General
Airtel Highlights Benefits of Digital Identity Enrolment
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigerians have been advised to embrace digital identity enrolment because of its importance in governance and its ability to empower individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in modern society.
Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, said it was collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to intensify a campaign for this to commemorate this year’s National Identity Day today, Thursday, September 16.
According to Airtel, the partnership with NIMC to mark the National Identity Day is in line with its commitment to support the government’s agenda of building a robust and reliable soft infrastructure and identity management system that will accelerate economic development as well as boost safety and security of all citizens and residents across the country.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil, said Airtel is delighted to join NIMC, the Nigerian government and other well-meaning stakeholders to create further awareness on the importance of identity and digital identity enrolment, noting that a solid national identity database is a powerful tool that can drive efficient economic and social planning, governance and service delivery.
“Airtel commends the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and the management of the NIMC under the leadership of Aliyu Aziz for their commitment to creating a world-class identity database for Nigerians and for the relentlessness in inspiring several platforms and initiatives to put the conversation around identity management on the front burner. Airtel is excited to join NIMC in hosting this year’s identity management day and we will continue to support the institution in delivering its mandate to Nigerians,” he said.
According to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, the commission is celebrating National Identity Day in collaboration with the global agitation for the day to be formally declared as world international identity day.
“Nigeria has been positioned to take giant steps in providing a unique identity to all through collaboration with government institutions and viable partnership with the private sectors.
“The essence of this celebration is to create awareness among Nigerians on the importance of identification as a tool for national development.
“We need more Nigerians to not only understand the role identity plays in improving governance but also in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in modern society. We are delighted Nigeria became the first country in the world to declare September 16 as ID Day, thereby leading the rest of the world in this important direction”, he said.
September 16 has been recognized annually as National Identity Day in Nigeria since 2019, following approval of the federal government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to join the Coalition for International Identity Day.
The National Identity Day is commemorated as part of the government’s efforts to promote awareness on the importance of identity in enhancing access to rights, social services and formal economy.
By Emmanuel Udom
The Abeokuta diocese of the Catholic Church in Ogun State is set to hold a one-day training for all parish correspondents across its over 69 parishes in the state.
Business Post gathered that the training is planned for Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the St Peter & Paul Catholic Hall, located at Itesi along Adetan Road in Abeokuta, Ogun Sstate.
The training will commence from 10 am to 2.30 pm and the event is coming ahead of the church’s Communications Week (ComWeek) fixed for May 25 to June 1, 2025, at the same venue.
The Social Communication Director for the diocese, Fr Gregory Fadele, in a statement said all parish correspondents are expected to be at the venue of the training on or before 9.30 am for registration.
He, however, disclosed that no proxy arrangements would be allowed as refreshments, stationary, certificate of participation, and others would be given to each correspondent drawn from all the parishes of the Catholic church in Ogun State.
By Adedapo Adesanya
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has backed plans to set up an oil trading house called Africa Trading Minerals (Atmin), which will finance the purchase of refined petroleum products by African and Caribbean oil buyers.
The bank has invested $3 billion in the trading house, which it expects to finance about $10 billion to $14 billion of Intra-African petroleum imports.
Atmin will be based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to have around 15 employees.
It will start with crude and then expand into oil products and minerals, according to reports.
Afreximbank will be a controlling shareholder at Atmin, while employees will own some 15 per cent of the firm.
The move takes place as oil majors and Western banks retreat from Africa, and the continent is facing a decline in oil and gas production due to under-investment, while also spending $30 billion annually on fuel imports.
It is also seeking to address Africa’s persistent reliance on imported refined petroleum products, which accounted for an amount of $30billion annually in petroleum import costs due to inadequate refining.
Key products to be traded are refined petroleum products including but not limited to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), Jet Fuel, and Kerosene. The eligible exporters are refineries operating in Africa.
According to Reuters, Atmin will be run by Mr Ajay Oommen,a former Shell executive who worked for the oil major for for 17 years as well as Mr Vikram Thakur, who worked for 18 years at Shell, including in business development, trading origination and structured finance, as well as Mr Joseph Kanaan, a trader at Shell for 11 years.
Speaking on this, Mr Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank, said that the development will have a direct impact on the volume of the refined petroleum products produced and consumed in Africa.
“It will also have a multiplier effect on the downstream petroleum value chain as it will catalyse critical investments in shipping and marine logistics for intra and extra African trade of crude oil and refined products.
“The multiplier effect will also be seen in marine cargo insurance and other ancillary businesses within the sector. We want to see an increased proportion of the about 4 mbpd of crude oil produced in the Gulf of Guinea refined in Africa,” he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A popular Lagos-based socialite, Mr Emeka Daniel Okonkwo, otherwise known as E-Money, has been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The younger brother of a well-known musician, KCee, whose real name is Mr Kingsley Okonkwo, was reportedly arrested by the agency on Monday night at his residence at Omole Estate, Lagos.
He was accused of spraying foreign currency at a public function recently, an act believed to be against the Foreign Exchange Act.
At the time of filing this report, the EFCC has not reacted to reports of E-Money’s arrest.
The organisation is said to be looking into the matter with a view to prosecuting the socialite for the alleged offence.
He was said to have been flown to Abuja for questioning and should be taken to court to face the full wrath of the law if the agency is certain that he has committed an offence.
Recall that some days ago, E-Money was at the 50th birthday of another socialite, Mr Obinna Tochuukwu Iyiegbu, otherwise known as Obi Cubana, in Abuja.
He was also spotted at the wedding ceremony of Iyabo Ojo’s daughter in Lagos.
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