Asian Stocks Sluggish as US-China Trade Talks Resume This Week

By Adedapo Adesanya The President of the Dangote Group, the owners of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals plant, Mr Aliko Dangote, has said that following the purchase of 1 million barrels of Agbami crude grade from Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO), it will be looking to ramp up its production in coming months. The 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery is not expected to hit full capacity until 2025, but with a gradual ramping, it is expected that it will begin with begin producing up to 370,000 barrels per day of diesel and jet fuel. “We

By Adedapo Adesanya Forty-seven per cent of Nigerians are actively engaged with crypto, a new study shows as the country finds safety in the currency amid worries about the foreign exchange rate. According to insights by CoinJournal shared with Business Post, cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and various alternatives, are no longer just investments for speculation, “They represent a significant change in how people view and use money, providing decentralized options compared to traditional financial systems.” CoinJournal analyzed the data for the past three years, providing a comprehensive understanding of the current status of cryptocurrency adoption in 2023, as well as

By Adedapo Adesanya Oil prices fell further on Thursday touching a six-month low, as investors worried about sluggish energy demand in the United States and China. Brent crude futures dropped 48 cents to $73.82 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell by 33 cents to $69.05 per barrel, with both benchmarks posting their lowest prices since late June. Analysts noted that the largest global importer of oil, China, is shuttering its interests in crude and this has created pressure on prices. Chinese customs data showed that crude oil imports in November fell 9 per cent

By Adedapo Adesanya To herald its 20th-anniversary commemoration, Interswitch has launched a new brand campaign to project its positioning as a pioneering and integral enabler in the Nigerian business ecosystem. The campaign tagged #NeverStop will not only actively support the growth and development of fintech and payments across Africa over the last 20 years but also amplify the brand’s progressive outlook as a frontier-driving company that keeps pushing boundaries and facilitating the creation of new ecosystems that help businesses and individuals scale and thrive. Speaking at the anniversary kick-off on Tuesday, the founder/Group CEO of the company, Mr Mitchell Elegbe,

Every day across Africa, people turn to Google products like Search, YouTube and Fitbit for insights about their health and wellbeing. But many may not know that we have also been researching how AI can help improve healthcare outcomes for people, and how AI can empower our partners to deliver better health services — from improving maternal health outcomes to building useful digital tools for healthcare workers. To mark the upcoming Africa HealthTech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda — an event that brings together a diverse group of digital health innovators and public health experts to share knowledge and ideas to

By Dipo Olowookere Parents of participants at the 2017 Cowbell Football Academy (CFA), organised by Promasidor Nigeria Limited, have commended the company for sustaining the project, which helps to build children’s skills and motivates them towards the world’s most popular sport. Cowbell Football Academy, which is open to children between the ages of five to 17, is in its fifth year. The 2017 summer camp edition will run till Saturday, August 12 at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Commenting on the initiative, Mr Dada Ajai-Ikhile, an advertising practitioner, whose child attends Grace High School, Gbagada, Lagos, said Promasidor has done

By Modupe Gbadeyanka In a bid to support small businesses in Nigeria and also give them practical steps in building sustainable businesses, Fidelity Bank has joined forces with the Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE) to achieve these goals. With a network of over 12.6 million members across the continent and 1.6 million Nigerian members, AYE is the largest network of entrepreneurs in the world. The organisation uses conferences, workshops and motivational talks to share practical information on how to develop and manage businesses. The AYE encourages social entrepreneurship with role models, powerful mentors, social innovators, thought leaders, forward thinking investors and

By Dipo Olowookere Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Lagos Police Command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, has been named the Most Outstanding Public Relation Officer and Image Maker of the Year. Mr Famous-Cole received these awards at the just concluded CMC Gladiators awards of Excellence held in Lagos. Cornel Media Consult (CMC) led by Mr Cornell Udofia, in a courtesy visit to the office of the PPRO, explained that the award of excellence was bestowed upon the police image maker as a result of his relentless effort in managing and portraying the good image of the police force, particularly the Lagos

Heading into the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, Visa has announced an expanded commitment to women’s football, leveraging the brand’s sponsorship platform to inspire women athletes amidst the global gender equality and women’s empowerment movement. “Sport presents a huge opportunity for women to pursue their dreams on and off the field,” said Lynne Biggar, chief marketing and communications officer, Visa. “Women make the vast majority of consumer purchases and start millions of small businesses a year. By making a substantial investment in women’s initiatives, including soccer, Visa is celebrating this powerful global force.” Visa’s newest investments include supporting Women’s

By Dipo Olowookere A citizen of Hungary has been kidnapped by some pirates off the coast of Nigeria on Saturday, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has confirmed. A statement issued on Wednesday in Budapest quoted the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Péter Szijjártó, as saying that, “The local and German authorities have confirmed that a Hungarian citizen was among the six crew members kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Nigeria on Saturday.” During a press conference held on another topic, the Minister said there is no information as yet with relation to the fact