Banking
Ecobank Nigeria Recruits New Staff, Holds Virtual Graduation Ceremony
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Just when some organisations in the country are planning to lay-off some of their employees, Ecobank Nigeria is absorbing more.
Ecobank, which is one of the leading financial institutions in the country, held a virtual graduation ceremony for 57 trainees, who represent batch seven set of graduates being employed as full-time staff by the lender.
The event was the first of its kind by the bank in Nigeria as it positions itself as a high quality employer ready for the opportunities of a post-COVID19 lockdown.
In attendance were notable personalities including the Registrar/Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Seye Awojobi; Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan; Group Executive, Human Resources, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Yves Mayilamene; Head, Human Resources, Ecobank Nigeria, Kunle Adewuyi and several others including the 57 graduands who joined the ceremony from various locations within and outside the country.
Mr Akinwuntan, while speaking at the event, reaffirmed the commitment of Ecobank to continue to invest in young Nigerians to boost its high quality labour force in order to better serve its customers in a convenient and accessible manner particularly as the nation rebounds from the COVID19 lockdown.
He added that Ecobank had invested in a robust technology-based model which positioned it to cope with current and future challenges including provision of convenient digital banking services to customers in a seamless manner across 36 countries on the African continent.
Mr Akinwuntan encouraged the graduands to remain ethical and diligent in the delivery of the vision of the bank to become the most preferred financial services payments brand in Nigeria to support the economic development of households and growth of trade, manufacturing and commerce in Nigeria and Africa.
On his part, the CIBN Registrar said the initiative of the bank to host the event digitally is pacesetting for the industry.
He commended the bank for the high premium placed on training and building the competencies of its workforce.
“The CIBN is quite impressed with the importance Ecobank attaches to training of new hires and capacity building of its staff. I have lost count of how many graduation events
“I attended at the state of the art Ecobank Academy last year. This is certainly the way to grow the bank and the industry to meet up with global standards. I advise the graduands to display high level of integrity.
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. You should be ready to give your best to the bank that hired and trained you and thereby contributing your quota to the growth of the industry.”
Welcoming the graduands formally to the bank, Acting Head, Human Resources, Ecobank Nigeria, Kunle Adewuyi said the bank offers an enabling and conducive environment for staff to excel to the highest level, adding that its reward system remains a motivating factor for high performance and productivity.
He explained that the Ecobank Graduate Trainee program is an intensive one year of in-depth training for fresh graduates, aimed at equipping the participants who may be coming from non-financial and banking related academic backgrounds with the necessary skillset and knowledge required to work in the banking and finance industry.
Adewuyi noted that the graduation involving 57 trainees, which took place digitally due to the Coronavirus pandemic, was the first ever virtual graduation to be held in the history of the academy. He enjoined them to remain focused and apply themselves uniquely in their different roles.
Group Executive, Human Resources, ETI, Yves Mayilamene advised the graduands to be fully committed to their growth, as well as the overall growth of the organisation.
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.
