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Olusi Restates BoI Commitment to Local Manufacturing, Job Creation

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr Olasupo Olusi, has reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting local manufacturing in Nigeria.

Speaking during a visit to the G U Ebeco facility and inspecting ongoing projects at the Nisa Medical and Zeberced Group at the Idu Industrial Layout, Abuja on Thursday, he expressed delight at the progress made so far at the various facilities.

The BoI boss emphasised the importance of job creation and the need for their products to bear the Proudly Made in Nigeria label.

Mr Olusi praised GU Ebeco’s progress over the past seven years, applauding its expansion into a national enterprise with over 1,500 employees and several facilities across the country.

“I am very happy with the fact that BOI has supported this enterprise for the last seven years. It is wonderful to see that it has grown.

“It employs 1,500 staff and operates a national distribution system. We are proud of the significant role GU Ebeco is playing in the Nigerian manufacturing landscape,” he said.

The BoI boss also commended the loan repayment performance of the company., Saying it had taken multiple facilities from the BoI.

He encouraged other young entrepreneurs to stay focused while assuring them of the bank’s commitment to supporting them and Nigeria’s industrialisation efforts.

Responding Mr Ebere Uzozie, Managing Director of GU Ebeco, expressed his appreciation for the continued support from the BoI.

“We are grateful for the Bank of Industry’s backing. Their loans have helped us expand and create lasting change. We now have 34 facilities, and we are debt-free.

“We are optimistic the visit will mark a new chapter for the company and will ensure further growth and partnerships that will contribute to Nigeria’s industrial future,” Mr Uzozie said.

Meanwhile, at the Zeberced Group, its Managing Director, Mr Aydin Kurt, said that Nigeria had lots of potential and could be the future of the world.

While acknowledging the country’s potential for industrialisation, he emphasised the importance of producing locally in Nigeria rather than relying on imports.

Mr Kurt also appealed for more collaboration with the BOI to promote industrialisation, create jobs and help grow the economy.

”I can not do it alone. we have to come together and create a synergy to attract different investors to come and also invest in this country.

“This is our vision we have a lot to share with you, and thank you once again for visiting our corporations,” he said.

Responding, the BOI managing director said that the bank was keen on infrastructure and committed to supporting industrious infrastructure.

“This project is very important to us and a critical objective for the county and, in that spirit, we have decided that we will continue to support the proliferation of industrial parts across the nation.

Why yours is so unique is because it has a plan for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which is very important.

“We have a mandate to support that particular segment of our economy because they are the ones that champion job creation and most of the growth of the economy is attributed to them,” Mr Olusi said.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Economy

All On Invests $1m in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited to Strengthen Cold-Chain Infrastructure in Off-Grid Markets

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All One Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited

All On, an impact investing company focused on expanding access to renewable energy solutions in Nigeria, has announced a $1 million investment in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, a provider of solar-powered refrigeration and cold chain infrastructure.

The investment will support Eja-Ice’s manufacturing and operational scale-up as the company enters its next phase of growth. It is expected to enable the expansion of its cold-chain solutions and improve access to reliable cooling services for households, small businesses, and institutions operating in off-grid and weak-grid environments.

Access to dependable cold storage remains a significant constraint across Nigeria, particularly in coastal and rural communities where limited energy infrastructure contributes to post-harvest losses and income instability for small-scale agro-producers.

By delivering energy-efficient refrigeration systems, Eja-Ice is helping to address these challenges while supporting the preservation of perishable goods and strengthening local value chains.

“All On’s investment in Eja-Ice reflects our approach of supporting solutions that improve energy access while enhancing livelihoods, reducing costs, and enabling businesses to grow. Strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is an important step towards building more resilient local economies and expanding opportunities in underserved markets,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou, commented on the investment.

Eja-Ice’s integrated cold-chain model allows for greater control over product design, operational efficiency, and service delivery, ensuring that its solutions are tailored to the needs of underserved markets. The company’s systems are already supporting micro enterprises, cooperatives, and community-level infrastructure, particularly in areas where reliable electricity remains limited.

Also commenting, the founder and chief executive of Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, Mr Yusuf Bilesanmi, said, “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses with products designed, assembled, and optimised right here on the continent. It’s not just about access to electricity—it’s about dignity, productivity, and opportunity for the over 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who are still off-grid.”

Through this investment, All On continues to advance its mission of closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by supporting the renewable energy ecosystem and businesses that deliver sustainable, market-driven solutions.

All One Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited $1m

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Economy

First Holdco Lists N45bn Private Placement Shares on Stock Exchange

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first holdco subsidiaries

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Shares of First Holdco Plc worth N45.0 billion issued through a private placement have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

A circular issued by the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of the NGX Regulation Limited, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, disclosed that the equities were admitted for trading at the stock market on Monday.

According to the notice, the additional shares brought for listing to rank pari passu with existing shares of the organisation were 1,021,334,544 units.

These stocks were sold to one of the company’s major shareholders at a unit price of N44.06, amounting to N45.0 billion.

The total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco, as a result of this listing, are now 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.

“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of First Holdco Plc were on Monday, June 22, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.

“The additional shares listed on NGX arose from the company’s private placement of 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N44.06 per share.

“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc have now increased to 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 44,453,693,133 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” the disclosure stated.

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Economy

AA Rano, Nipco, Matrix, Others Secure Q3 Petrol Import Permits

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Petrol Import Bill

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved fresh import licences for petrol and diesel for the third quarter of 2026 (July – September) to prevent potential supply shortages in the domestic market.

According to a report by global energy intelligence firm, Argus Media, the latest approvals were issued to major downstream operators amid declining fuel stock levels and concerns over reduced petrol production at the 700,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.

The move comes as Nigeria continues to balance increasing local refining capacity with the need to guarantee adequate supplies of petroleum products across the country.

According to the Argus report, domestic firms, including AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono Energy, Nipco, Matrix Energy and Pinnacle Oil, received permits to import Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, during the July-September period.

The publication further reported that the same companies, with the exception of Nipco, were granted approvals to import Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel. The fresh approvals follow an earlier batch of petrol import permits issued by the regulator in May, covering about 720,000 metric tonnes.

Quoting a regulatory source, Argus noted that many of the companies granted the latest approvals were among those that had received permits in previous rounds. “These are some of the same ones that previously received the PMS permits,” the source was quoted as saying.

It was also claimed that AA Rano and Matrix Energy each received approvals to import 180,000 metric tonnes of petrol. AYM Shafa received approval for 120,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle Oil received a permit covering 150,000 metric tonnes.

For diesel imports, Argus reported that AYM Shafa obtained a permit for 60,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle secured approval for 45,000 metric tonnes. The report stated that the import approvals were issued only recently, after being delayed from an initial target date of June 15.

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