Banking
Access Bank Produces More Millionaires with DiamondXtra Promo
By Adedapo Adesanya
More winners emerged on Wednesday from the ‘DiamondXtra Save More Win More’ promo put in place by Nigeria’s top financial institution, Access Bank Plc.
At the presentation of prizes to lucky winners by top executives of the bank in Lagos, the company’s Head of Products, Insights, and Capability, Mr Robert Giles, noted that the promo, in its eleventh season, has made 10 more people millionaires in the month of July alone.
“We have given over N5 billion out to winners. So, we are actually transforming lives not in the short term, not for one month, or three months, this is 11 years of making millionaires,” he said.
Business Post reports that in Lagos, Stanley Igwe, Chimezie Nworah and Samuel Ebu won N1 million each, while Olusina Fadare from Ogun State got N1 million as one of the winners yesterday.
Other winners of N1 million at the DiamondXtra savings scheme on Wednesday were Amos Tochukwu from Abuja, Oluwadamilade Alese from Edo State, Orugbala Anna from Rivers State, Stephen Nwachukwu from Oyo State, Ejekwu John from Rivers State and Agu N.A from Abia State.
Mr Giles, while speaking on the improvement made by the bank on the draw, emphasised that the needs of customers were taken into consideration, which brought about other consolation prizes like the Salary4Life, education allowances, rent allowances amongst other cash rewards available for customers to win.
He further stated that the promo has been very successful for the bank because it has brought about satisfaction to its customers which in turn is a major advantage to the company.
“Customers who use DiamondXtra stay with us a lot longer. They do more with us because effectively, our customers get rewarded for doing something they were doing before, and in addition to keeping your money safe, we also give people the opportunity to get a prize that is transformational,” he informed newsmen.
Speaking on the volume of customers on the DiamondXtra platform, Mr Giles said there millions of depositors partaking in the promo. “We have millions of customers now on DiamondXtra. So, we are no longer counting in hundreds of thousands but it is a couple of millions now.”
On the bank’s plan for customers who reside in rural areas to enjoy some of the bank services, the top banker said, “We are investing in USSD to make services accessible to customers across the country. You can now do all of your banking transactions from 99 percent of the country.”
He announced that the bank has expanded from over 600 branches and has over 20,000 agents across the country that will ease the process of making transactions, noting that this would be made known to the public on a date to be later communicated.
Some of the winners present at the event included Stanley Igwe and Samuel Etiosa Ebu, expressed their delight at being the newest millionaires in Nigeria with the help of Access Bank through the ‘DiamondXtra Save More Win More’ promo.
They commended the bank for the initiative and called on more of its kind ahead of the next one in August.
The ceremony also had in attendance Adaeze Ume; Head, Consumer Proposition; Bridget Ekeogu; Regional Sales Manager; Njideka Esomeju; Regional Sales Director; Chioma Afe; Group Head, Retail Marketing, Jacob Danjuma; Head, Consumer Liabilities, and Chiamaka Odunze; Head, Retail Marketing.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A collaboration to enable fast money transfers into Nigeria has been entered into between Flutterwave and Xoom, PayPal’s international digital money transfer service.
The partnership allows Xoom transfers to be converted by Flutterwave and settled locally in Naira, enabling quick transfers directly into recipients’ bank accounts at Access Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTBank, and additional participating banks across Nigeria.
The deal also enables Xoom’s global network with Flutterwave’s local payout infrastructure, allowing users globally to send funds directly into Nigerian bank accounts with improved speed and efficiency.
Nigeria is the leading remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa, receiving over $20 billion in personal remittances in 2024. Despite this volume, receiving international payments has historically remained complex due to FX constraints and settlement delays. This collaboration helps address those challenges in a market of more than 232 million people, where the ICT sector is projected to contribute 21 per cent of GDP by 2027.
By combining Xoom’s expansive reach with Flutterwave’s local compliance and banking partnerships, the two companies are providing a more accessible financial corridor for the continent.
Xoom, a PayPal service, is a fast and secure international digital money transfer service that enables consumers to send money, pay bills, and reload phones for friends and family in approximately 160 markets globally.
As part of PayPal’s global payments ecosystem, Xoom leverages advanced fraud protection, compliance capabilities, and a trusted global network to help millions of customers move money quickly and securely across borders.
“We’re excited to have been chosen by Xoom for their Nigeria expansion. Millions of Nigerians rely on money from abroad to support everyday needs, whether it’s families receiving help from loved ones, freelancers getting paid for their work, or individuals earning income from the global economy. This helps make it easy and more reliable for people in Nigeria to receive funds and stay connected to opportunities beyond borders,” the chief executive of Flutterwave, Mr Olugbenga GB Agboola, stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative known as Nigeria Lightning Rounds, designed to expand funding opportunities for Nigerian startups and small businesses by connecting founders with local and international investors, has been launched by ProvidusUnity Bank, in partnership with US-based global venture firm and accelerator, gener8tor.
Scheduled to be held on July 15, 2026, Nigeria Lightning Rounds will feature carefully selected startups engaging with targeted investors who have expressed interest in supporting Nigerian innovation.
Participating founders will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses through focused 15-minute virtual sessions facilitated by gener8tor and ProvidusUnity Bank’s networks.
The program will focus on high-growth sectors including fintech, healthtech, manufacturing, sustainability, and AI, but welcomes SMEs from all industries, with intending participants urged to apply via https://www.gener8tor.com/lightning-rounds/nigeria.
“We recognise that access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Through our partnership with gener8tor, we are creating a platform that connects promising Nigerian founders with investors who can provide the support required to scale their businesses,” the Head of Business Development at ProvidusUnity Bank, Mr Ernest Elue, stated.
“The partnership reinforces ProvidusUnity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting innovation, enabling access to opportunities, and creating pathways for businesses with high-growth potential,” he added.
Also commenting, the Director of Lightning Rounds at gener8tor, Ms Elizabeth Larios, said, “gener8tor is thrilled to partner with ProvidusUnity Bank to extend the Lightning Rounds model into Nigeria.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to building equitable ecosystems and driving capital to the most promising and underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Lightning Rounds are a signature initiative of gener8tor’s investment platform, which has facilitated thousands of investor-startup meetings globally. The format is optimised to eliminate friction, reduce bias in early-stage fundraising, and help founders secure capital from investors aligned with their mission and stage. gener8tor’s previous Lightning Rounds for Nigerian Founders in 2025 featured 18 participating Investors and led to 50 investment meetings facilitated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The verification of the depositors of the 46 microfinance banks, whose operating licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over a week ago, has commenced.
The exercise, aimed at refunding those whose funds were trapped in the small lenders, is being conducted by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said its staff members have been positioned at the offices of the affected banks across the country to attend to depositors.
It was disclosed that depositors of the defunct banks, who had their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to their accounts in the failed banks, will be paid through their alternative accounts in existing banks.
However, depositors whose BVNs were not linked to their accounts in the failed banks have been encouraged to visit the affected banks’ offices with proof of account ownership, a passport photograph, verifiable means of identification (Driver’s Licence, Permanent Voter’s Card, International Passport or National ID Card) and BVN.
NDIC also stated that depositors can alternatively file their claims online through its website: www.ndic.gov.ng, to complete the Pre-Verification Claims Form by clicking on the Search Bar, and typing Pre-Verification Claims Form; opening the Form and filling in their details. They can also do so by clicking the link: https://ndic.gov.ng/ndic-pre-verification-claims-form/ or by visiting any of the NDIC offices closest to them to file their claims.
For further enquiries, the corporation can be reached on any of the following lines: 09037273810, 09038197064, 08104220807, 09064657140.
