Brands/Products
Kelechi Amadi, Mai Atafo to Mentor Isedowo, Progress Booster Winners
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Some grantees of the 2021 empowerment initiatives of the Nigerian Breweries Plc have received expert mentorship for the expansion of their business ventures.
Recently, some small business owners, especially artisans, were given grants in the ongoing Isedowo and Progress Booster campaigns.
The beneficiaries were taken from the fashion designing and photography sectors and were trained by ace fashion designer Mai Atafo and renowned photographer Kelechi Amadi.
“I remember my journey into the art space as a photographer and painter, and there was a lot to unpack. A lot to learn,’ Mr Amadi enthused.
“Working with individuals who want to improve upon their skills is an energy that I identify. Though art is subjective, the building blocks cannot be overlooked.
“With these building blocks, one can work and improve to give some of their best art pieces. The prospect of archiving this with these talents is what excites me,” he added.
“I’m pleased that a platform like this exists. It is one thing to have a passion for making clothing, but it takes something extra to want to make standout pieces. I see the fire in these winners. I know they will progress at a good pace to fulfil their goals,” Mr Atafo said.
One of the beneficiaries, Justice Amadi, expressed his excitement about the training saying, “I am happy to be selected for this training, I see it as an opportunity to grow my career. Working with Kelechi Amadi has been my dream and I am grateful to Nigeria Breweries for making this come alive.”
Speaking about the journey so far, Ms Kehinde Kadiri, Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, described Isedowo and Progress Booster as major lifelines for most entrepreneurs in the region.
“We are pleased to see the number of people who are eager to get these grants to support their businesses,” she said.
Further expressing her delight especially with the addition of a mentorship program, Ms Kadiri mentioned that, “It is important to not just give people monetary support but to show them how they can utilize it and what better way than pairing them with experts who will not only help them improve their skills but share invaluable experiences from their successes and mistakes in the field.”
Progress Booster and Isedowo are empowerment initiatives that were set up to support consumers who are business owners and professionals within the Nigerian informal sector.
The initiatives set out to support them with grants, loans, and access to help them build business relationships with their informal trade associations.
Since the launch in 2017, the initiatives have grown to become a major source of support for craftsmen as well as a seal of approval and encouragement of hard work in the Southern part of Nigeria where both brands are focused.
This year alone, the initiatives have already awarded about 200 artisans across South Eastern and other South Western states while providing them with additional resources to help them get more out of their craft.
Within the last four years, Goldberg and Life Lager have been able to directly impact the businesses of over 1000 artisans through the progress booster and Isedowo programs, while also using the initiatives as touchpoints to reach most of its consumers across the South region where both brands have carved a niche for themselves as leading supporters of culture and tradition, and now entrepreneurship.
Brands/Products
Nigeria Must Accelerate Adoption of Renewable Energy Solutions—JMG
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A leading provider of integrated electromechanical solutions in Nigeria, JMG Limited, recently showcased real-world impact of its solar and hybrid energy solutions across key sectors of the economy to members of the media.
At the media tour held at JMG’s head office in Lagos, the Chief Commercial Officer of JMG, Mr Rabih Jammal, stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to accelerate its adoption of renewable energy solutions.
“Clean energy is no longer a future concept – it is happening now – and it is working. At JMG, we are not just advocating for renewables; we are delivering them.
“From our 150-kilowatt solar installation at our Victoria Island head office to multiple large-scale deployments nationwide, we have proven that clean energy works technically, commercially and financially,” he said at the event hosted to commemorate the International Day of Clean Energy.
According to him, JMG’s solar and hybrid projects have helped clients save millions of naira in diesel costs, improve energy reliability and significantly reduce carbon emissions.
“As more countries move toward sustainable solutions, clean energy has become an economic imperative for Nigeria. It enhances competitiveness, lowers operating costs and enables communities. This is only the beginning as we will continue to invest in solar solutions, technology, partnerships and people to scale clean energy across the country,” he added.
Also speaking, the Head of Marketing at JMG, Ms Oluwatomi Faniran, described clean energy as a core responsibility embedded in the company’s business strategy.
“At JMG, clean energy is more than technology; it is a responsibility. Our track record speaks for itself,” Ms Faniran said, highlighting the successful deployment of solar hybrid systems at NIPCO fuel stations, the powering of a government state house, and energy-efficient solutions delivered at facilities such as Nourdm Global and Rack Centre.
With decades of experience delivering solutions that enhance comfort, safety and efficiency across residential, commercial and industrial spaces, JMG operates across critical business units including conventional and renewable power, electrical infrastructure, HVAC systems, elevators and escalators, air compressors and energy-efficient technologies. Its operations are backed by internationally recognised ISO certifications in quality management, health and safety, and environmental sustainability.
Brands/Products
Paystack Launches Holding Company The Stack Group
By Adedapo Adesanya
Top payment solutions company, Paystack, has launched a holding company, known as The Stack Group (TSG), in its bid to aggregate the tech-focused family of brands connected with the Paystack brand.
TSG founding shareholders include Stripe, Shola Akinlade (Founder and CEO of Paystack), and existing Paystack employees. The agreements establishing TSG as the parent holding company were signed in October 2025, and are subject to the requisite regulatory approvals.
The announcement comes as Paystack celebrates its 10-year anniversary in January 2026.
Since its acquisition by Stripe in 2020, Paystack has grown its payment volume by 12x and is licensed and operational in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, with regulatory approvals for Egypt and Rwanda, representing 46 per cent of Africa’s GDP, the company said in a press statement.
The statement added that this product-first approach to pan-African growth has led to Paystack becoming profitable at the group level.
The development follows the recent launch of Paystack MFB in Nigeria after it acquired Ladder Microfinance Bank in its push into consumer products.
The company noted that as a standalone bank, Paystack MFB allows the group to internalise core financial rails and provide the banking and credit infrastructure required by over 300,000 Nigerian merchants.
“These capabilities enable the development of elegant, compliant, and much-needed end-to-end money-movement solutions and will continue to power the company’s mission of building technology solutions for Africa, to power African ambition,” parts of the statement added.
TSG will provide a corporate umbrella for a family of complementary brands that are solving Africa-specific challenges, while remaining operationally independent. At the outset, TSG will include merchant payments solution, Paystack, its controversial consumer payments product, Zap, the recently launched Paystack Microfinance Bank and TSG Labs, which will serve as hub for emerging technologies and building new products both within and beyond financial technology.
According to Mr Akinlade, “The launch of TSG signals a larger scope of ambition for us and sets the tone for the next decade of our company. Having worked with thousands of companies across the continent since 2016, it is clear that there are significant opportunities to support businesses beyond payments, and TSG enables us to address the challenges African companies face.”
“Thank you to the Stripe team for their continued belief in Africa’s potential, and our ability to create transformative technology companies for the continent, and beyond,” he added.
Brands/Products
Global Money Exchange Unveils Global Pay App
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new mobile application powered by Comviva’s mobiquity Pay platform known as Global Pay has been launched by Oman’s leading money exchange company, Global Money Exchange Co. LLC (GMEC).
The unveiling aligns with Oman’s national digital transformation vision and reinforces GMEC’s commitment to delivering innovative, secure, and inclusive digital financial solutions for daily life.
“The Global Pay App enables secure and efficient local and international payment transactions,” the Chairman of Global Money Exchange said, Mr Sheikh Sulaiman Abdulmalik Abdullah Al Khalili, stated.
He added that the platform is PCI-DSS certified, underscoring GMEC’s commitment to the highest standards of payment security and data protection, expressing confidence that “the mobile application will be widely used by the Omani Nationals and expatriates.”
The Managing Director of Global Money Exchange, Mr Subromoniyan K S, disclosed that “customers can conveniently pay utility bills and educational fees without the need for a bank account, thereby supporting broader financial inclusion.”
He further noted that the platform enables merchants to accept QR-based payments from customers of any bank or service provider in Oman, ensuring full interoperability across the payment’s ecosystem.
“The Global Pay app is supported by a comprehensive customer support framework. Customers can visit any of our branches across Oman for assistance or contact a dedicated customer support helpline for prompt resolution of queries,” the General Manager of Global Money Exchange, Mr Sonam Dorje, said.
On his part, the chief executive of Comviva, Mr Rajesh Chandiramani, said, “We are delighted to accelerate Global Money Exchange’s digital transformation journey with mobiquity® Pay- our scalable, cloud-ready digital payments platform built to support rapid growth and seamless expansion. Global Pay exemplifies our commitment to empowering financial institutions across the Middle East to deliver world-class digital experiences that drive financial inclusion.”
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