Ecobank Revamps Branches For Better Service Delivery

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A creative studio, EPAC Studios, has been unveiled by Ecobank Nigeria Limited to promote talents in the showbiz industry in Africa. The bank disclosed in a statement that the facility would be used to carefully tell “authentic African stories in art, culture, lifestyle, and entertainment.” According to the Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Jide Sipe, the initiative is to showcase further and develop the creative industry, adding that the space is an open canvas for the public to explore, collaborate and create premium indigenous content for television, online and mobile platforms. EPAC

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Africa’s leading payment cards and digital tokens brand, Verve, has joined forces with a fast-rising digital bank, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, to provide customers with cutting-edge financial solutions. Recall that recently, Moniepoint announced its foray into the retail banking segment, issuing debt cards to its customers. The financial technology (fintech) firm boasts over 1.5 million businesses using its terminals across Nigeria to serve 30 million banked Nigerians. To pave the way for enhanced access to financial services for Nigerians and bridge the gap between traditional banking and modern fintech innovations, both parties are collaborating. The partnership will give

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Last week, the United States Mission in Nigeria organised the annual US College and Career Fairs at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) on Victoria Island, Lagos. The US Consul General, Mr Will Stevens, while speaking at the event, said that America remains a leading destination for international students, noting the United States offers students an unrivalled educational experience, flexibility, and diversity. “We are happy to provide Nigerian students who wish to study in the United States a unique opportunity to learn about the diversity of the programs offered at various U.S. educational institutions,” Mr Stevens said.

By Adedapo Adesanya Yellow Card has joined forces with MoonPay, a global leader in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, towards expanding cryptocurrency accessibility in Nigeria by leveraging local bank transfers. Despite a ban on trading via official channels, Nigeria has emerged as a powerhouse in the African cryptocurrency landscape, with increasing numbers of individuals turning to digital assets to hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. The volatility in the local crypto market, marked by the recent challenges faced by various crypto companies in Nigeria, has underscored the critical need for a stable and reliable means of accessing cryptocurrencies. This partnership between both

By Dipo Olowookere In the second quarter of 2019, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria recorded a year-on-year growth of 1.94 percent in real terms. This is according to data released on Tuesday morning by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In the GDP figures of the stats office, the Q2 2019 growth was higher than the 1.50 percent rise achieved in the second quarter of 2018, indicating increase of 0.44 percentage points. According to the NBS, when compared to 2.10 percent (revised from 2.01 percent due to oil output revisions) recorded in the first quarter of 2019, however,

Last week in Lagos, Nobel Laureate winner, Prof. Wole Soyinka, held an event for reading of his poem titled A Child Before a Mirror of Strangers, dedicated to children around the world in commemoration of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which celebrates a milestone 30th anniversary this year. He was joined by leaders from Nigeria’s private sector and entertainment industry, including Banky W, Niniola, Cobhams amongst many others. Speaking at the event, Mr Soyinka said, “There is one common bond among all of us, and that bond is childhood,” adding that, “We have the responsibility

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A Nigerian filmmaker, Mr Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, also referred to Okey Ogunjiofor, has expressed dismay over a report linking him with a purported endorsement of the Governor of Imo State, Mr Hope Uzodinma, for transforming the state. In a statement, the respected Nollywood icon, who produced the award-winning Amina, said he was not part of the movie practitioners, who visited Mr Uzodinma as reported by one of the leading newspapers in the country. He described the report as “terrible journalism” and demanded a retraction of the story as he was not in the state as claimed by the

By Dipo Olowookere Efforts to safeguard pipelines across the country from vandals and fire outbreaks in line with best safety practices have been intensified by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, disclosed that this was his agency’s determination to ensure that the current steady supply of petroleum products nationwide was sustained. Speaking while receiving a delegation of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, (OSHA) UK, Nigeria Chapter, at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, Mr Baru said the corporation would continue to monitor its pipelines and collaborate with the law enforcement agencies to safeguard

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced the completion of its acquisition of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $24.00 per share in cash. “We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals. The addition of ARIAD’s innovative targeted therapies and research and development capabilities strengthens and diversifies our oncology business, positioning Takeda for sustainable long-term growth in this priority therapeutic area,” said Christophe Weber, president and chief executive officer of Takeda. “We are particularly excited by the global potential of brigatinib, an investigational drug product, which we believe will become a best-in-class ALK inhibitor for non-small

By Adedapo Adesanya The value of the Naira to the Dollar depreciated on Monday by N1.25 or 0.18 per cent on Monday at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment of the foreign exchange market to N420.25/$1 from the previous session’s rate of N419.00/$1. This followed a significant FX demand pressure on the local currency amid a shortage in the supply of forex into the system, with politicians mopping up the few available to woo delegates in a bid to secure a presidential ticket for the 2023 elections. A few aspirants of the just-concluded primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

A major crisis is brewing in the Kogi State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as concerned members are mobilizing to protest the moves by an ex-governor in the state, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to impose his son, Abubakar, as the party’s candidate in the state’s governorship election slated for November. Mr Abubakar Idris declared his intention to run for the office once occupied by his father last year but it is the manner in which the party leadership in the state is being forced into adopting the ex-governor’s son that is setting the stage for a major confrontation. PDP

By Meristem Research Last week, the market closed in the green zone after the index advanced on two out of five trading days. The Nigerian Bourse inched higher by 1.38% Week-on-Week to close at 35,488.81 points, while the top performing stock for the week was LINKASSURE (+11.86%), which closed at NGN0.66. On the other hand, ENAMELWA led the list of laggards (-16.65%) to settle at NGN23.23. Despite the significant sell-offs witnessed on most trading days, the NSEASI closed positive on the back of gains recorded on large cap stocks, particularly DANGCEM, towards the end of the week. Following the significant