By Aduragbemi Omiyale

In line with its strategy to diversify into high-growth food and beverage categories, Champion Breweries Plc is having talks with Sun Mark International Limited for the acquisition of Bullet, a leading ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic and energy brand in the market.

The deal is subject to the receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals, including from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

On the completion of the transaction, Champion Breweries will consolidate the financial performance of Bullet’s assets into its reporting, reflecting both immediate benefits (e.g. FX earnings, distributor leverage) and long-term cost synergies through integrated supply chain, portfolio expansion, operational integration, product development and enhanced market presence.

The beer maker explained in a statement on Wednesday that the acquisition is structured as an asset carve-out, with the assets to be held in a newly incorporated company in the Netherlands.

Post-acquisition, Champion Breweries Plc will hold a majority interest in the new business, while Vinar N.V, a Belgian entity and the majority shareholders of Sun Mark, will hold a minority stake.

Bullet is currently present in over 14 African markets, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, DRC, and Tanzania.

The Bullet Black RTD is currently the leading RTD Brand in Nigeria while the Bullet Blue energy drink ranks amongst the top six brands.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A WhatsApp-based self-service chatbot known as Airtel Assist has been introduced by Airtel Nigeria to offer real-time support to millions of customers on its network.

This is another bold step taken by the foremost telecommunications and mobile money provider to boost its service delivery.

Built to meet the growing needs of today’s digital consumer, Airtel Assist provides round the clock full-service experience that allows customers to check balances, buy airtime or data, make secure payments, troubleshoot issues, and access personalised assistance all from the convenience of WhatsApp.

The new chatbot highlights Airtel’s continued integration of AI-powered tools to scale service delivery, reduce wait times, and maintain secure customer interactions, solidifying its position as a customer-first, innovation-led brand in Nigeria’s telecom landscape. It also demonstrates the company’s clear ambition to lead innovation in Nigeria’s telecom sector by adopting tools that are secure, scalable, and inclusive.

All Airtel subscribers may activateAirtel Assist by sending a WhatsApp message to +2348028800000 or clicking https://wa.me/2348028800000.

The chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, while speaking on the launch of the initiative, said, “This is Airtel meeting Nigerians exactly where they are, on platforms they trust and use every day.

“With Airtel Assist, we are adapting technology at the personal level. It’s fast, secure, and always available, designed to serve real people with real needs, in real time. As a company with a constant focus on customer satisfaction, this is one of the ways we make customer care more accessible.”

Also, the Director of Marketing at Airtel Nigeria, Mr Ismail Adeshina, explained that Airtel Assist was developed with both convenience and empathy in mind.

“Everything about Airtel Assist is designed to simplify and enhance the way our customers engage with us. Whether it’s to check data balance in the middle of a conversation, buying data while commuting, or resolving issues after hours, Airtel Assist is always available, right there on their phones,” he said.

On his part, the company’s Head of Digital Products and Innovation, Mr Oyebowale Akideinde, noted that the product’s intuitive design and ease of use is a demonstration of adaptive technology, adapted for the nuances of local consumers.

“With Airtel Assist, we’re unlocking a human way to connect on one of Nigeria’s favourite digital platforms: WhatsApp! You can now recharge, check balances, and get help instantly,” he said.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

To enable seamless cross-border payments for licensed International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) across Africa, Airtel Money Africa has partnered with pawaPay.

This collaboration officially launches pawaPay’s service for inbound remittances into Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, and Tanzania.

Remittances remain critical for millions of Africans, enabling family support, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion.

This partnership ensures secure, instant mobile wallet transactions, key to advancing Africa’s digital economy. pawaPay will extend this capability to additional Airtel Money Africa markets in coming months.

The partnership allows IMTOs to efficiently deliver funds globally directly to recipients’ more than 161 million Airtel Money customers wallets, leveraging pawaPay’s renowned reliability, scalability, and 99.9 per cent platform uptime.

Building on five years of trusted collaboration in domestic mobile money, this expansion strengthens and simplifies Airtel Money Africa’s backend processes, using pawaPay’s robust payment service provider infrastructure, which processes over four million transactions daily.

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with pawaPay to advance international remittances across Africa. Their proven reliability and commitment to African consumers make them an ideal partner.

“This integration empowers International Money Transfer Operators to securely connect with Airtel Money’s growing footprint, delivering real-time payments that support financial inclusion and economic growth,” the chief executive of Airtel Money Africa, Ian Ferrao, said.

Also, the chief executive of pawaPay, Nikolai Barnwell, said, “Our mission is to simplify payments for businesses in Africa, and remittances are pivotal.

“Deepening our relationship with Airtel Money allows International Money Transfer Operators to leverage our world-class infrastructure for seamless cross-border payments.”