Banking
Ecobank Promotes Adire Textile to Boost Tourism, Culture in Africa
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Ecobank Nigeria Limited has disclosed that its decision to promote the Adire textile is mainly to boost tourism and culture in Africa, especially now that the continent has commenced the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
A few days ago, the lender organised the Ecobank Adire Lagos Experience. The event was a beehive of activities and funfair, with the influx of topflight exhibitors, government functionaries, culture enthusiasts, social media influencers, artists, local and foreign tourists, traditional rulers, diplomats, and members of the National Union Textile Garment Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (Adire sector).
The festival took place at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) Lagos for three days.
Originating from Abeokuta, Ogun State, Adire textile is an indigenous indigo-dyed cloth made by using different wax-resist methods to create dazzling designs.
The Managing Director/Regional Executive of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Bolaji Lawal, speaking at the event, said the support for Adire textile was a demonstration of the bank’s commitment to supporting MSME growth in Nigeria, stressing that the bank was impressed and motivated by the phenomenal success of the maiden edition held last year.
“We believe that through this event, we are showcasing the enormous potential of Adire clothes. If you look at what Ghana has done with kente and America with jeans, we want to promote Adire as a Nigerian clothing brand to the world,” he stated.
Speaking in the same light, Mr Kola Adeleke, an Executive Director of Commercial Banking, observed that the bank’s support was to connect the SMEs to the world and play in the AfCFTA landscape, stating that with the bank’s footprint in Africa and unified payment system, it was capable of taking adire to the world stage.
According to him, “Ecobank has the largest presence in Africa. We have a presence in 33 countries in Africa. That gives us the opportunity and advantage to connect African businesses across the continent.
“When you look at the impact we are making in the SME sector in the country, there is a need to deepen the opportunities in the market. Producing quality products will give our Nigerian producers the opportunity to sell their products to other Africans across the continent.”
Mr Adeleke observed that the bank’s support for Adire goes beyond exhibition and supporting the producers to play in the international market.
“Ecobank has a single market app which we have built. Our customers can onboard, and on the app; they can advertise their products. This app is accessible to other Africans across the continent. So, this is the kind of support that we are looking at beyond providing the normal financial advisory services but connecting entrepreneurs across the world.”
Mrs Korede Demola-Adeniyi, who is the Head of Consumer Banking at Ecobank, said the exhibition was part of the bank’s contribution to boosting the nation’s tourism, culture and creative industry using Adire as a key driver, adding that the bank was impressed with the turnout of high-profile exhibitors, vendors, dignitaries from different parts of the world.
“The bank is encouraged by the success of the maiden edition which took place last year. It is in line with our brand promise as a pan-African institution to promote culture and boost tourism on the continent.
“We are impressed with the patronage and interest shown by exhibitors and dignitaries from all walks of life.”
“The 3-day event also featured a series of masterclasses as well as networking opportunities with entrepreneurs, shoppers and everyone interested in the making or trading of Adire,” she said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The creative industry in Nigeria may have nothing to worry about with the likes of Stanbic IBTC Bank around the corner.
The financial institution, which has not hidden its love for the sector, has promised to continue with its strategic investment in the country’s designers and artists.
Speaking at an event, An Evening of Fashion, Art & Lifestyle, the Executive Director for Personal and Private Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr Olu Delano, represented by the Head of its Private Banking Segment, Ms Layo Ilori-Olaogun, said the company was proud to be associated with the programme, which it also sponsored.
“At Stanbic IBTC, we recognise Nigeria’s creative sector as a vital driver of economic diversification, employment, and global cultural influence.
“We are proud to support the individuals behind these platforms that elevate African excellence and provide visionary talents the visibility that they deserve.
“Nights like this reaffirm our commitment to continued strategic investment in our artists and designers,” he stated.
The invitation-only ceremony, which was held at The Garden, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, hosted by Africa’s leading luxury fashion house, 2207bytbally, in collaboration with the acclaimed art collective Torrista, brought together high-net-worth individuals, art collectors, designers, media personalities, and luxury brand executives for an unparalleled showcase of creativity and sophistication.
The evening opened with a breathtaking runway presentation featuring three signature segments from the Evolve collection by 2207bytbally: Denim, Ethnic, and 2207 Prints. Each piece exemplified the meticulous craftsmanship, bold innovation, and cultural storytelling that has established the brand as a standard-bearer in African luxury fashion.
Complementing the couture was a curated exhibition by Torrista, transforming the venue into an immersive gallery. Commissioned artworks exploring themes of culture, femininity, and evolution created a robust visual dialogue with the collections, demonstrating the seamless harmony that can result when fashion and fine art converge.
“This evening was about more than clothes or canvases; it was about showing the world that African creativity is limitless. When fashion and art share the same space, magic happens, and tonight, Lagos felt that magic,” the Creative Director of 2207bytbally, Tolu Bally, stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The six edition of the Hackaholics of Wema Bank Plc has produced 20 top finalists shared equally between two streams, Ideathon and Hackathon.
The Hackathon finalists are Rapid DEV, Secure IT, Neurafeed, Trust Lock Babcock, Pulse Track, IlluminiTrust, Trust Lock FUTA, Fix Fraud AI, KASH Flow and VOC AI.
The Ideathon finalists include PLOY, Fertitude, VarsityScape, Mama ALERT, StockMed, Chao, All Arbitrate, FarmSlate, Sane AI and Cycle X.
They emerged after a two-day pre-pitch held on December 16 and 17, 2025, for the grand finale slated for Friday, December 19, 2025.
They grand finale of Hackaholics 6.0 will convene the top players in Africa’s tech and innovation ecosystem, creating an avenue for these finalists to not only put their creativity to the ultimate test but also give their solutions visibility to potential investors for additional funding opportunities beyond the prizes to be won.
The prizes to be won for the Ideathon include N25 million for the winner, N20 million for the first runner-up, N15 million for the second runner-up and N5 million each for two women-led teams.
In the Hackathon category, the first to fourth-place winners will receive N20 million, N15 million, N10 million and N5 million, respectively.
The pre-pitch saw the top 43 contenders battle in a game of innovation and problem solving, presenting compelling pitches for a chance to make it to top 10 in their respective streams.
After a rigorous stretch of pitches and presentations, the top 20 emerged, securing their spot in the grand finale of Hackaholics 6.0.
“Hackaholics started off as a hackathon and morphed into an ideation. For Hackaholics 6.0, the sixth edition, we decided to give both the builders of new solutions and the refiners of existing ones, an opportunity to make meaningful impact.
“For us at Wema Bank, we understand that innovation isn’t just building from scratch. Sometimes, it’s looking at what exists and developing new ways to optimise that and create more efficiency. This is the idea behind our two-stream Ideathon-Hackathon structure.
“Every year, Hackaholics shows us just how eager and motivated Nigerian youth are when it comes to exploring creativity and innovation, and we are honoured to be the institution that provides them with the platform and resources to put this drive to good use.
“We toured seven cities, indulged 1,460 participants and discovered hundreds of remarkable ideas; some of which needed some refining and some of which deserved to move to the next stage.
“For those who needed to go back to the drawing board, we provided useful guidance and for the top contenders, we were able to shortlist to the top 43, who proceeded to the pre-pitch. To every participant, Wema Bank is proud of you. This is just the beginning,” the chief executive of Wema Bank, Mr Moruf Oseni, said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it will enforce penalties against designated banks that delay the remittance of customs revenue, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency and safeguarding government earnings.
This was disclosed in a statement on the NCS official account on X, formerly known as Twitter and signed by its spokesman, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada, who said the delays undermine the efficiency, transparency, and integrity of government revenue administration.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has noted instances of delayed remittance of customs revenue by some designated banks following reconciliation of collections processed through the B’odogwu platform,” the statement read.
“Such delays constitute a breach of remittance obligations and negatively impact the efficiency, transparency, and integrity of government revenue administration.
“In line with the provisions of the Service Level Agreement executed between the Nigeria Customs Service and designated banks, the Service hereby notifies stakeholders of the commencement of enforcement actions against banks found to be in default of agreed remittance timelines.”
Mr Maiwada disclosed that any bank that fails to remit collected Customs revenue within the prescribed timeline will be liable to penalty interest calculated at three per cent above the prevailing Nigerian Interbank Offered Rate for the period of the delay.
He added that affected banks would be formally notified of the delayed amounts, the applicable penalty, and the deadline for settlement.
“Accordingly, any designated bank that fails to remit collected Customs revenue within the prescribed period shall be liable to penalty interest calculated at three per cent above the prevailing Nigerian Interbank Offered Rate for the duration of the delay.
“Affected banks will receive formal notifications indicating the delayed amount, applicable penalty, and the timeline for settlement,” the statement read.
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