Jobs/Appointments
Basic Employee Benefits You Need Be Aware Of
Employee benefits constitute additional perks that employees get on top of their salaries from their employers. Benefits are valuable to both the employer and the employee. As an employer, you can attract and retain great employees if you offer them good packages.
On the other hand, benefits are valuable to employees since they offer relief in the time of need. There are different types of benefits, the perks you get depend on your company and the position that you hold. Read on to learn the basic employee benefits you need to be aware of.
Life Insurance
Life is unpredictable, and you can pass away at any time leaving behind some dependents. Life insurance offers protection to your family when you die, and they get the benefits as a lump sum when you die. You can privately acquire life insurance, but this option is expensive since these policies are offered through employers in most cases.
Medical Insurance
Medical insurance is probably the most important benefit that you should know of and must have. Health care is costly, and few people can afford it out-of-pocket without insurance. You can consider getting individual or group insurance as a matter of personal preference. There are various types of group insurance available in the healthcare marketplace, and these are designed to suit the needs of different people. These insurance plans cover surgeon and physician fees, prescription drugs, and hospital rooms. Coverage can also include your family depending on the type of policy that you hold.
The industry usually determines health insurance policies, and employers may pay the entire premium for their employees. In some instances, the employer just pays a part, and the employees top up the difference. Living without medical insurance is a great risk since anything can happen. Most employers offer group policies that cater to the universal needs of the majority of people in the company.
Disability Benefits
Workplace injuries are common, and they can incapacitate you for a specific period or you may suffer permanent disabilities. When you are not able to perform your job, you will lose some income and this can affect your welfare and that of your family. When you are eligible to get this benefit, it protects you when you are incapacitated. This type of benefit includes short term disability insurance that covers a few weeks following your accident. It usually lasts a short period when you are expected to recover fully and return to work. On the other hand, you could be entitled to a long term disability when the injury is permanent. In such a scenario, you may get disability benefits until your retirement age.
Retirement Benefits
As we age, there shall come a time when we leave employment and retire. Therefore, retirement benefits aim to help different people with a pension or income that can sustain their lives and families when they leave their careers. There are two types of retirement plans that include defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. Defined benefit plans are also called pension plans, and the benefit amount is usually predetermined by your years of service and your salary. In the case of a defined contribution plan, the employee or employer makes specified contributions, but the benefit amount is attached to investment returns, and these are not guaranteed. A good example is a 401k plan.
Paid Leave
Paid leave or time off is another benefit that you should know since it gives you relief and a short break from work. The common types of paid off time include vacation leave, sick leave, and vacation leave. Some companies combine these so that the employees can use them as consolidated perks during the time of need.
Fringe Benefits
Fringe benefits as the name suggests are often viewed as minor non-cash perks, but they play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining talented workers. They include non-production bonuses, child-care, tuition assistance if you want to take part-time classes.
However, most firms require that employees take courses related to their current job responsibilities as part of career advancement. In most cases, full-time employees are eligible to get fringe benefits, and their job posts also determine the perks they can get.
Many companies offer a variety of benefits as part of service packages that are designed to protect the interests of the employees. An organization that offers lucrative benefits stands better chances of retaining talented employees. Some of the basic employee benefits include health insurance, life policy, retirement plan, paid leave, and disability benefit. Different factors determine your perks like a position in the company and industry.
Jobs/Appointments
UNIZIK Appoints Nicholas Okoye Visiting Senior Lecturer, to Strengthen Digital Assets Education
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has appointed veteran investment banker and capital markets expert, Nicholas “Nicky” Okoye, as a Visiting Senior Lecturer in a move aimed at strengthening its capital markets and digital assets curriculum amid the growing global adoption of virtual assets and blockchain-based finance.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, is expected to deepen the university’s capacity to train enterprise executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers in emerging areas such as cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), tokenisation of real-world assets and other digital financial innovations.
UNIZIK, which hosts one of Africa’s few dedicated Capital Markets faculties, said the appointment aligns with its strategy of equipping students and professionals with the knowledge and practical skills required to navigate the rapidly evolving financial ecosystem.
The university, in its statement, described the appointment as a significant milestone for the institution.
“Securing someone of Nicky Okoye’s calibre is a game-changer. As global finance evolves, we must equip enterprise executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers with the technical knowledge required to build long-term capital formation strategies. His real-world experience is invaluable.”
Okoye brings decades of experience across global and Nigerian financial institutions. His career includes serving as a Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch in the United States, Chief Strategy Officer at the Nigerian Exchange Group, and Founding Group Executive Director of Operations and Strategy at Transcorp Group Plc, where he led fundraising initiatives that collectively exceeded $1 billion.
He currently leads the Global Investment Advisory Community (GIAC), a coalition of local and international banks, asset managers and fintech firms working to develop a digital assets ecosystem across Africa and the Caribbean.
Beyond the private sector, Okoye has contributed to public policy, providing advisory support to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on capital market regulatory frameworks.
Stakeholders in the financial services sector have welcomed the appointment, expressing optimism that his academic engagement would help build capacity among investors and professionals as Nigeria expands its digital finance ecosystem.
Okoye also holds an honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Enugu State University of Technology, awarded in recognition of his contributions to enterprise development and business excellence.
He previously served on the Presidential Jobs Board and the National Council of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, where he provided strategic advice on economic development. Between 2014 and 2018, he advised the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Project Triple E, an initiative designed to strengthen indigenous participation in the upstream oil and gas value chain by integrating community-based contractors.
The appointment comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to establish a robust regulatory framework for digital assets. The Federal Government recently inaugurated a National Virtual Assets Council to coordinate the oversight and regulation of virtual and digital assets in the country.
The council is chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria, with support from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigeria Revenue Service, as part of broader efforts to promote innovation while ensuring investor protection and financial system stability.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has been appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), with immediate effect.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Monday night said Mr Tinubu also made 25 other new appointments into 10 federal government agencies and commissions.
Also appointed was Major General Junaid Bindawa as chairman of the National Salary and Wages Commission.
On the board of REA are Mr Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta as members and non-executive directors. The incumbent DG of the agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and three executive directors previously appointed make up the remaining board members.
President Tinubu made eight other appointments to the Wages Commission, along with Mr Bindawa. Former member of the House of Representatives from Lagos, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, is the new secretary of the commission. Dr Ogbole Ene Lilian, Oladele Olatubosun, and Yakubu Umar Barde, representing Benue, Oyo and Kaduna, were appointed as commissioners.
Dr Mai Adamu Yau, from Borno, Ginika Florence Tor (Enugu), Engineer Lawrence Okoh (Edo) and Bello Morenike Iyabode (Kogi) were appointed as members of the commission.
Tosin Johnson Adeyanju, who was previously appointed as the Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), has now been moved to the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission as Secretary.
Mr Tinubu also appointed Dr Abuh Mohammed as the DG of the National Population Commission, Dr Akinola Odeyemi as Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), and Dr Anthony Inalegwu Godwin as chairman/CEO of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission. Engineer Julius Oloro, a former council chairman, is the new CEO of the Kwara-based National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), replacing Dr A.R. Kamal, who died last January.
The President constituted the board of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, with Dr Abdullahi Maikano Saidu as chairman. Members include Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Aliyu Makama, Dr Suleiman Gidado, Louis O. Ndukwe, Amaechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Idowu Onikola.
Shuni Muhammad Dahiru is the new executive secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, replacing Professor Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, who was reassigned to the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) in April.
To replace Mathias Byuan, the former executive director, finance of the Federal Housing Authority, who resigned to contest the governorship election in Benue, President Tinubu named Gisaor Vincent Iorja. The new occupier of the position is an economist, legal scholar, and academic currently serving as the secretary of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
In line with the 12-year tenure prescribed for non-executive directors of banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Tony Elumelu will on August 21, 2026, cease to be chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.
The board of the financial institution at its meeting on July 6, 2026, has elected Mr Emmanuel Nnorom as the new chairman.
In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, the lender said Mr Elumelu’s successor, a non-executive director of the company, will assume the new role on August 21, 2026.
Mr Nnorom is a chartered accountant with over 40 years of experience in banking, finance and audit. He brings to the role extensive leadership experience and deep institutional knowledge of UBA.
“I am honoured by the trust the Board has placed in me and deeply conscious of the legacy I inherit.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board, management and our staff across all our markets to sustain UBA’s momentum and continue delivering long-term value to our shareholders, customers and stakeholders,” Mr Nnorom stated.
Commenting on his retirement, Mr Elumelu said, “Serving United Bank for Africa has been one of the great privileges of my career.
“UBA has a unique competitive position, across Africa and globally, and I leave the Board with great confidence in UBA’s future.
“Emmanuel Nnorom is a leader of integrity, experience and sound judgement, and I am confident that the Bank will continue to thrive under his leadership.”
The board thanked him for his visionary leadership and exceptional contribution to the growth, transformation and institutional strength of the UBA Group.
