Banking
Star Lager Beer Partners 5 European Clubs
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On Wednesday, August 31, 2016, history was made as Star Lager Beer announced an unprecedented partnership with five football clubs in Europe.
The clubs are Arsenal, Juventus, Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City, having a combined history in football of 544 years.
Star became the ‘Official Beer Partner’ of the five clubs, which have a combined history of 87 domestic league titles, 13 Champions League titles and numerous European titles.
Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Franco Maria-Maggi described the partnerships as a commitment from Star, Nigeria’s foremost beer brand to bring new football experience to consumers and loyal fans of these clubs.
“They bring freshness and new levels of excitement to the established football order. We are happy to partner with these football clubs as we collectively want the same things; to excite football fans and give them memorable, unforgettable moments. It is what Star has always done and this is yet another way to demonstrate our commitment to creating exciting moments for our consumers”. Mr Maggi said.
The partnership bestows Star Lager beer rights to promote the brand’s association with Real Madrid; Arsenal; Juventus; Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to millions of fans across Nigeria and beyond, supporting its vision to embrace an unrivalled passion of football.
The partnership, first of its kind in Nigeria by a beer brewery intends to see Star Lager actively engage consumers and fans with series of cross-promotional events and communication materials designed to enhance visibility of the European giants in Nigeria.
The ground-breaking partnerships with these clubs poses an exciting bright future for football development and viewing experience in Nigeria as confirmed by the Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Nigerian Breweries, Mr Tokunbo Adodo.
He affirmed Star’s accession as “Official Beer Partner” to these five clubs, has bought into important football assets across the biggest leagues in Europe – England, Spain, Italy and France.
“The partnership is all about adding more excitement to the lives of our consumers and football lovers across the country. That’s what we have done through our various sponsorships and platforms and this is yet another step in that direction. We have some really exciting plans in the works and we will be revealing them shortly. Fans of good, exciting football are in for a lot of exciting moments in the years to come.”
The established partnership will have Star organise digital amplification of the European clubs in Nigeria, including digital promotions to drive viewership as well as providing outdoor amplification of the clubs and billboards.
Advertising budgets will benefit the domestic media, as radio, television and newspaper houses will participate in Star’s amplification of matches and extended activities with their club partners.
The partnership will give access to an archive of images and content from the respective clubs with an opportunity for Star to brand its bottles with logos of these clubs. Going forward, a bottle of Star would symbolize more than just another larger, it would mean a communion between a fan and the pride, history and colours of their favourite club side; Real Madrid, Arsenal, PSG, Manchester City and Juventus FC.
A common ground Star has with the European giants is the culture of remarkable history. Since the first STAR lager beer bottle rolled out of the Lagos brewery in 1949, Star has consistently supported football initiatives and platforms such as its highly impactful campaign to rally Nigerian football fans during the World Cup in 2014.
The Star Super Fans Show also showcased and rewarded football fans for their passion and knowledge of the game. A week ago, Star announced a landmark partnership with the local league, NPFL in a similar arrangement as the “official beer partner” of the domestic league.
English giants Arsenal Football Club has won 13 League titles in its 130-year history and is loved by many Nigerians who appreciate its easy-on-the-eye style of game possession.
Arsenal’s popularity soared in Nigeria when former captain and Olympic gold medallist, Nwankwo Kanu played with the Invincible alongside the great Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Robert Pires in the 2003/2004 season. Thereafter, the club’s affinity with Nigerians has continued to grow even stronger with the emergence of Alex Iwobi on the squad.
Juventus, with 32 Serie A titles, is the most successful Italian club ever. They have a rich history of achievements and a big support base that extends beyond their hometown of Turin.
A record eleventh UEFA Champions League title in 2016 ensured that Real Madrid continued its leadership as European football’s most successful club. It has rich history of signing the world’s most expensive footballers that go further to win individual prizes at the Ballon d’Or. Players like Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have added to the club’s legacy.
Manchester City has become a top name in English football over the last decade. Young Nigeria forward for the team, Kelechi Iheanacho remains a delight to watch as he finds his feet alongside Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure under the tutelage of the very successful coach, Pep Guardiola.
While PSG is the relatively youngest of the five but a top name in French football, winning the last four Ligue 1 titles as they push to become a major challenger in Europe. Despite the recent departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the presence of Thiago Silva and David Luis in defence continues to keep the capital side grounded.
Star’s partnership with Europe’s five greatest clubs may further encourage the clubs to include Nigeria in their summer pre-season tours. It is definitely an unprecedented way to launch out into the big waters by building a positive synergy between domestic and global football.
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.
