Brands/Products
Friska Farms Opens New Factory Amid Growing Demands
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The growing demand for quality, healthy and affordable locally-made and nutrient-rich food products has forced Friska Farms Limited to open a new factory.
A statement from the company’s representatives disclosed that the new production plant is located in Ayegbami, Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.
Friska Farms is a leading producer of wellness teas and infant cereals and the new facility, launched on Thursday, August 5, 2021, is positioned to enable local consumers to access affordable, nutritious health foods such as the Friska brands of wellness teas and baby cereals.
This scaled investment is expected to have a wider positive impact on the wellbeing of the teeming national population as the sprawling demand for healthy foods is further driving up investment at the production level of the value chain.
Speaking at the unveiling of the new factory, which was attended by community leaders and stakeholders, the chief executive of Friska Farms, Mr Usman Imanah, stated that, “Success for us goes beyond profit-making, success is being able to fill a need and impact the lives of the people around you.
“For us, it is about building a sustainable business that serves a higher need. And to do this, we realized that we will have had to review our positioning.
“We had always championed health and wellness through natural nutrition but recently, we have had to incorporate affordable to the mix. We want to serve a larger part of the society that have been underserved.
“We currently have six products within two categories but with the launch of the factory, we will be rolling out about nine more products this year.”
On her part, a nutritionist and representative of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, Mrs Abimbola Muyide-Olukoya, stated that, “We can testify to the efficacy of Friska products.
“The company has been very supportive of our nutritional program for malnourished children.
“In the last four months, they have consistently seen significant improvement from children placed on the baby cereal and also on patients placed on the anti-diabetic tea.
“We believe that this factory will accelerate the growth of the business and will ultimately be beneficial to the nation.”
Recounting how he started the business, Mr Imanah Friska Farms began its journey to greatness from a 3-bedroom apartment, explaining that through a dint of hard work, a commitment to excellence and consumer-centred product research and development strategies and an inclusive product pricing framework, the business has expanded into a multi-million-naira behemoth that keeps delighting dealers, distributors and end consumers.
He said the recent product launch and modification efforts carried out in the infant food segment by the firm was strategically targeted at repositioning the segment brand products to meet growing market aspirations in line with prevailing socio-economic realities.
The food expert said as part of efforts to give back to the host communities, the organisation has constructed valuable social amenities such as boreholes in the current host community to deliver clean, safe drinkable water for the consumption of residents.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To make finding the right service provider or reaching the right customer seamless, popular local information portal, Connect Nigeria, has introduced a Quote Request platform.
Connect Nigeria described the new system as “a digital solution designed to make connecting with service providers faster, easier, and more reliable.”
It said the Quote Request was built for consumers who need services quickly and want trusted options without the stress of searching endlessly; and service providers and businesses looking for real, high-intent customers without spending heavily on marketing.
“Whether you need a caterer for an event, a plumber for your home, or a designer for your brand, the platform is designed to connect you with the right people,” Connect Nigeria added.
“By connecting demand directly with supply, the platform creates a more structured and dependable marketplace,” it further stated.
At its core, the Quote Request simplifies the entire process of finding and offering services.
To use the service, users have to submit a request describing the service or product needed, which is then sent to verified vendors on the platform. Interested providers respond within 1–2 days, and users compare offers and choose what works best for their needs and budget.
“Instead of searching for vendors, the vendors come to you, with relevant, tailored responses,” Connect Nigeria explained.
The company expects this new platform to eliminate the stress of endless online searches, delayed or vague responses, and uncertainty about service quality.
As for businesses, it solves poor visibility, inconsistent customer flow, and lost opportunities due to slow response times.
Connect Nigeria Quote Request mobile app is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An institutional investor, First Ally Capital, has strengthened a leading Nigerian financial technology company, Mathesis Analytics, to scale its proprietary credit decisioning infrastructure.
It made this possible by injecting fresh capital into the firm, which specialises in AI-powered credit decisioning infrastructure, an action that will directly support the growth and scaling of Mathesis’ core mission of providing the intelligence and infrastructure needed to bridge the credit gap for millions of unscored or underscored individuals across Nigeria.
With this investment, Mathesis will enable financial institutions to confidently assess and extend credit to borrowers who lack a formal credit history by leveraging an expanded pool of alternative behavioural and transactional data.
To date, Mathesis’ systems have supported more than 8 million loans for over 2 million unique borrowers in Nigeria, and the company is actively deploying its infrastructure to establish a growing pan-African footprint.
With the investment from First Ally Capital, Mathesis is well positioned to transform how the credit ecosystem operates, driving financial inclusion in partnership with lenders across the continent.
A significant barrier to credit access in Nigeria, which prides itself on being Africa’s largest economy, is data fragmentation. Borrowers frequently build positive financial behaviours across multiple digital platforms by repaying microfinance loans, saving through fintech wallets, or servicing Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) facilities.
However, under traditional credit infrastructure, these achievements remain invisible to new lenders.
Mathesis addresses this challenge through the concept of Personal Equity—the quantified expression of an individual’s financial behaviour aggregated across every institution with which they have transacted.
By translating these disparate signals into a precise, portable measure of creditworthiness, Mathesis creates a comprehensive credit identity that reflects the full breadth of a person’s financial life.
“True financial inclusion cannot be achieved in a vacuum; it requires structural collaboration in which lenders and fintech companies work as partners within the ecosystem.
“This investment from First Ally Capital validates our approach to reshaping credit infrastructure. By quantifying Personal Equity, we empower lenders to safely look beyond the constraints of formal credit histories and recognise a borrower’s true creditworthiness. This capital enables us to accelerate our pan-African expansion while maintaining the robust, institutional-grade infrastructure our partners rely on,” the chief executive of Mathesis Analytics, Winston Osuchukwu, stated.
On his part, the chief executive of First Ally Capital, Mr Ebenezer Olufowose, said, “At First Ally Capital, we pride ourselves on being a one-stop destination for financial solutions, offering a diverse portfolio of services ranging from investment banking and asset management to trusteeship, inclusive banking, and real estate.
“Our investment in Mathesis Analytics reflects our strong belief in the company’s vision and our commitment to supporting forward-thinking enterprises that deliver excellence.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Canal+ Africa, Mr David Mignot, has disclosed that MultiChoice is now fully integrated into the media group.
Mr Mignot disclosed this via a statement issued on Thursday, noting that this development marks a new phase in the evolution of one of Africa’s leading pay television operators.
He noted that the integration positions MultiChoice within a global media organisation with an extensive international footprint.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries. The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mr Mignot said.
The statement underscores the scale of the combined business, highlighting Canal+’s global reach alongside its significant investments across Africa.
The completion of the transaction is expected to strengthen MultiChoice’s position in the African media and entertainment market by giving it access to the broader resources, expertise and international capabilities of the Canal+ Group, while reinforcing the group’s commitment to the continent.
MultiChoice operates across sub-Saharan Africa through platforms including DStv and GOtv, serving millions of subscribers with entertainment, sports and news content.
