₦airaland Forum

The Ogun State government, in partnership with the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said it plans to commission an agro-allied airport for commodities in the state.
The airport will facilitate the transportation of agro-allied commodities within and outside the country.

Governor Dapo Abiodun disclosed this recently, explaining that the project is duly supported by the ex-President cum farmer.

He noted that the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has made it imperative to ensure adequate protection of the food systems.

To this end, he called for an influx of urgent and indigenous solutions to fast-track the sector’s recovery. He expressed optimism in the ability of the state to become a special agro-processing zone.

He added that no fewer than 5,000 youths in the state will receive mentoring, support, and linkage to profitable agro-investment firms, as a prelude to setting them up in their respective businesses, this coming year.

“We are looking at having an agro-allied based airport from which agro produces like what we have here can be airfreighted outside the country and still get to other destinations fresh. We are looking at this kind of thing that will complement all that we are doing.

“We, as a government, believe in what Baba (Obasanjo) is doing and we will continue to advocate for this because we see ourselves as fast becoming the breadbasket of this nation.

“We believe in this project, we believe that agriculture is a way out of poverty and unemployment. We believe that we can actually grow what we eat and what we grow and we want to commend former President Olusegun Obasanjo for continuously and tirelessly walking the talk,” the governor said.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/01/05/ogun-state-to-establish-agro-allied-airport/

Business & Economy
Updated: January 5, 2021
Peace Mass Transit Acquires Redeemable Convertible Loan Stock of C&I Leasing Plc
Peace Mass Transit Acquires Redeemable Convertible Loan Stock of C&I Leasing Plc - Brand Spur
By
Bolaji Samuel
January 5, 2021

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C&I Leasing Plc hereby notifies the investing public of the purchase of 313,326,316 units of the Neoma Africa Fund L.L.C. (formerly Aureos Africa Fund, L.L.C.) unsecured variable coupon redeemable convertible loan stock in registered units of N4.75 each or its US$ equivalent in C&I Leasing Plc by Peace Mass Transit Limited.
The company was also notified that all requisite documents in connection with the transaction have been executed by parties.

The loan stock, when fully converted, will result in the issuance of 987,500,000 (Nine Hundred and Eighty-Seven Million and Five Hundred Thousand) Ordinary Shares of the Company which will represent 55.82% of the issued shares of the Company.

The transaction will strengthen the capital base of The Company and improve the clarity of the capital structure. This is highly beneficial to the company as the need for a possible redemption of the Notes, with the company’s cash resources, has been eliminated.

It is against this background that the shareholders approved the conversion of the Notes to ordinary shares at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 3rd November 2020.

The purchase and eventual conversion of the shares will strengthen The Company’s credentials as a leading Nigerian-owned service provider with operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Directors believe that this is a very positive development for the Company.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/01/05/peace-mass-transit-acquires-redeemable-convertible-loan-stock-of-ci-leasing-plc/

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 was postponed to 2021 which will end up costing the country of Japan even more than the significant amount already needed to host any Olympic Games.
According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 is already the most over-budget Games for absolute dollar values at around $7.2B over budget.

Before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the 1992 Barcelona Games claimed the unwanted honour of being the most over-budget games as the final bill came to $7B – a staggering 266% over the initial budget of $2.6B.

London 2012 is the most expensive running of the Olympic Games in history with a final bill of just under $15B, despite already having an initial budget of close to $9B.

COVID-19 Pandemic Postpones 2020 Games and Further Adds to Cost and Controversies
After both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese Government received wide-spread criticism for a delay in postponing the games despite the clear dangers of COVID-19, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finally announced in late March that the Games will be postponed until 2021.

Initial assessments of the delay indicated that postponement costs could get as high as $6B, but it has since been widely reported that the postponement would cost close to $2B. The delay has also already resulted in tension between the Japanese government and the IOC, with the debate over who will foot the bill for the delay.

Current cost estimates without the cost of the postponement already make the Tokyo Olympic Games the second most expensive Olympic Games in history. However, with the final price tag often far costlier than estimates, the Tokyo Olympic Games look set to become the most expensive Olympic Games in history when it is eventually held.

A Third of the Japanese Believe The Olympic Games Should Be Cancelled Altogether
With COVID-19 still ravaging different parts of the world, many in Japan are uncertain about the Olympic Games proceeding, even in 2021. A survey in August showed that 33.7% of 1000+ respondents believe that the Tokyo Olympic Games should be cancelled altogether while another 36.4% believe that it should be postponed further.

75.3% of respondents believed that the pandemic would not be contained anytime soon as their reason for their desire to cancel or postpone the Games. 12.7% indicated that they wanted the Japanese government to prioritize fighting the virus more while a further 5.3% pointed to the additional costs to be too high.


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/01/05/2021-tokyo-olympic-games-already-the-most-over-budget-games-in-recent-history-7-2b-over-budget/

Various entrepreneurs and business professionals are wondering what Lisnic is, especially if they’re looking to network with like-minded people. This includes traditional entrepreneurial leadership as well as mental health coaching.
Scrolling through endless lists on various platforms takes too much time. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to get anywhere. That’s where an online servicing platform comes in.

The Importance of Mentorship
Having a community in a field where knowledge is shared and transferred to younger generations is crucial for fostering the development of that community. This can be difficult in the business world where so many people are competing with each other. If no one works together through collaboration, communities eventually disappear from various destructive forces.

Also, the role of a mentor brings new life into someone’s purpose and career. If one has accomplished what he or she has already set out to do, there isn’t much left else to do except to teach future generations. This in itself can give a sense of a fulfilling life’s purpose throughout the later years.

Mentorship Networking Connections

These days, it seems like everyone is calling themselves a coach, guru, or mentor in different fields, particularly with entrepreneurship. Some of them are even young teenagers posting advice videos online through various social media channels. While some of it can be helpful, it’s important to get someone experienced who knows what they’re doing in a particular field. Otherwise, you might as well be going in blind.

Business experience in leadership roles includes being considered a leader in their field, building different companies, scaling companies to multi-million dollar levels, managing large teams, successfully raising money, investing in profitable businesses, acquiring or selling companies, and getting promoted in a Fortune 500 organisation. Even a few of these are enough to have good mentorship abilities.

Also, having the necessary skills to succeed in the market isn’t enough for having success in the highest levels. You also need to consider your mental health. With so much information available, today’s world can be incredibly stressful. How you deal with that stress can make or break your success in business and even in life. That’s why it’s so important to have a mental health coach, or what’s called a mind coach.

Understanding the knowledge of two different fields will exponentially grow your success and help you achieve your goals. In some ways, it’s actually necessary, especially when it comes to competitive marketplaces. It’s not enough to know how to deal with other people; you need to know how to deal with yourself. Your own psychology and behaviour can make or break your success, no matter what you’re trying to accomplish.

In Conclusion
The question of what is Lisnic is simple enough to answer in that it’s meant to connect mentors and mentees. This includes corporate leadership and dealing with your mental health. Both of these are incredibly important because having a positive and stable mindset will let you adapt to changes in everyday life. Find out what this networking service can do for your future success.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/01/04/what-is-lisnic-entrepreneurial-business-networking/

Few organisations will view the final weeks of 2020 as a bittersweet moment. In addition to the staggering human toll inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, entire industries saw longstanding business models upended, forcing companies to completely rethink their relationships with employees, vendors, and customers.
The financial services industry was no exception, and 2020 saw fintech becoming more important than ever as firms rushed to embrace digital transformation in response to the ongoing crisis. Many of these trends appear poised to continue well into 2021 and beyond.

Fintech defined
Fintech is short for “financial technology”, but the term itself is applied quite broadly throughout the financial services industry. It can be used to refer to a new generation of non-traditional start-up companies focused on building digital tools that allow people to manage their finances in new ways that disrupt established industry practices.

The term is also sometimes used to describe the technology itself, however, especially since established financial organisations are investing heavily in innovative applications and services of their own.

Fintech trends for 2021
Although 2020 is sure to be remembered as a year of unprecedented disruption, 2021 might well come to be known as a year of remarkable adaptation and transformation. Now that organisations have developed innovative digital strategies to navigate a more volatile economic landscape, they must now take up the challenge of putting those plans into practice.

Fintech developers need to keep an eye on these trends as they build new applications and services in order to provide the functionality and performance demanded by the financial industry. Many established firms will be taking a long look at their infrastructure and technology solutions to assess whether or not their current systems are up to the challenge of digital transformation.

If their existing platforms fall short, they will need to either seek out new fintech products with more robust feature sets or explore options for integrating new capabilities into their legacy software.

Top five fintech trends to watch in 2021
1. Customer-centric applications
The proliferation of fintech solutions has brought customers to the forefront of every financial organisation’s thoughts. Where the financial industry once designed processes and applications to suit their own needs, today they must focus on delivering a high-quality customer experience if they want to remain competitive in a crowded marketplace.

The process often begins with reducing friction wherever possible to help end-users get the products and services they need faster. With customers increasingly interacting with the financial industry across multiple channels, fintech developers must build solutions that strengthen those connections and expand their potential.

Eliminating manual processes, cutting down on external software dependencies, and automating routine tasks will continue to be a major point of emphasis for fintech applications. Customers no longer have the patience to repeatedly fill out lengthy forms or go through the frustrating process of downloading, printing, signing, and scanning documents.

By building document viewing, file conversion, and data capture capabilities into their applications, fintech developers can provide firms with a unified digital solution that addresses multiple needs and streamlines their customer experience.

2. Digital-first collaboration
According to a recent IDG study on the enduring business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 40% of employees are expected to be working remotely on a semi-permanent basis as of January 2021.

Without a dedicated solution on hand for viewing, editing, and managing documents, users are forced to resort to a variety of ad hoc workarounds and third-party software solutions that can quickly compromise data security and increase the likelihood of errors.

By integrating those features into their fintech applications, developers can help firms keep all of their documents and files safely within a secure infrastructure while still making them available through easy-to-use web-based API tools.

3. Big data management
Financial organisations continue to collect huge amounts of data in the course of their business. Some of this data is unstructured and must be processed using powerful analytics tools to identify important trends and potential risks that can help firms make better strategic decisions. But they also gather a great deal of structured data as well, typically from structured forms like loan applications, tax documents, and bank statements.

Managing all of this information more efficiently will be an important goal for 2021 because having good data insights is essential for identifying opportunities, optimising products and services, and automating essential services.

Fintech developers can help improve data processing by building applications capable of extracting information quickly and accurately. Financial data algorithms are quite good at identifying different types of data and sorting it into the proper place for analysis, but they’re often slowed down by documents that are damaged or difficult to read.

Thanks to software integrations that provide robust image cleanup, document alignment, and form recognition tools, fintech applications can ensure that firms are starting with the cleanest possible source data when extracting information for processing.

3. Big data management
Financial organisations continue to collect huge amounts of data in the course of their business. Some of this data is unstructured and must be processed using powerful analytics tools to identify important trends and potential risks that can help firms make better strategic decisions. But they also gather a great deal of structured data as well, typically from structured forms like loan applications, tax documents, and bank statements.

Managing all of this information more efficiently will be an important goal for 2021 because having good data insights is essential for identifying opportunities, optimising products and services, and automating essential services.

Fintech developers can help improve data processing by building applications capable of extracting information quickly and accurately. Financial data algorithms are quite good at identifying different types of data and sorting it into the proper place for analysis, but they’re often slowed down by documents that are damaged or difficult to read.

Thanks to software integrations that provide robust image cleanup, document alignment, and form recognition tools, fintech applications can ensure that firms are starting with the cleanest possible source data when extracting information for processing.

4. Pandemic proofing
Although there are several promising COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, challenges with supply and distribution will keep most companies operating under the same social distancing and remote workplace guidelines they put in place in 2020 for much of the year.

Even if restrictions are lifted earlier than expected, the risk-averse financial industry will continue to think about how to avoid similar disruptions by implementing paperless processes and electronic data capture options.

Just as retailers and manufacturers are rethinking their supply chain infrastructure, financial services companies must reassess their fintech applications in light of recent challenges.

Developers can help the financial industry better “pandemic proof” their processes by integrating better document viewing, file conversion, and data capture tools into their software solutions.

Not only can they automate traditionally time-consuming (and error-prone) manual data entry tasks, but they can also build in additional functionality to auto-generate data for new contracts and allow people to sign documents digitally to eliminate the need for face-to-face meetings.

5. Banking partnerships
Banks and other traditional financial institutions are increasingly partnering with fintech start-ups to reach new customers and engage with existing clients over new channels. As Deloitte noted in a recent study, the pandemic has removed many of the obstacles to digital transformation in the financial industry and forced many established firms to pour tremendous resources into their tools and infrastructure.

But as banks engage with innovative startups, they will need to find ways to integrate operations and data quickly to remain competitive and roll out new services successfully.

That integration process will be easier if they have flexible software solutions in place that can navigate multiple file types, perform cleanup and conversion, and extract essential data quickly and accurately.

Whether they’re building that functionality into entirely new applications or integrating features into existing legacy systems, fintech developers will play a key role in helping financial organisations accelerate their merger and partnership timetables so they can begin reaping the benefits more quickly.

Solving your fintech challenges with Accusoft
Accusoft’s collection of RESTful APIs and SDKs provide fintech developers with the tools they need to build comprehensive content processing, conversion, and automation solutions into software applications.

Whether you’re using PrizmDoc Suite to view, edit, and convert documents directly inside their financial applications, capturing valuable financial data from various form types with FormSuite for Structured Forms, or embedding powerful image cleanup, OCR, and annotation tools into your application with ImageGear, our family of software integrations allow you to add the functionality your fintech solutions need to meet the challenges of 2021 and beyond.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/01/03/top-five-fintech-trends-to-watch-in-2021/

COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on the sports world with many leagues needing to suspend and then restart their leagues in difficult situations. The football world was not immune to this as many clubs saw their revenue streams and brand value affected.
Despite the pandemic, according to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, Manchester United’s brand value reached up to $1.46B in 2020 – the most in the English Premier League (EPL).

Manchester United Most Valuable Brand Out of ‘Top 6’ – $1.46B, Arsenal lowest at $796M

The EPL is widely considered as the most competitive league out of Europe’s football leagues. With more money coming into football, the competition has intensified even more with the traditional ‘Big 4’ replaced with what is now considered the more appropriate ‘Top 6.’

Although performances on the pitch and the league table often depict a far different picture than the term suggests, many are in agreement as to which clubs the term refers to and the list of most valuable brands reflects the same ‘Top 6.’

The most valuable brand in the Premier League as Manchester United with a brand value of $1.46B beating out their arch-rivals on the pitch Liverpool which takes 2nd place on the list with a brand value of just under $1.4B.

The blue half of Manchester takes 3rd place on the list with Manchester City’s brand worth $1.245B. The remaining three spots are filled by London clubs with Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal rounding out the top 6 with brand values of 1.05B, 868M, and $796M respectively.

Strong Performances on the Pitch See Liverpool Overtake City
In what was one of the most dramatic EPL seasons in history, albeit due to non-footballing reasons, Liverpool FC won their first Premier League title in 30 years ending a historic drought. The season prior the Reds also won their 6th European Championship in club history making the last couple of years one of the most successful in Liverpool’s recent history.

Liverpool’s recent success saw them increase their brand value despite the pandemic while Manchester City experienced a decline of 11% in their brand value.

Tottenham Hotspur More Valuable than North London Rivals for 1st Time

Arsenal FC meanwhile has experienced their worst run of final league positions in the last two decades and have been missing out on the lucrative Champions League positions since 2017.

Arsenal’s struggles are compounded even more considering their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been going through what many call their “golden age,” producing highly competitive squads that regularly compete for silverware.

In 2019 Tottenham also introduced their new world-class home, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is comparable with any of the best sporting venues around the world.

With different fortunes both on and off the pitch, the tables have turned in North London for the first time as Tottenham was rated as the more valuable brand of the two football clubs, putting yet another twist in their already heated rivalry.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/01/01/manchester-united-most-valuable-brand-in-premier-league-1-46b/

Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has been recognized for its efforts in storytelling and PR innovation at the 5th edition of the Lagos Public Relations and Industry Gala (LaPRIGA), a prominent communications industry event at the instance of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
The Corporate Communications Department of Airtel Nigeria has also been awarded the ‘Best Corporate Communications Team’ in Africa by the prestigious Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Responsibility Awards (SERAs), a prominent award platform designed to celebrate excellence in the practice of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Africa.

According to a citation read in honour of Airtel Nigeria at the LaPRIGA event, the telco was bestowed with ‘Best Brand in Storytelling’ and ‘Best Innovation in PR Practice’ awards for scoring high on a wide range of parameters ranging from creativity, storytelling and proactively engaging its various stakeholders.

The Panel of Judges of the SERAs said the Airtel Nigeria Corporate Communications department has consistently and flawlessly designed and implemented programmes to not just uplift the vulnerable, underprivileged and hard-to-reach in the society but has been unwavering in its commitment of championing corporate philanthropy and exemplary CSR practice in Nigeria.

Commenting on the awards, Emeka Oparah, Director: Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Nigeria, commended the organizers of LaPRIGA and SERAs for creating platforms to recognize and reward excellence in the practice of Public Relations and CSR/Sustainability in Nigeria.

He expressed appreciation to his team members and to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, who, according to Oparah, is extremely passionate about CSR and Giving and always goes the extra mile to ensure that the Corporate Communications team gets all the support it requires.

“Airtel Nigeria dedicates the SERAs award to the underprivileged Nigerians who we strive daily to support through our flagship CSR initiative, Airtel Touching Lives. If we haven’t touched your life directly yet, hopefully, we will do so soon.”

Inaugurated four years ago, the LaPRIGA Awards is regarded as the high-profile red bow-tie event which has evolved to become communications industry Oscars aimed at recognizing excellence, celebrating practitioners, corporates, and stakeholders via awards dinner, and to boost professionalism and more investment in the Public Relations practice.

Over 400 leading communications professionals in consultancies, government, corporate and not-for-profit organizations, captains of industry including media personalities, academia and C-Suite executives from across different sectors and industries attended this year’s edition of the event.
Over the same period, there has been 240 competitive awards winners, 20 honorary award winners, five sustainability champions and 13 overall winners of the most coveted award of The Most Responsible Business in Africa. Within the period under review, the SERAs has had over 25,000 key players, industry and policy leaders and influencers.

Its works over the years has also made the award platform custodians of data around activities of the most active organisations in CSR and sustainability in Africa, be they large, medium or small scale, as well as the not-for-profits.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/30/airtel-nigeria-wins-at-seras-lapriga/

Medbury Medical Services is an accredited COVID-19 Testing centre and a notable member of the Lagos State Laboratory Consortium.
Medbury Medical Services, one of the accredited COVID-19 testing centres and a notable member of the Lagos State Laboratory Consortium, has announced the opening of an ultra-modern drive-through COVID testing centre in Lekki Phase I, Lagos.

The centre is known as Medbury COVID-19 Testing Centre.

Already serving Nigerians in Lagos through its testing centres in Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja; and Lekki Phase I as well as offering home & office testing services within Lagos, Medbury has continued to support government efforts in ensuring the COVID-19 pandemic is contained.

Located just before the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, and at the centre of Admiralty Way in Lekki Phase I, clients can now get their tests taken within 15 minutes of arrival at the new drive-through and walk-in COVID-19 test centre.

The testing centre is uniquely comfortable, clean, well-organised with well-trained employees and sample collectors; all optimised to ensure extremely fast service with the minimal waiting time.

Speaking on the new facility, the Managing Director of Medbury Medicals, Dr Itunu Akinware, said, “The need for a world-class, efficient, quick yet reliable service was crucial to our clients and we had to rise up to this challenge. We had to build a facility that was comparable to those found in other parts of the world.”

She said, “Results of tests are delivered the next day via e-mails and clients are advised to plan for results within 24 to 48 hours.

“In addition, as an innovative company, Medbury has taken a step ahead and leveraged the use of technology to tackle counterfeiting and fake results through its bespoke verification platform that is currently being used by airlines, foreign embassies and other stakeholders to authenticate results taken at all Medbury COVID-19 Testing Centre.”

Medbury Services Limited is a company building businesses across the healthcare value chain, with the vision is to provide holistic ‘end-to-end’ services that cover the healthcare needs of Nigerians.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/27/medbury-eases-covid-19-testing-for-individuals-corporate-agencies/

UACN Property Development Company Plc (UPDC) has through its stockbroker, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, informed The Nigerian Stock Exchange that the Company has obtained the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Scheme of Arrangement between UACN Property Development Company Plc and the owners of its fully paid ordinary shares of 50 kobo each.
The Scheme of Arrangement involves a capital reorganization with the unbundling of a substantial portion of UPDC’s interest in the UPDC REIT to all UPDC shareholders. With the unbundling, UPDC’s shareholders will have continued exposure to UPDC, in addition to direct access to the returns from UPDC REIT. Under the Scheme, each eligible shareholder will receive Scheme units based on the allocation ratio.

Subsequent to the Scheme becoming effective, eligible shareholders will hold shares in UPDC, as well as units in UPDC REIT.

The Effective Date for the Scheme is Thursday, 24 December 2020 while the Qualification/Eligibility Date is Monday, 21 December 2020.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/28/updc-obtains-sec-approval-on-its-proposed-scheme-of-arrangement/

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says that the average price of 1 dozen of Agric eggs medium size increased year-on-year by 6.64% and month-on-month by 1.42% to N494.72 in November 2020 from N487.81 in October 2020.
The NBS disclosed this in a Selected Food Price Watch Data for November made available to Brand Spur Nigeria.

The bureau said that the average price of a piece of Agric eggs medium size (the price of one) increased year-on-year by 8.68% and month-on-month by 2.36% to N44.75 in November 2020 from N43.72 in October 2020.

The report stated that The average price of 1kg of tomato increased year-on-year by 25.86% and month-on-month by 2.77% to N316.16 in November 2020 from N307.63 in October 2020.

According to the report, the average price of 1kg of rice (imported high quality sold loose) increased year-on-year by 23.46% and month-on-month by 3.71% to N549.98 in November 2020 from N530.32 in October 2020.

Similarly, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber increased year-on-year by 16.26% and decreased month on month by -2.72% to N236.25 in November 2020 from N242.87 in October 2020.

Notably, pressures on the food inflation sub-index are likely to continue in December due to festivities-related demand and supply shortages amid lingering insecurity, structural bottlenecks, and currency market volatilities.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/21/price-of-1kg-of-rice-increases-by-23-46-yoy-in-november-2020-nbs/

Governor Udom Emmanuel has stated that training of Akwa Ibom youths in various technical skills to fit into his industrial revolution plan, remains a priority of his administration.

Speaking during the commissioning of the Dried Bamboo to Tissue Paper Production Factory, Saturday, Mr Emmanuel, flanked by his wife, Dr Martha Emmanuel, deputy Moses Ekpo, announced that 33 indigenes of the state have so far been trained to operate the tissue factory located at Dakkada Cottage Industries Ekid Itam, Itu Local Government Area.

He said 20 persons will be sponsored early next year for training in engineering studies at Israel to man the Vehicle Assembly Plant which will be commissioned next year. He said the 20 to be trained on the Motor Assembly Plant will contribute towards the locally made vehicles in the country.

“We try to make sure that we train a lot of our youths, a lot of our indigenes to be able to take care of our new industries. “We have trained about 33 indigenes of the state who adapted easily to the technology immediately and it will make this factory easily maintained by our own indigenes.

“I want to reassure the people of Itu that we need to send 20 people to Israel immediately for training, minimum of 10% persons will be from Itu because the company is sited in Itu Local Government Area.

“The Israeli Ambassador is working seriously to give us visas for them to go for the training so that when they come back those 20 engineers will be the ones to run the Vehicle Assembly Plant, I am sure we should be able to commission that next year.
” If you visit the Motor Assembly Plant, work is ongoing. We got some delays because of COVID our target is that as the federal government will be launching out the new scheme of locally assembled vehicles, Akwa Ibom state should be able to supply a whole into the Nigerian market especially for those luxury buses”.

The Governor explained that the Dakkada Cottage factories with limited employment needs of the people will create direct and indirect economic impact to drive the economy.

He appealed to Akwa Ibom people to be involved in the supply of raw materials which is mainly Bamboo used in the production of tissue and the toothpicks, where they will make a lot of profit.

The state chief executive also assured that his administration is working tirelessly to resuscitate moribund factories in the state.

“I can assure you that like the Quality Ceramics we are working seriously to see how we can bring it back to life.

“We are at the last stage now, once we fire and it responds by the second quarter of next year we should be able to reactivate that factory and bring it back to life”.

Emmanuel commended the host community, of the Tissue Factory at Ekid Itam for their cooperation and solicited for sustained community relations of peace so as to make the factory succeed.

“Let me appreciate the host community for their cooperation so far, I just want to believe they will continue to cooperate with us as we do a lot more”.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, thanked God for keeping the state through the recession with the state achieving most of its projects.

Prince Akpabio lauded the vision of Governor Udom Emmanuel for initiating the tissue paper production factory which he affirmed remains very significant to the people of Itu, stating that with the capacity to produce 5 tons of tissue daily from Bamboo and about 2000 tons annually, the prospect the factory holds will stimulate the economy in the area.

In a goodwill message, the member representing Itu State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Kufre Edidem thanked Governor Emmanuel for siting the factory in Itu noting that it will provide more than 25 direct jobs and more than 2000 indirect jobs, adding that it will take the youths off the streets and provide them with a means of livelihood.

Similarly, the paramount ruler of Itu, Edidem Dr. Edet Akpainyang, expressed joy to the governor for making history through the siting of the tissue paper factory, describing it as compensation to the people of Itu who earlier lost the Oku Iboku which hitherto engaged the people in the area.

Hello, no prayed God for diligence to the governor to succeed in his vision for the state.

The four factories are operated under the supervision of the General Manager of the Dakkada Cottage Industries, Tedy Thomson.

The Plastic factory which has a daily production capacity of 2 tons presently on a test run, will soon be increased to a daily production capacity of 5 tons of plastics with the arrival of more moulds and other facilities.

As confirmed by Governor Emmanuel, the Dakkada Cottage Industries have the capacity for expansion to provide direct and indirect employments for several youths of the State.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/21/akwa-ibom-govt-earmarks-more-trainings-for-youths-inaugurates-tissue-paper-factory/

Good skin is very important and people think it is just for women. This is a terrible assumption as we should all desire to have good skin that we should be proud of.


Here are 5 Fruits that help in taking good care of our skin:
Lemon
This fruit is popularly used in a number of skincare products. From anti-ageing lotions to anti-acne creams, this citrus fruit can prevent a host of skin issues. It is rich in Vitamin C and it can help reduce signs of ageing and hyperpigmentation. Lemon is also a natural bleaching agent. It helps reduce sun damage and tan.

2. Oranges
High in vitamin C and antioxidants, oranges help fight premature ageing. Daily Vitamin C intake is mandatory for radiant skin. Vitamin C is known to aid in collagen production, which keeps your skin firm and reduces the appearance of signs of ageing.

3. Watermelon
The fruit we all know as watermelon is rich in fibres and water. It contains 92 percent water, which means hydrated, soft and supple skin. It contains Vitamin C, A, B1, B6 and Lycopene that are essential in improving overall skin health and texture.

Vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin A and B contribute to maintaining an even skin texture. Lycopene acts as a free radical scavenger, preventing tissue damage in your skin.

4. Apple

Apples are packed with Vitamins A and C that help cater to a host of skin issues. Apples also contain antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress.
Apple peels are also rich in antioxidants that help reduce the appearance of signs of ageing.

5. Banana
It is rich in dietary fibre that is required for a good digestive system, which helps with good skin as well. Bananas are also moisturizing agents that help soothe dry skin. This fruit is packed with antioxidants and antimicrobial properties. It contains Vitamin A, C K, E, folate and minerals that make it effective in improving your skin health.

These are five essential fruits that can help with your skin. There are other fruits that serve these functions however these were picked due to the ease in which they can be purchased.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/18/5-fruits-that-would-help-you-with-that-glowing-skin-you-desire/

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the average price per litre paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene increased by 0.13% month-on-month and by 11.29% year-on-year to N353.38 in November 2020 from N352.93 in October 2020.
States with the highest average price per litre

Ebonyi (N433.33)
Benue (N429.17)
Taraba (N411.52).
States with the lowest average price per litre
Bayelsa (N212.96)
Rivers (N283.33)
Niger (N316.67).
Similarly, the average price per gallon paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene decreased by -1.18% month-on-month and increased by 0.67% year-on-year to N1,218.50 in November 2020 from N1,233.00 in October 2020.

States with the highest average price per gallon
Kebbi (N1,377.78)
Enugu (N1,363.46)
Nasarawa (N1,328.33).
States with the lowest average price per gallon
Osun (N970.45)
Delta (N986.43)
Anambra (N1,071.00).

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/18/nigerians-paid-more-for-kerosene-in-november-2020-nbs/

Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, today announces that its subsidiary Airtel Uganda Limited has been issued a National Telecom Operator Licence.
This follows a period of negotiation and transition to a new Licensing Regime. The new licence is with effect from 1 July 2020 and is for a period of 20 years. Airtel Uganda thanks to the Government of Uganda and the Uganda Communications Commission for its cooperation on this important process.

Airtel Uganda will retain all its current spectrum subject to the law and terms of the assignment. The scope of services will be the provision of basic telecommunication services, infrastructure services, and value-added telecommunication services.

In addition, Airtel Uganda commits to achieving coverage of 90% of the geographical boundary of Uganda within five years of the effective date of the licence – with a minimum obligation of providing voice and data services.

Under the terms of the licence, Airtel Uganda has paid USD 74.6 million which includes VAT of USD 11.4 million.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/18/airtel-uganda-issued-national-telecom-operator-licence/

The “Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act” 2020 (“BOFIA 2020” or “ the New Act”) was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on 13 November 2020 and repeals the extant BOFIA 1991 (as-amended in 1997,1998, 1999 and 2002).
The BOFIA 2020 introduces and amends major provisions that govern the activities of banks, specialised banks and other financial institutions, reflecting the evolution of the Nigerian financial sector over the last three decades. The Act, among other things, seeks to strengthen regulatory oversight and increase investor confidence in the financial sector.

The BOFIA 2020 has six major new provisions. These new provisions include sections on the creation of a new banking sector resolution fund, the creation of a new tribunal for the enforcement and recovery of eligible loans and closure of banks during strikes, epidemic or pandemic.

The other new provisions include sections on restrictions on operations of banking agents, cybersecurity and netting arrangements.

The Establishment of a Banking Sector Resolution Fund
Without prejudice to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Act, the BOFIA 2020 establishes a banking sector resolution fund (“the Resolution Fund”), which will function as a bridge bank. The resolution fund will be floated by the CBN, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the banking industry.

At the start of the Resolution Fund, the CBN and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) will be expected to contribute the sum of ₦10 billion and ₦4 billion respectively (or such amount as the Board of the CBN may determine) on the first business day in each calendar year.

Also, from the commencement date, an annual levy of an amount equivalent to 10 basis points (or as determined by the CBN) of the total assets of banks, specialised banks and other financial institutions as at the date of its audited financial statements for the preceding year will be paid on the commencement date and on or before the 30th day of April in each subsequent calendar year following the commencement date.

The formation of a bridge bank in the context that is proposed by the Banking Sector Resolution Fund will bring some level of stability to the financial services sector in Nigeria.

However, we remain cautiously optimistic on the anticipated success of the initiative, especially considering that the current AMCON project has performed below expectations. We recognise the negative impact this development will have on the banking Industry’s profits due to an envisaged rise in regulatory induced costs which currently account for an estimated 15% of the banking industry’s total operating expenses.

The initiative could also create a moral hazard because access to contributed funds in the event of distress may trigger more risky behaviours by banks.

The Establishment of a special tribunal for the enforcement and recovery of eligible loans
BOFIA 2020 introduces a credit tribunal to improve the lending landscape and loan recovery activities in the financial system. Contained in Sections 102-132 of the Act, the tribunal will have and exercise jurisdiction on matters pertaining to the enforcement and recovery of eligible loans by banks, specialised banks and other financial institutions.

It will be involved in matters connected with or pertaining to the enforcement of security or guarantee or attachment on any assets under an eligible loan made by any bank, specialised bank or other financial institutions in Nigeria to its customers.

The risk profile of the lending landscape in Nigeria remains high because of the weak macroeconomic terrain and structural bottlenecks that impede the bankability of businesses. The recovery process on non-performing loans is also challenging since the legal framework is weak, thus constraining the enforcement of contracts.

We believe that the establishment of a special tribunal for the enforcement and recovery of eligible loans will encourage private sector lending in the medium to long term, which is required to achieve the much-needed growth in the Nigeria economy.

Closure of banks during strikes, epidemic or pandemic
Section 45 of the New Act makes provisions for unforeseen events such as a pandemic or a strike that could result in the inability of a bank, a specialised bank or other financial institutions to open for business.

The law states that no bank, specialised bank or other financial institution will incur any liability to any of its customers by reason only of failure on the part of the bank, specialised bank or other financial institution to open for business during a strike, an epidemic or a pandemic.

The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the #Endsars protests that followed almost immediately propelled the need for a provision such as this, which protects the banking industry from the accumulation of liabilities incurred from force majeure events. However, we believe that policy and contract documents may also need to be reviewed to address other challenges that may arise from any unforeseen events.

Restrictions on operations of agents of banks
BOFIA 2020 empowers the CBN to regulate the operations of agents of banks through guidelines. According to the Act, an agent is described as any person or entity contracted by an institution and approved by the CBN to provide the services of the bank on behalf of the bank in such a manner as may be prescribed by the CBN.

An agent is not permitted to accept any withdrawals by cheque or be a direct member of the Nigeria Bankers Clearing System. In addition, agents are not allowed to accept any deposits above an amount that will be prescribed by the CBN from time to time. This provision recognises the growing importance and relevance of agents in driving the financial inclusion strategy of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the near term.

The number of banking agents rose from 38,416 in December 2018 to 236,940 agents as of December 2019. Given the growing number of agents, both in the urban and rural areas of the country, it is important that activities of this support segment are well described and regulated to achieve the purpose of their function and prevent fraudulent practices.

Cybersecurity regulation
According to BOFIA 2020, the CBN may issue regulations and guidelines to the financial sector to address cybersecurity issues in the delivery of financial or banking services.

Cybersecurity is an emerging challenge in the banking industry, given a growing acceptance of technology and a spike in the number of customers added on to various electronic platforms within a short period. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many organisations to adopt various forms of technology without prior planning and testing.

So, while we view positively the improved usage of technology among financial services operators in Nigeria, Agusto & Co. also believes that it comes with heightened risks which need to be monitored and managed to prevent significant losses arising from cyber thefts.

Netting Agreements
The netting provision in BOFIA 2020 protects netting agreements in the event that a bank or financial institution is wound up.

According to the Act, where the license of a bank or other financial institution is revoked pursuant to the provisions of the Act or is wound up by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or a liquidator is appointed for the bank or other financial institution, any provision contained in a written netting agreement to which the bank or other financial institution is a party or any netting rule or practice applicable to the bank or other financial institution shall be binding upon the liquidator.

We view this development positively particularly with the recent licenses granted by the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) for the establishment of Central Counterparty entities in the Nigerian financial services sector.

The Central Counterparty entities are expected to assume counterparty clearing risks between parties to a transaction and provide clearing and settlement services for trades in foreign exchange, securities, options and derivative contracts.

With this provision, we expect increased confidence and participation especially in the derivatives segment where netting is required in settlements. This will also deepen the financial market in Nigeria in the medium to long term.

KEY AMENDMENTS ON BOFIA 2020
Under the new Act, some provisions were modified to cover more scenarios. Some sections that previously had one or two subsections were revised to cover more events and regulations. In the paragraphs that follow, we have highlighted eight major provisions that were amended to reflect current realities in the Nigerian financial sector and to strengthen regulatory oversight, going forward.

The amendments cover changes in penalties, minimum capital ratio, opening and closing of branches, display of information, restriction of certain banking activities, failing banks and rescue tools, functions of CBN Examiners and Operations of Foreign banks in Nigeria and offshore banking.

Penalties
All penalties mentioned in the BOFIA 1991 were revised upwards to accommodate the impact of inflation and devaluation on the domestic currency. BOFIA 2020 charges significant monetary penalties on officials within the financial services sector, which, in our opinion, would encourage accountability, ownership of responsibility and potentially pare back high-risk behaviours.

Financial institutions will also ensure that provisions under this Act are obeyed to minimise charges arising from breaches.

Minimum Capital Ratio
In addition to maintaining minimum capital ratios, the CBN may now prescribe a higher or lower capital adequacy ratio for any category of banks. The CBN may require any bank that has a holding company, a subsidiary or both to calculate and maintain minimum capital ratios on a consolidated basis.

This is an amendment from the old Act which empowers the CBN to prescribe higher or lower capital ratios at its discretion. For instance, for systemically important banks (SIBs), the CBN had proposed higher capital adequacy ratios above the regulatory minimum to ensure that enough capital is set aside in these big sized banks to absorb unforeseen losses. We note that the proposed capital adequacy ratio for SIBs was never implemented.

Opening and closing branches
This provision includes cash centres and representative offices to the coverage of offices that banks are to obtain consent from CBN before opening or closing. In addition, the six months’ notice period was introduced as a requirement for any bank intending to close any of its branches, outlets or subsidiaries.

We believe that this provision will encourage banks to be more strategic in establishing and shutting down branches and outlets, especially as it regards the potential impact on customers and bank staff.

Display of information
In the BOFIA 1991, this provision was titled “Display of interest rates”. However, this has been expanded to “Display of information”. In the New Act, banks are required to display information at their offices and on their websites (not included in the old Act).

In addition to interest and lending rates, banks are also now required to display foreign exchange rates, certified true copies of certificates of incorporation, and abridged versions of the last approved audited accounts. We believe this provision will enhance transparency and competition in the banking industry.

Restriction on certain banking activities
The BOFIA 2020 prohibits banks, specialised banks or other financial institutions (without the prior approval in writing of the CBN) from granting any unsecured advance, loan or credit facility except it is in line with the regulation on collateralisation as may be issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

We recognise that the banking industry grants short term loans (or overdrafts) to low risk and large conglomerates on a cash flow basis. These credits are granted in repeated cycles, helping the Industry’s profits, especially as interest rates on these loans tend to be slightly higher than longer-tenured credits.

In addition, personal loans such as “payday” loans which are based on expected salary cash flows may be affected by this provision. However, this new provision does raise a few rhetorical questions. What would be the likely implication of this provision on the credit environment in Nigeria given that a considerable volume of credits by the banking industry are unsecured overdrafts?

What implications would this have on operational efficiencies in the loan administration process of financial institutions which will now have to obtain regulatory approval for unsecured lending?

Failing banks and rescue tools
Where a bank is adjudged to have failed under the conditions provided in Section 34 (1), the CBN governor may suspend any payment or delivery obligations pursuant to any contract to which the bank is a party.

This is not contained in the old act. In addition, the governor may transfer the whole bank or only part of the banking business to third party private purchasers or employ any other intervention tool as the CBN may deem fit. The CBN now has powers to acquire the shares of any falling bank up to a level that guarantees its control of the bank.

If everything else fails, and the state of affairs of the bank concerned still does not improve, CBN may invoke its power to revoke the license of the bank.

In the old Act, the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) had the responsibility to take over the control and management of a failing bank and in a worst-case scenario recommend other resolution measures including the revocation of the bank’s license. However, with the BOFIA 2020, the NDIC’s function has been somewhat removed.

With a perceived overlapping mandate between the CBN and the NDIC, there is need for clarity especially in the area of resolution of failing banks where NDIC is known to be the primary actor in the resolution process. We believe that an overlap of regulatory responsibility may lead to inter-agency conflicts, duplication of regulations and ultimately increase ambiguity in the financial sector.

CBN Examiners
In the new Act, the Governor may appoint examiners who shall have the right to attend (as observers) management and board meetings of banks, other financial institutions and specialised banks to which they are assigned.

We believe that this law somewhat contradicts the efforts made by the regulatory body over the years in terms of corporate governance, which resulted in stronger independent boards and corporate governance structures.

In our opinion, the presence of CBN examiners at these management and board meetings would impair expressiveness and may be counterproductive in the long run. We believe that if this provision remains, it should be applied strictly to banks in financial distress.

Operations of Foreign banks in Nigeria and offshore banking
The CBN may grant to any bank registered in Nigeria or a foreign bank a license to undertake domestic (absent in the old Act) or off-shore banking business within a designated free trade or special economic zone in Nigeria.

This provision, which is an amendment to the prior, somewhat contradicts an existing law that says licenses to carry on banking business in Nigeria may only be granted to companies duly incorporated in Nigeria. Thus, foreign banks seeking to obtain banking licences in any part of Nigeria including designated free trade or special economic zone should also incorporate a Nigerian subsidiary for that purpose.

Agusto & Co. believes that this provision may place Nigerian banks at a disadvantaged position over the foreign counterparties in the long term.

CONCLUSION
We believe that there are grey areas in the new Act that need to be clarified or amended to achieve the purpose for which the BOFIA was reviewed.

We expect these to be addressed in the near term as certain provisions within the Act are considered to be inimical to initiatives targeted at attracting domestic and foreign investments, promoting industrialisation, developing Nigerian enterprises and generally improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/17/the-review-of-the-bofia-2020/

Extending delivery of new CBN diaspora remittance rules whilst offering customers another convenient and flexible payout option
LAGOS, Nigeria WorldRemit, a cross-border digital payments service, today launched a service for customers in Nigeria to receive international transfers in their bank accounts in USD ahead of the Christmas celebrations.

This further demonstrates WorldRemit’s ongoing commitment to offering customers easy and convenient ways to send and receive money following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new directive for remittances.

According to consumer research, 30% of those who responded to a WorldRemit survey stated that they will not be travelling to visit family and friends due to pandemic-related travel concerns. The ability to transfer money to USD denominated bank accounts in Nigeria offers greater flexibility and payment options for those sending money transfers to support those back home during the festive season instead of visiting in person.

The CBN recently revealed that annual remittance inflows to Nigeria are estimated to be approximately $24bn. These funds can be used to finance activities that are important to our customers such as education, medical costs, daily living expenses and investments into new opportunities.

In responding to changes in the Central Bank’s remittance policy, WorldRemit was the first company of its kind to make it possible to send money from countries including the United Kingdom and the United States to Nigeria for cash pickup in US dollars and is now facilitating bank transfers to offer greater convenience for senders and recipients.

International money transfers to US dollar bank accounts are already available through two of WorldRemit’s partner banks: Fidelity Bank and GT Bank. WorldRemit is working to add other partners shortly.

Speaking on this announcement Gbenga Okejimi, Country Manager, Nigeria and Ghana, at WorldRemit, said:
“Ensuring that our customers are able to transfer money to friends and family back home safely and as quickly as possible is why we exist. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our services. We hope that by making it possible to send money to USD bank accounts in Nigeria, this gives our customers more flexibility and options to receive the money which we know is a welcome development during this festive season.”

WorldRemit also recently launched a Transfer Tracker App which allows recipients of money transfers to track their funds. The app is free to download through the Google Play store in a number of countries including Nigeria. The innovative cross-border payments company continues to create opportunities for customers to support their family and friends across the world.

WorldRemit is a leading global payments company. We disrupted an industry previously dominated by offline legacy players by taking international money transfers online – making them safer, faster and lower-cost. We currently send from 50 to 150 countries, operate in more than 5,000 money transfer corridors worldwide and employ over 1,200 people globally.

On the sending side, WorldRemit is 100% digital (cashless), increasing convenience and enhancing security. For those receiving money, the company offers a wide range of options including bank deposit, cash collection, mobile airtime top-up and mobile money.

Backed by Accel, TCV and Leapfrog – WorldRemit’s headquarters are in London, United Kingdom with regional offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Africa, Somaliland, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Belgium.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/15/worldremit-delivers-usd-bank-transfers-to-nigeria-in-time-for-christmas/

FCMB Group Plc (FCMB) hereby notifies the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and its esteemed shareholders that the proposed Commercial Paper Issuance by one of its subsidiaries, First City Monument Bank Limited has been suspended.
This is as a result of the Nigerian Treasury Bills auction of Wednesday, 9 December 2020, which distorted price discovery.

The proposed Commercial Paper Issuance is under its N100 billion-naira CP programme. The CP has a tenor of 260 days with the aim of raising up to N30 billion to support the Bank’s short-term funding needs.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Ltd is a banking group, headquartered in Lagos. As of December 2019, the bank’s total assets were valued at US$4.4 billion (NGN: 1.7 trillion).

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/14/fcmb-suspends-proposed-n30bn-commercial-paper-issuance/

This piece of development was revealed by the President of the NRFF Kelechukwu Mbagwu during a virtual meeting with members of the NRFF Board
LAGOS, Nigeria, December 14, 2020, – The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has released courses and guidelines for prospective enthusiasts who intend to deepen their knowledge of the sport at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) ahead of the 2021/2022 session.

This piece of development was revealed by the President of the NRFF Kelechukwu Mbagwu during a virtual meeting with members of the NRFF Board.

The announcement of this latest development confirmed the underground efforts made by the Board to expand rugby from the fields to the lecture rooms where more knowledge can be acquired by Coaches and Administrators.

Last week, the Director of the country’s foremost Institute, Dr. John Dadi-Mamud confirmed the inclusion of rugby into its programme after meeting with some members of the federation in Lagos.

The courses include;

Advanced Certificate, Diploma, Higher Diploma in coaching, marketing, stadium management and sports management with a maximum duration of 24 months.

A three-month sandwich basic coaching certificate is also on offer for candidates interested in expanding their knowledge in rugby and other 22 sporting disciplines.

The inclusion of rugby in the programme of the institution has been eliciting some level of excitement from players, coaches and some other enthusiasts who describe it as a positive move at creating an intellectual boost to the game in the country.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/15/excitement-as-nigeria-rugby-football-federation-unveils-rugby-program-at-national-institute-of-sports/

Video resizing is related to the method of lessening the size of a particular video file through encoding. The size of the video gets affects by several parameters such as bitrate, resolution, codec, and format. The process of video resizing has been opted by numerous individuals, right from business owners to professional filmmakers. You can also resize video online if you do not have software for it.
With the help of video resizing, people find it much easier to download and upload their favourite videos on all social media platforms without any error or problem. The process of video resizing has become popular in this technologically advanced era.

Video resizing software: Things you must consider!
You will come across many videos resizing software in the market, some are high-quality, and others are not that good. For such reasons, you need to opt for the right software that will provide you with the best outcome. Given below are some of the things that you must consider when obtaining video resizing software.

Conduct plenty of research:
Do not just randomly select any software for video resizing. You need to be sure that the software is the right one for you so that you can resize all your videos without any issue.

You will find a lot of software on the online platform. Some of them are pretty expensive, and others are available for free but are of the best quality. Before you opt for the software, conduct plenty of research and take a look for a video resizing in store and whether or not it contains any additional features. Also, you can ask your friends or family members and even read online reviews as well.

It can change the aspect ratio:
You have probably noticed that the video dimensions vary from one social channel to another. For instance, the video that you see on your smartphone will be too small for the tablet or laptop screen and vice versa. That is why you must go for a video resizing software that will enable you to change the aspect ratio of the video.

Changing the aspect ratio of your video will give you the chance to view your favorite videos on your preferred device. Before you obtain the software, check to see whether or not it has the aspect ratio changing feature. Otherwise, it’s better to leave that software and look for the one that has this feature.

Must support your device:
Why go for a video resizing software that is not compatible with your device or the version you use? This is one of the most important things that you must put under your consideration. When going through a particular software, make sure it supports the device so that you can resize your videos without any issues in the middle. You will come across video resizing software that supports all the versions of Windows OS and Mac. So, it will be much better if you opt for software similar to that.

It should be trusted:
Never think of getting software for video resizing that is not from a trusted or a certified source. When you obtain a video resizing software from a source that is not a trusted one, then the chances of getting malware or viruses will be pretty high. Sources that are certified and verified by the law will provide you with clean and high-quality video resizing software, which is virus-free. Also, when you utilize the video resizing software available in the online platform, make sure to check the website first before using it.

Should support all the formats:
When you use video resizing software, you need to opt for a different format so that the video file runs smoothly. Moreover, the software should also support all types of file formats. Make sure to go for a video resizing software that is compatible with all the file formats so that you can use the one according to your requirements.

A good-quality and trusted software will support file formats like MPEG2 or MP4, DV.AVI, SD, HDMPEG2, MPEG4, MOV, XVID, FLV, H.263, WMV, H.264, AVCHD, and numerous other file formats.

Benefits of video resizing
Resizing your video will provide you with plenty of outstanding benefits. To know what those benefits are, check below.
Helps in reducing the size of the video so that it occupies less storage space. This will allow you to store more videos.
You can share the resized videos quickly and efficiently without waiting for hours. Downloading these videos will also take less time.
Since many websites have file-size limitations, with the help of video resizing you can take care of those issues.
The quality of the video will also remain the same as the resizing process does not affect it. This means you can watch a resized video in high definition.
Important features of a video resizing software
In this modern era, the video resizing software will not just help in resizing the video, but it will provide you with plenty of other advanced features. These features will be high-beneficial for you and help in the process of video resizing as well.

Look below!
The software can resize more than 1000 videos within seconds.
It runs 30-times faster than other video resizing software.
You can resize videos for a variety of devices with no issues.
It’s pretty easy to use and simple steps that you need to follow.
You can adjust the audio, add effects, trim, apply watermarks, and crop the video.
You are free to customize your videos cannot to your needs.
It will enable you to resize about 8K videos within several clicks.
You can also preview your video before the resizing process.
The Takeaway!

Video resizing has become a big deal these days. The process is helping people from all sectors of the industry. If you are looking for a good video resizing software, then going for software like Wondershare will be the right thing to do. It provides video resizing options both through an online website and in the form of software, which you can install on your device. Both the online and the software version is free.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/14/getting-video-resizing-software-things-you-need-to-consider/

The world’s first tequila flavoured beer, Desperados, was launched in Nigeria on December 12, 2020, with an exclusive party held at EbonyLife Place, Victoria Island, Lagos. This once-in-a-lifetime experience attracted a handful of partygoers who relished the sweet contrasting taste of fiery tequila and icy beer in one bottle.

Desperados was brewed in France and is owned by Heineken Inc. Despite all the exotic imagery on the can or bottle and the fancy Spanish sounding name, Desperados comes from France. Desperado is an interesting brew with an ABV of just under 5.9% giving it an added incentive.

Speaking on the brand launch, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Emmanuel Oriakhi, said,
“What better time than the festive period to launch our brand that embodies the upbeat season and is full of life? Desperados is the best authentic drink to get the party started with your tribe. As a brand, we are looking to build a community of young Nigerians who are spontaneous, driven by great taste and ready to experiment.”

The Fischer Brewery, founded in 1821 in Strasbourg, first produced Desperados, but with the recent success of the beer, production has now moved to the Netherlands, not surprisingly as Heineken took over the brewery in 1996. Does this make it any less exotic or “cool”? Hardly, it’s only a lager after all, with a bit of tequila thrown in.

As traditional beer sales decline breweries are looking for alternatives and also exciting new products to push in the emerging Asian markets. Desperados offer something different than some stale boring lagers and are less bitter and so more appealing to softer palettes. Either way, it’s always cool to try something different, and a tequila flavoured lager isn’t the worst idea in the world.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/13/nigerian-breweries-plc-launches-desperados-a-tequila-flavoured-beer-photos/

Living a healthy way requires commitment and discipline and it also requires having the right information in order to take that action.
You want to burn that belly fat or you want to achieve that weight loss and you don’t know how?

Well here are 6 means to help achieve belly fat loss:
1. Avoid Sugary Drinks
Avoiding sugary drinks is an intentional attempt to stay healthy. As we all know that unhealthy drinks and foods are quite easy to get and affordable than healthy choices but that is no excuse for the toxic love for this beverage drinks.

Sweet beverages, such as sweetened tea, coffee, and packaged fruit juices, should be avoided as they make you consume far more sugar than your body actually needs. The more sugar you consume inadvertently, the faster the calories will convert into belly fat.

So go for the sugar-free versions of your favourite drinks whenever possible, drink freshly extracted juice instead of packaged one, and try to appreciate the real taste of coffee and tea without the added sugar. This would change not just your lifestyle if followed but it would make you quite healthy.

2. Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

Fruits such as apples, melons, oranges and bananas are good for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Integrate fruits into your meal plan and start living good.

3. Exercises (Workout)
Working out on your abdomen and your entire body is necessary to achieve a healthy lifestyle and it helps on your weight loss.

4. Drink Green Tea
Green tea is a powerful aide in your fight against belly fat. Green tea, made from unfermented tea leaves, is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. They stimulate weight loss and bring you closer to your dream shape. Plus, drinking green tea 3 to 4 times a day will help you stay hydrated, which is also important for your health and look.

5. Add Garlic to your food
Regular consumption of garlic prevents fat cells from being converted into belly fat, keeping your stomach flat.

If you don’t like garlic, there is a reason to change your stance, as garlic also turns out to be effective against belly fat.

6. Increase your intake of lean protein
Kindly increase your intake of lean proteins. If you are conscious about your weight and your body. Lean proteins keep you full and supply you with the building material for new muscle tissue while also preventing you from gaining belly fat due to low-fat content. The most important lean proteins to keep in your diet include beef, fish, seafood, nuts, and chicken.

I hope you work towards living that healthy lifestyle today. Take that life-changing action today and reap the benefits.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/13/here-are-6-ways-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat/

The local bourse today (Thursday) closed for the fourth straight session on a negative note, as more investors took profit worth N232.07 billion from the equity market capitalization. Consequently, market breadth closed negatively, recording 40 losers as against 6 gainers.
In summary, the All-Share Index (ASI) shed 440 absolute points, representing a decline of 1.27% to close at 35,557.26 points. Similarly, the overall Market Capitalization value also declined by N232.07 billion, representing a contraction of 1.27% to close at N18.072 trillion.

OKOMUOIL emerged top of the gainers’ chart for today, with a maximum price appreciation of +10.00%, while UPL, WAPCO, and FBNH emerged joint top-losers with maximum price depreciation of -10.00%.

Today’s downtrend was also driven by price depreciation in medium and large capitalized stocks amongst which are; GUINNESS (-9.83%), FIDELITYBK (-9.80%), VITAFOAM (-9.29%), DANGSUGAR (-6.88%), ACCESS (-6.63%), OANDO (-6.44%) and ZENITHBANK (-6.18%).

Trading activities on the NASD-OTC counter today (Thursday) closed on a positive note, as the Unlisted Securities Index (USI) and the Market Capitalization Value both rose by 0.41% from yesterday’s position to settle at 724.35 absolute points and N538.41 billion respectively.

However, the Volume and Value of total transactions for today fell by 79.02% and 80.55% compared to yesterday’s position to print at 598,264 points and N10.698 million respectively.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/11/profit-taking-stretched-to-4th-straight-days-erodes-1-27-from-market-capitalization/

The bond market kicked off on an active note as tension rose in the market following the unexpected outcome of the previous day PMA auction. Bid offer opened the day 400bps apart at the belly and tail of the curve but tighten as activities kicked in.
Major losers were at the belly of the curve where offers jumped almost 120bps above yesterday’s levels as most of the market trades settled around 7.25%. The 2049s and 2050s also expanded with only a 30bps yield movement while most of its market trade was between 7.50%-7.60%. Consequently, yields expanded by an average of 83bps across the benchmark curve.

We expect the market to stay bearish for tomorrow, albeit with low trading volumes from market participants.

Treasury Bills
The Treasury space started off the day mostly offered with little bids to trigger enjoyable market activities. Some activity picked up as the session wore on, notably on the newly issued 1yr NTB bill 09 Dec 2021 paper, which ended trading in the 1.50%-1.60% range. We also saw some interest in short-dated bills, which was offered around 0.30% levels.

We expect the market to remain calm for Tomorrow, with some order-driven requests on selected papers expected.

Money Markets

System liquidity remained very liquid, closing the day at approximately N513.29bn positive. However, we saw a slight movement in OBB and OVN, increasing by an average of c.40bps to close the day at 1.00% and 1.44%, respectively.

We expect rates to close the week at these low levels, as there are no significant outflows expected to hit the market in the course of trading tomorrow.

FX Market
The Nigerian IEFX window was relatively stable as the rate changed slightly compared to yesterday, although the volumes traded at this level were very scanty.

At the parallel market, the Naira lost approximately N2.50K in both cash and transfer window to close at N475.00/$ and N488.00/$ respectively, while the CBN Spot and SMIS rates remained static at N379.00/$ and 380.69/$ respectively.

Eurobonds

The NIGERIA Sovereign tickers opened flat, with very low trades passing through the Nigeria space. However, we saw a bit of interest for mid-dated papers 31s and 32s, in particular, causing yields to compress slightly by an average c.1bps across the sovereign yield curve.

The NIGERIA Corps tickers also traded on a weak note, although yields remained unchanged D/D for most tracked papers.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/11/finally-outcbn-drops-the-long-awaited-special-bill-at-0-50/

Islamic finance assets increased 14 percent to US$ 2.88 trillion in 2019, the highest recorded growth for the industry since the global financial crisis
United Arab Emirates, December 9, 2020,/ – Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia ranked as the top five developed countries globally in Islamic Finance; Indonesia jumped to second place in IFDI ranking backed by government knowledge initiatives; Islamic finance assets increased 14 percent to US$ 2.88 trillion in 2019, the highest recorded growth for the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

According to the report, global Islamic Finance assets increased by 14 percent year-on-year totalling USD 2.88 trillion in 2019. Islamic Finance assets of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reached USD 1.2 trillion in 2019, followed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at USD 755 billion (excluding the GCC), and Southeast Asia at USD 685 billion.

The Islamic banking sector contributes to the bulk of global Islamic finance assets. The sector grew 14 percent in 2019, equating to USD 1.99 trillion in global assets. This compares with just 1 percent growth in 2018 and average annual growth of 5 percent over the period from 2015 to 2018.

According to the report, the top five developed countries in relation to Islamic Finance are Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia. This year, Indonesia displayed one of the most notable improvements in the Islamic Finance Development Indicator (IFDI), moving into second place for the first time due to its high knowledge and awareness ranking.

David Craig, CEO of Refinitiv, said
“A lack of relevant, actionable data has held back the Islamic finance industry for too long. That’s why the Islamic Finance Development Indicator is now such an important tool for policymakers and market participants. This market is worth nearly $3 trillion already and I’m excited about its future, particularly when it comes to Sukuk and because Islamic finance has so much in common with sustainable finance – one of the most significant trends in global business today.”

Ayman Sejiny, the CEO of ICD, said:
“We believe that the analyses and information provided in this year’s report will serve as a vital reference point for the state of the Islamic finance industry during these difficult times and we remain convinced that Islamic finance can play a major role in alleviating the social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The report covers 135 countries and is based on five key metrics comprising of Quantitative Development, Knowledge, Governance, Awareness, and Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR).

According to the report, Green and Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) increased in the UAE and Southeast Asia in 2020. The pandemic was a game-changer as several Islamic banks reported losses and reduced profits throughout this year. The pandemic has also led to growth in some areas of the industry as some regulators turned to Islamic finance to mitigate the economic impact.

Corporate Sukuk issuance has also picked up after a cautious halt in the first quarter of 2020. The report indicates that companies are taking advantage of low borrowing costs to shore up their finances, while the pandemic continues to batter trade and economies.

Please click here to download the latest edition of the IFDI Report.
Please click here to learn more about the indicator and the IFDI Database.
Please click here to learn more about Refinitiv’s Islamic finance offerings.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/09/global-islamic-finance-assets-expected-to-hit-3-69-trillion-in-2024-report/

Olam Coffee, part of Olam Food Ingredients (OFI), has developed a range of coffee cherry cascara products as a key ingredient for beverage infusions and concentrates across multiple applications, from ice teas to nutrition bars, to meet the growing trend for healthy indulgence.

Cascara – translated from Spanish as ‘husk’ – is the pulp and skin of the coffee cherry fruit. Its flavour is very different from coffee, often described as sweet and fruity with notes of cherry, raisins, and even caramel.

Coffee farmers have used it for years to make tea infusions, but it is typically regarded as an unusable by-product by the coffee industry and composted for use as crop fertiliser, or discarded altogether.

Today, there is a growing awareness of cascara as a sustainable superfood due to its unique flavour and perceived health benefits, with several times the antioxidants of blueberries, acai, pomegranate and other known superfruits.

In addition, bioactive food compounds such as polyphenols and chlorogenic acid, which are present in coffee cherry cascara, have promising potential to help patients with obesity. The caffeine content can also be considerably lower than coffee.

“There is also the environmental benefit of utilising the skin and pulp that’s otherwise discarded as a bi-product in the primary processing stage,” said Siva Subramanian, Vice President of Innovation at Olam Coffee.

“And as demand for this superfruit grows, upcycling cascara will provide more coffee farmers with an additional source of income.”

Olam Coffee currently sources cascara from its single estate coffee plantations in Brazil, Laos, Tanzania and Zambia, with integrated processing capabilities, which provide a year-round certified3 supply of quality cascara that’s traceable back to the specific block.

Their teams have carried out multiple trials of ‘husk’ and ‘pulped’ cascara production, experimenting with coffee varieties, cherry ripeness and harvesting and processing techniques to define suitability for specific food ingredient applications, such as teas or natural confectionary flavourings.

There are two main processing methods which produce different flavour profiles. During the wet processing method, the fruit pulp is collected and dried slowly on raised beds in a controlled environment. The resulting ‘pulped’ cascara, has a sweeter, fruitier flavour and deeper colour than the ‘husk’ variety – produced using the dry or natural method – and lends itself well to fruit concentrate applications and extracts.

Olam Coffee can offer a range of cascara products, namely dry cascara for tea infusions and flour; liquid cascara concentrates for jams, jellies, dessert toppings and bakery fillings; and soluble cascara powder for use in hot and cold RTD beverages and mixes. It will also be available for nutraceutical and cosmetic use as an as antioxidant supplement. Olam Coffee will work with companies and brands directly to co-create bespoke cascara products.

At their Innovation Center in Fresno, California, Olam continues to develop new cascara offerings derived from various processing conditions, in partnership with external laboratories and customers to meet their specifications.

Food safety continues to be a primary focus and Olam Coffee is working with local partners and agencies to secure wide-spread use of cascara for integration in multiple applications on the market.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/08/olam-coffee-develops-novel-superfruit-products-from-upcycled-coffee-cherry-cascara/

Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku has called on the people of the state to register en mass in the contributory Social Health Insurance Scheme in order to have unfettered access to medical treatment.
Governor Ishaku made the call on Thursday in Jalingo when he flagged off the Health Insurance Scheme.

He told his audience at the event that his passion for the Health Insurance Scheme was fuelled by his visit last year to Rwanda. What he saw there, he said, was an excellent health insurance scheme which required the people to pay only a token in order to enjoy a wide range of healthcare facilities.

He expressed satisfaction that his passion for the scheme and determination to have it replicated in Taraba State has eventually materised.

The Governor directed the management of the agency to initiate steps to ensure that the poor and the vulnerable are guaranteed access to the services of the Agency.

“We must ensure that the poor are not denied access to medical treatment under this scheme”, he said.

He also announced the plan of his administration to ensure that every ward in the state has a standard health clinic. This, according to him, is to take healthcare down to the doorsteps of the ordinary people in the state.

It was also an occasion for the Governor to recount some of his notable achievements in the health sector.

He said the administration has renovated three General Hospitals in the state, one of which has already been commissioned. The renovated hospitals have greatly enhanced access and qualify of medical services available to the people of the state.

He also used the occasion to remind the people that Covid-19 was still very much around and urged them to continue to observe the protocols for preventing its spread.

He said Taraba State was lucky to be among the states with the lowest cases of the infection and called for vigilance among the people.

Speaking earlier, Innocent Vakkai, Commissioner for Health, said the establishment of the Contributory Health Insurance Agency has come as one of the numerous visionary programmes embarked upon by the Darius Ishaku administration.

He expressed happiness that despite the delay in mid-wifing the agency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the scheme had eventually materialised and urged the people to take advantage of the scheme to maintain good health.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/03/taraba-state-flags-off-health-insurance-scheme-urges-people-to-register-for-its-facilities/

Zenith Bank Plc has emerged as Bank of the Year in Nigeria in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020. This is coming on the heels of the awards as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria and the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital by The Banker won earlier in the year.
The award, which was announced today by The Banker Magazine, Financial Times Group, United Kingdom during the virtual awards ceremony, was based on individual banks’ ability to deliver returns, gain strategic advantage and serve their markets.

Regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence, The Banker’s Bank of the Year awards is contested by the world’s leading financial institutions, with winners chosen across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western Europe.

Commenting on the award, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc., Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu said that:

“it is a thing of joy for us in Zenith Bank to have been recognized by The Banker, Financial Times Group, as the Bank of the Year 2020 in Nigeria. I dedicate this award to our staff for their commitment, doggedness, creativity and very outstanding talents. It is in the talents of our staff that the Bank has continued to build dynamic competencies and capabilities that are driving our business for continued superior performance.”

He also expressed his gratitude to the Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, for the pioneering and foundational role he played in building the structures and laying the foundation for an enduring and very successful institution, the Board for the deep insights and outstanding leadership they provide, as well as the Bank’s teeming customers for their support which has enabled the Bank to prove to the market what it can deliver.

Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offering, unique customer experience and sound financial indices. The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

As a testament to its resilience and market leadership, Zenith Bank announced an impressive result for the year ended December 31, 2019, with profit after tax (PAT) of N208.8 billion, achieving the feat as the first Nigerian Bank to cross the N200 billion mark.

In the recently released Q3 2020 unaudited financial results, the bank recorded an improved result over the corresponding period in 2019, with gross earnings rising by 4% to N509 billion and profit before tax (PBT) rising marginally by 1% to N177 billion, an indication of the Group’s resilience given the challenging macro-economic environment due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/03/zenith-bank-emerges-best-bank-in-nigeria-in-the-bankers-bank-of-the-year-awards-2020/

National lockdowns, closed borders and travel restrictions have helped drive up enquiries for second passports, citizenships and overseas residencies by more than 50% year-on-year, reveals one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory firms.
deVere Group, which has more than 100,000 clients globally, reports that this highly unusual year has seen demand for its residency and citizen service “skyrocket.”

The majority of enquiries are from high–net-worth individuals from the U.S., India, South Africa, Russia, the Middle East and East Asia who are seeking alternative options in Europe and the Commonwealth.

Nigel Green, the founder and CEO of deVere Group, says:
“Previously, a second passport, citizenship or residency were regarded by many as the ultimate luxury item; a status symbol like yachts, supercars and original artwork.

“While this still remains the case, there’s also been a shift due to the pandemic.

“Now, second citizenship or overseas residency are increasingly becoming not just a ‘nice to have accessory’ but a ‘must-have.’

“Whether it be for personal reasons, such as to remain with loved ones overseas or be able to visit them, or for business reasons, a growing number of people are seeking ways to secure their freedom of movement as they have faced travel restrictions which are, typically, based on citizenship.”

He continues:
“The pandemic has served as a major catalyst for demand which skyrocketed this year. It has focused minds to secure that second passport or elite residency.

“However, the appeal for is broader than just the global Covid-19 crisis.

“Increasingly people prefer the concept of being a global citizen, rather than being solely tied to the country of their birth.

“They too value the many associated benefits including visa-free travel, world-class education, optimal healthcare, political and economic stability, reduced tax liabilities and wider business and career opportunities.”

Every host country has different criteria for granting citizenship, including time spent in the country, being able to prove the legal source of funds and no criminal records.

For example, Portugal’s residency program requires only two weeks every two years of residency to gain the benefits, including the right to live, work, study and open a business there, as well as travel across the 26 countries of Europe’s Schengen area.

“More and more nations are running citizenship-by-investment programs, in which applicants invest an amount of money in a sponsoring country typically in high-end, new-build real estate developments in exchange for permanent residency, citizenship, or both,” affirms James Minns, deVere’s Head of Residency & Citizenship.

“These programmes, which high-net-worth individuals regard as invaluable insurance, are typically based on property investments that start from 250,000 EUR.”

Nigel Green concludes:
“These highly unusual times have fuelled the surge in demand for second passports.

“The pandemic has brought into sharp focus what really matters to people: family, freedom and security.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/02/demand-for-second-passport-surges-by-50-percent-amid-covid-19-restrictions/

As a franchisee, you get a lot more support in running your business than you would if your location was an independent brand, but you’re still responsible for much of the day-to-day of running a business. Keeping the books, hiring and firing, managing staff, and customer service all fall to you. And, to some extent, so can local digital marketing.

When you own a franchise, the general public sees your business as one branch of a large (sometimes giant) company. But you’re not just competing for business with other companies in your industry — you’re also competing with your company’s other franchise locations nearby.

Some of what makes your franchise location more popular than other locations of the same franchise are out of your control — for example, if your franchise has the better location, you’ll likely see more business even without putting extra effort into digital marketing.

But you can use search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), and social media engagement to attract more customers, and carve out a niche for your specific franchise location in your community.

Social Media Is Your Friend

Social media may be the most powerful digital advertising and customer relationship management tool you have at your disposal. When a local business owner publicly declares an unsavoury political opinion or flaunts local public health guidelines, users take to the business’s Facebook page or Twitter to express their displeasure in the form of negative comments and bad reviews. But you can use your location’s social media presence to strengthen your relationships with customers and drive more traffic to your location.

People spend an average of 58 minutes a day on Facebook, so make sure your location has a Facebook page. Engage customers by sharing relevant, valuable content — videos are especially engaging for online audiences. Share photos of events at your location, staff hard at work, and regular customers enjoying your products and services. Respond to customers’ posts, reviews, and messages in a professional and courteous manner.

You Need to Come In at the Top of Search Rankings
Most people aren’t going to look beyond the first page of search returns when searching for a product or service online, so if you want to catch the eye of locals looking for your products or services, you need to appear on the first page of search returns. Here’s where it can be valuable to spring for paid digital marketing for franchises.

Consistently coming in at the top of search returns requires both a combination of paid, targeted advertising on social media and organic search returns. You’ll need to create a regular stream of original, SEO-optimized content for your location’s website or microsite and social media pages, and most franchise owners don’t have the time to create multiple blog posts and videos a week, and that’s what it takes to draw in fresh traffic from search results.

Google will penalize sites that post duplicate content, or content that doesn’t create value for users or even sites that have too many internal links. It can be hard to wrap your head around SEO strategies and techniques if you’re not a professional.

In addition to helping with content marketing, a professional SEO service can help you optimize your location’s website for local search with schema markup. Schema markup is a means of adding data-rich tags to your website’s HTML code, in order to give search engines more detailed information about your business and create the most accurate search returns possible.

This location-specific, structured data can include information about your local business type, location, products and services, prices, inventory status, and customer reviews. For example, if you’ve searched for local restaurants recently, you’ve probably seen that some returns contain estimated price information and a five-star rating based on Google reviews.

This is the kind of data you can add to your search returns by using schema markup to optimize your website’s HTML code.

Local digital marketing can do a lot to bring new business into your franchise location. With help from the right professionals, you can see increases in customer engagement and get more bodies through the front door — and that can translate to increased revenues and a stronger, longer-lasting local reputation.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/12/01/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-local-digital-marketing-for-franchises/