Who Leaves Nigerian Idol Season 8 Tomorrow?

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A popular Nigerian actor, Bolanle Ninolowo, has announced an end to his marriage, citing “an irreconcilable marriage dissolution” as the reason for the action. The actor, who asked for privacy and prayers from his fans “during this process as we heal and move on with our independent lives,” said he made efforts to keep the union intact, particularly because of his children.” However, he said since the centre could no longer hold, “my wife and I decided to go our separate ways,” though they will “jointly” take care of their children, who said they both “love most.”

By Modupe Gbadeyanka More encomiums have continued to pour in for fast-rising musician, Asake, who was named as the winner of the Album of the Year award at the 16th edition of The Headies. The singer also clinched the coveted Next Rated Award at the event, which took place on Sunday, September 3, 2023, in Atlanta, the United States of America (USA). The headline sponsor of the Headies, Airtel Nigeria, while reacting to the award won by Asake, said it was glad to be associated with him, stressing that his quick rise to fame was commendable. “Considering the amazing quality

By Aduragbemi Omiyale A veteran Yoruba actor, Mr Musiliu Olaitan Ajikanle, also known as Bufallo, has died after a prolonged illness. Musiliu Ajikanle was said to have died on Monday after suffering from a stroke for about seven years. A cleric, Agbala Gabriel Foundation, brought his plight to the public a few months ago. The actor, before his demise, has acted in several movies and has also produced some flicks. Details later.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Twenty talents have been shortlisted to battle for the grand prizes of the second edition of the Headies Mic Check competition sponsored by Airtel Nigeria. The almost two dozen music acts picked by the organisers were from the over 2,000 entries received from across the country. Several aspiring Nigerian musical talents were in Lagos from different states across the country, singing songs that suited the texture of their voice, written either by them or their favourite artists. However, only 20 persons were selected, and they will now have to impress the judges through the live show stage

By Dipo Olowookere As part of the activities to commemorate this year’s International Day of Charity, leading electricity distribution company in the country, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), recently donated essential items, including clothes and food, to the Lagos State Rehabilitation and Training Centre in the Ikorodu area of the state. According to the Head, Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric Plc, Mr Felix Ofulue, the exercise was aimed at supporting the concerted effort of government, charitable organizations, individuals and other Corporates to further alleviate the plight of the underserved in society. The International Day of Charity is observed annually on September 5.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka The appointment of Mr Edwin Friday Igbiti as the substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Niger Insurance Plc has been approved by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). The insurance firm, in a statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said the industry regulatory agency forwarded a letter to the company, confirming the approval of Mr Igbiti’s appointment. “We are pleased to inform the Nigerian Stock Exchange, our shareholders and the investing public that the National Insurance Commission has approved the appointment of Mr Edwin Friday Igbiti as the substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Niger Insurance Plc,”

By Dipo Olowookere From March 21-22, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) met with the Government of Ghana and partners working to advance food security goals under the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. Over the course of two days, the Feed the Future partners and the Government of Ghana examined the progress made over the last year and discussed potential plans for improving nutrition and food security, as well as building a more inclusive agriculture sector in Ghana. Kwesi Korboe, advisor to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and USAID/Ghana Mission Director

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A partnership targeted at unlocking financial inclusion for African consumers has been entered between GTP, a specialised provider of prepaid and virtual card processing solutions, and InTouch, a leading pan-African fintech. This collaboration will commence in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire and expand into the rest of the continent. The goal will be achieved by democratising access to card credentials for millions of African consumers, as it would bridge the gap between digital payment platforms and card-based transactions, giving InTouch customers access to cross-border transactions through Visa credentials. “With this partnership, we are democratizing access to card payments

By Adedapo Adesanya The prices of food in the world surged to a new peak in October 2021, reaching its highest level since July 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international food prices of a basket of commodities, averaged 133.2 points last month, up 3 per cent from September, rising for a third consecutive month. The FAO Cereal Price Index in October increased by 3.2 per cent from the previous month, with world wheat prices rising by 5 per cent amid tightening global availabilities due to

By Dipo Olowookere In an effort to reduce excess liquidity following the release of second tranche of N243 billion of the Paris Club Refund to the 36 states in the country by the Federal Government earlier this week, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Friday, sold N86.25 billion worth of 365-day and 195-day treasury bills. At the close of the trading week, the interbank lending rate jumped to about 20 percent, from 5 percent on Thursday. Traders informed Reuters that some banks initially quoted as high as 50 percent for overnight placement but this fell to around 15-20 percent

By Dipo Olowookere If there is one thing shareholders of Oando Plc have longed for, it is the payment of dividend, which is a form of reward for their support for the company. For many years, the board of directors of the energy firm has not paid cash dividend to shareholders because of some issues the company has been battling with, including debts and corporate governance issues. But if words of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando, Mr Adewale Tinubu, can be taken to a bank, then shareholders will soon begin to smile again. Last Friday, the company released

The last decade has seen the profuse digitization of the African business ecosystem. Digital adoption is even more aggressive in Nigeria as more customers prefer the convenience of transacting business from the comfort of their homes (and smart devices), paying online. From shopping for clothing to groceries to even betting, very few savours the traditional rigours of queuing up at a physical store, knowing it could all be conducted online. What does this mean for Nigerian businesses? You would be financially handicapped if you don’t jump on the cashless bandwagon and integrate online payment solutions into your services. The next