meet their loan repayment obligations. According to the circular, the restriction particularly applies to large-ticket obligors—individuals or companies with significant outstanding debts to financial institutions. Under the new measure, banks are required to block such defaulters from accessing further credit until their existing obligations are settled. The circular further clarifies that any large-ticket obligor with a non-performing facility recorded…