Banking
NUBIFIE Lauds Ecobank on Industrial Harmony, Workers’ Welfare
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Ecobank Nigeria Limited has been commended by the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the umbrella body of junior workers in the financial services industry.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Lagos on Wednesday, NUBIFIE’s National President, Mr Anthony Abakpa, praised the lender for its labour friendly policies that have enhanced the welfare of its members who are staff of the bank.
He said Ecobank is responsive to its workers’ welfare and has set the standard in maintaining a high-level industrial relationship with the union.
Mr Abakpa reiterated that Ecobank’s management has shown approachable leadership in its dealings with the union, requesting that the positive relationship be sustained for the interest of the workers and the growth of the financial institution, also referred to as the Pan African bank.
Also speaking, General Secretary of NUBIFIE, Muhammed Sheikh, explained that the visit was to thank the outgoing Managing Director of the bank, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan for the warm relationship and open access granted to them during his tenure as the Chief Executive of the bank and to bid him farewell.
In his words, “Our visit is to express our gratitude to the management of Ecobank and the outgoing managing director for his support and receptiveness to the interest of workers during his tenure.
“We enjoyed open access to him, and this went a long way to promote industrial harmony in the bank. We are inspired by your achievements and loyalty to the Ecobank brand; We bid you goodbye and wish you well in your future endeavours.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Akinwuntan appreciated the warm relationship he had with the union, urging them to extend the same to his successor.
He pointed out that industrial harmony goes a long way to creating an environment for any business to thrive.
According to him, “Ecobank is a unique financial institution with presence in more African countries than any other private sector organization, be it in banking, aviation or manufacturing. We have our footprint in 35 countries in Africa. We are the face of Africa. Working for the dignity of Africa and how Africa will survive.
“We have a mandate to transform Africa. We believe banking should be accessible to everybody. That is why we introduced agency banking to provide basic banking services in unbanked communities. I also enjoin our staff to continue to work hard, when a bank does well, everyone smiles.”
The labour union presented an award of excellence to Mr Akinwuntan in recognition and appreciation of his outstanding support and a positive disposition to industrial relations issues as managing director of Ecobank.
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.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolment has slowed significantly in 2026 following the introduction of a stricter regulatory framework by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with the latest data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showing that registrations are on course to fall well below last year’s record.
The BVN database stood at 69.55 million as of July 5, 2026, up from 69.32 million in June, indicating that only 228,947 new registrations were recorded over the period. Since the end of 2025, when the database stood at 67.8 million, total enrolments have increased by 1.75 million.
At the current pace, however, BVN registrations are unlikely to match the 4.3 million new enrolments recorded in 2025, suggesting a sharp deceleration in growth this year.
The slowdown comes after the CBN introduced a revised BVN regulatory framework in March, with the new rules taking effect on May 1, 2026. The framework tightened controls around enrolment, identity verification and fraud monitoring as part of efforts to strengthen the integrity of the banking system.
Among the key changes was the introduction of a minimum enrolment age of 18 years, effectively preventing minors from registering for a BVN.
The new framework also limits customers to a one-time change of the phone number linked to their BVN and requires financial institutions to place BVNs linked to suspected fraudulent transactions on a temporary watch-list for up to 24 hours while investigations are carried out.
The stricter rules contrast with last year’s surge in registrations, which was largely driven by the introduction of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative that enabled Nigerians in the diaspora to complete BVN enrolment remotely, removing physical barriers and expanding access to the financial system.
Launched on February 14, 2014, the BVN scheme was introduced by the CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, NIBSS and German technology firm Dermalog to assign every bank customer a unique biometric identity that can be verified across Nigeria’s banking industry.
