Brands/Products
SPAR Children’s Day Party Delights Participants Across Nigeria
In her charismatic way of celebrating youngsters, SPAR hosted Nigerian children to a party across various cities in the country during the 2019 Children’s Day celebration. The event took place simultaneously at the various premises of SPAR outlets nationwide.
This memorable event saw children engaged in various games and other exciting competitions during the Kids Fun Day and all participants went home with various freebies courtesy of SPAR. The free event made children experience the hospitality of the brand in a serene and conducive atmosphere.
In his comment on the SPAR Children’s Day Party, the company’s Group Marketing Head, John Goldsmith said “we are delighted to celebrate Nigerian children at this year’s edition of the SPAR Children’s Day Party across the country at our various outlets.”
“As an organization, we have always ensured that no part of the country is left out of our outreach projects. We desire to give every child in Nigeria memorable and unique experiences whenever they come in contact with our brand. It gives us joy to put smiles on the faces of these children every children’s day and always. We are fully in support of noble initiatives and we believe in giving back to the society. The SPAR Children’s Day Party is a way of building the confidence of the Nigerian children and also to develop their innate abilities,” he added.
Other side attractions at the event include cartoon characters, bouncing castle, train ride, face painting, essay writing, balloon giveaway, free product sampling amongst others. There were also family competitions like Dancing competition, SPAR Puzzle game, Pass the Parcel, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Doughnut Challenge, Popcorn Dump Race, Balloon Pop, Kim’s Game, Musical Statues, Apple game and many more. The winners of all the various competitions went home with lots of goody bags and other consolation prizes courtesy of SPAR Nigeria.
Also, SPAR partnered with Real Time Films Festival to host a Kids Audition Session at SPAR Ilupeju on Children’s Day. 5 children were shortlist after the audition who will be given an option to pursue their acting skills.
According to the Group Marketing Head, SPAR Nigeria, John Goldsmith said “there a lot of ways of developing children and we are glad to be partnering with Real Time International Film Festival to bring forth the potentials of Nigerian children.”
He noted that, “The future of the Nigerian society is in the way in which the children are developed. At SPAR, we are always looking for ways to creatively engage children and hone their skills. The partnership with Real Time Film Festival will help us to bring to fruition the aspiration of various children that are interested in the movie industry.”
Also speaking on the initiative, the Artistic Director of RTF, Stanlee Ohikhuare appreciated SPAR for partnering with his organization in the development of children for the creative industry. He said, “During the auditioning, we were able to discover exceptional children in the areas of Acting, Monologue, Dancing and Singing.”
He said, “Plans are already underway to feature the shortlisted children in a film alongside Nollywood a-list actors and other celebrities. The movie will be premiered at the cinemas and also during the upcoming film festival.”
Recently, SPAR organized the Children’s Easter Carnival across various cities namely Calabar, the Cross Rivers State capital; Enugu, the Enugu State capital and Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital respectively.
As renowned of SPAR Nigeria, the hypermarket brand has always translated the shopping experience of Nigerians and every shopper based on their Choice, Quality, Service and Value. SPAR Nigeria is a part of the global retail chain originating from Holland. SPAR international has given the Master Franchise of the SPAR brand to Artee Group for its operations in Nigeria.
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.
