₦airaland Forum

The English Premier League (EPL) 2020/21 Season starts with lots of expectations and drama. Transfers are on high tempo as Top and Mid-level Clubs have made changes to their teams in a quest to achieve their set objectives for the new season. So far, Chelsea has been the busiest in the transfer market, making high-value signings.

A lot is expected from them, likewise other Clubs with completed transfers. I will be analysing players who are likely to make a positive impact in their respective Clubs.

P. Aubamayeng (Arsenal)

You can’t just brush him aside, I would say he is the main man for Arsenal at the moment. Having single-handedly assisted Arsenal in lifting the FA Cup. His impact in the Club is huge, we don’t expect Captain Auba to turn the lights down.

Greenwood (Manchester United)

This young lad is just a sharpshooter and requires little space or time in discharging his duties. He ended last season on a high and proud OGS is ready to give him more playing time for Manchester United.

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)

Mesmerizing Pulisic just surprised everyone once he is giving a chance on the pitch. It took a while for Lampard to realise that I just hope he gives him more playing time. With the introduction of new players in the Club, I expect a lot of competition between Pulisic and his rivals.

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

A unique January signing that has made a huge positive impact and creating the most dangerous attacking force in the club within a short period. He has brought out the best in the midfield and attack of the team. Expect more from Super Bruno.

Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

Wonder why Clubs like Real Madrid and others are falling over themselves to secure the services of this player?. Liverpool had to stand firm on holding on to keeping their star player. He has developed tremendously over the years and getting better and better like fine wine. He never gets tired and always a headache for defenders trying to keep him at bay. Mane is surely going to continue blaze hot this coming season.

Kevin DeBruyne

His long passes are out of this world. a professional footballer with an excellent vision of picking out attackers and making it easier for finishings. KDB is just a Special player that puts his all in the game.

Timo Werner

A lot is expected from Chelsea’s new signing. He was a top player in Germany top tier league and part of the German football team. Since Giroud is leaving, that leaves Abraham as his only competition. Fingers crossed for now.

Chris Wood (Burnley)

The aerial ball is his Specialty and I bet you Chris Wood has been a hard nut to crack for defenders. He is so good in the air. Tough on the ground with stamina. Chris wood is still in the game of getting it done going forward.

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Currently Crystal Palace most valuable player, He dribbles effortlessly causing defenders conceding fouls in and out of the box. A winger with pace and tenacity. He is not stopping anytime soon. Winks

Aleksander Mitrovic (Fulham)

Fulham is back from Championship after a year absence from the EPL. Mitrovic was with them when they relegated and helping them back to the top-flight league. We expect the huge striker to be as dangerous as he has always been.

Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds United)

Leeds is back after a long time absence, the one time UEFA Champions League semi-finalist were humble beginnings to players like Ferdinand, Alan Smith, Robbie Keane, Mark Viduka and so on.

Back to Moreno, Their Top new signing from Valencia is expected to add more juice upfront based on his credentials.

Adama Traore (Wolves)

Adama is a winger with pace and strength despite his rugby looking body shape. He blazes past defenders with ease and has got the stamina to keep the ball. Adama is not looking like he is slowing down yet.

These are the few ones to analyze for now, and of course, the season comes with surprises and unexpected upsets. Enjoy the new season.

Feel free to add to the List.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/11/players-to-watch-out-for-as-the-epl-starts-tomorrow/

Hello! Its good to be back, I’m glad for normalcy gradually returning to this part of the world. Some Parents during COVID-19 Lockdown were forced to watch movies with their kids as part of the bonding. I fall into that category. Well, It was a great experience for me as I got to enjoy Animated Movies like never before.

I will be sharing Top 5 Animated Movies your Kids should see this weekend, You can also join them as it’s entertaining and catchy. They are not new releases but some ought to get more recognition than what they had.

1. HOME

It starts with funny looking purple Aliens claiming to be the best at running away, plans for their escape from an allegedly Villian called Gorg. These bubble themed Aliens called Boovs chosen planet earth as their next destination. Boovs take over the earth in the most peaceful way I have ever seen. Citizens of the world were all moved to the smallest island continent with all their belongings including houses.

A certain Boov called ‘O’ is the only friendly Boov and he doesn’t get the same treatment from his fellow Boovs. He coincidentally met with a Kid called ‘Tip’ (Rihanna) whose Mom (Sandra Bullock) was relocated to the island. The rest is the partnership between ‘O’ and ‘Tip’ filled with ups and downs but ended well.

The thing is, My Lil boy loves this movie so much that we have lost counts on the times we saw it together. The catchy thing is the way Boovs look, the Super Car, the music interlude, soundtracks and the Boov’s Technology.

This is a must-see… You should enjoy it as well.

2. RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET

If you want your kids to understand how the internet world works in an animated way. You should see this movie. This movie is amazing. Terminologies like a pop-up blocker, internet speed, wireless, Social Media and so on are made easy to understand in this movie.

Ralph and his best friend, Vanellope, face various challenges as they visit the uncharted land of the Internet through a Wi-Fi router at the arcade to save the game, Sugar Rush.
Its a sequel to ‘Wreck-it Ralph’. You should see that too.

3. ZOOTOPIA

The inspiring storyline and never give up on your dreams kinda, A bunny goes to Zootopia in becoming a Cop, She gets to be one but of course, with Challenges and disappointments, all in all, Bunny gets to save the Zootopia from the evil deceptive sheep.

Theme song by Shakira is WOW! You should see this movie. Watch out for the Fox and the Hustle.

4. SHEEP & WOLVES

Grey is the Wolf after taking a potion meant for a different purpose turns into a Ram and the journey becomes interesting from there on…

A pack of wolves in the process of electing a new leader settles near a flock of sheep and destroys their peace.


5. INCREDIBLES 2

Sequel to the first instalment, It features a Family of Superheroes saving the world from Villians. The new introduction which is the baby is the catchy aspect of this movie. The scene where it puts its superpowers in the display was just hilarious.

Thank you for taking the time out to go through the list and I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Stay Safe and Take Care.


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/11/top-5-animated-movies-for-your-kids-this-weekend/

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 changed every aspect of our lives, including how we celebrate weddings. In the early stages of the pandemic, most weddings were cancelled or postponed, but later, couples learned to adjust and now there is a variety of COVID-19 wedding trends that are not only gaining popularity right now but will also likely stick around after the pandemic. Here are the biggest ones of them.

More Selective Guest Lists

The days when large weddings could have had 300 guests and more are probably gone, at least for the next few years. In the coming months, the brides and grooms will be more selective about their guest lists. Even the biggest weddings likely won’t have more than 100 guests, with many couples in 2020 and 2021 opting for miniature wedding ceremonies with only around 10 guests in attendance.

 Guests In Shifts

If you have hundreds of people in your wedding list and absolutely cannot get rid of any of them, your only option is to invite your guests in shifts. It will need a lot of careful planning, but at the end of the day, it’s possible to invite several shifts of guests and spend one or two hours with each of them. Of course, you may be even more exhausted than normal after a shift wedding, but at least, there won’t be any hurt feelings from your guests.

Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor weddings have been fairly popular already, but they are expected to surge in popularity during the next few years. You may have dreamed about a restaurant wedding or another fancy venue, but outdoor weddings have numerous advantages. Not only do they look beautiful and can be tailored to all kinds of tastes, but they also make it easier to follow the social distance requirements with the help of seating arrangements.

More Daring Fashion Choices

Months of quarantine have made sweatpants and sweatshirts the standard uniform for millions of us, so when the occasion requires you to make more of an effort with your look, people are going to take that chance. Fashion choices are bound to get more dating and you can finally unleash your fantasy with your wedding look. This is true not only for the newlyweds, but also for the guests.

Experiences Instead Of Things

Wedding presents are an essential aspect of weddings, and they are bound to be changed by quarantine and COVID-19 as well. Instead of gifts such as kitchen and decor items, couples will put other things on their wedding registries: things that can bring them new experiences such as tours, helicopter riding, or horseback riding sessions.

 Monetary Gifts

Giving money as wedding gifts is already customary in many countries, and it’s going to become even more common everywhere in the world this year. If the pandemic has proven one thing, it’s that most of us are far from the desirable level of financial stability. Giving the couple money instead of gifts will help them improve their finances after major wedding expenses and can help them fulfil their major dream, such as put the down payment for their own house.

Single-Serve Foods

A good wedding cannot be imagined without plenty of good food. In the coming years, instead of big dishes that are distributed among guests, each guest will receive a plate with a ready portion of the food to avoid the food being handled by many different people. This also concerns wedding cakes, which will now begin to get replaced with individual cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, doughnuts, and other single-serve sweets.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/11/covid-19-wedding-trend-you-need-to-know/

Like many Malawians who live in the peri-urban areas of the capital city, Mary Kooneka’s home does not have running water. To get water for her family, she makes frequent trips to a kiosk in her Mchezi neighbourhood, with cash to pay the attendant.

During the limited hours of the manually-operated kiosk—three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening—congestion was common, increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19. And, at one Malawi kwacha per litre of water, costs were high for those dependent on water kiosks, making it difficult to engage in the increased hygiene and handwashing practices recommended by the government to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

“I used to receive cash directly from water users as they come to draw water, which is a health risk in this time of COVID-19,” said Chrissy Kawanga, a former Malawian kiosk manager.

In response to community concerns, the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) began the installation of E-Madzi kiosks, fully-automated systems allowing users to draw water using an e-card.

The E-Madzi kiosks give residents access to water at any time. The system has also enabled a 65% reduction in water costs because there is no longer need for an attendant and no waste. With this technology, about 8,750 customers in some of the city’s vulnerable neighbourhoods are now able to access water for improved hygiene practices and handwashing to prevent COVID-19.

The government is supporting the kiosk instalment through its implementation of the World Bank-financed Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project. Soon, what started as a pilot program with four kiosks in 2019, will increase to 35 additional kiosks around Lilongwe. Additional funds for the scale-up came from the recently-approved COVID-19 response package financed by the Bank.

In addition to the kiosks, the package includes installation of public handwashing facilities in public places across the city led by Lilongwe City Council, training and awareness campaigns on handwashing, and protective equipment for LWB frontline staff.

“The E-Madzi kiosks have simplified the way we manage water kiosks, especially, that we do not need an employee of the water board to be available to sell water and receive cash while ensuring water is available all the time,” said John Maweja, a Lilongwe Water Board kiosk technician.

The E-Madzi system

The E-Madzi system is comprised of three main elements – a smartcard, a dispenser unit and a water management system. The system is installed at a kiosk and is operated through an electronic water management device. The card uses Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to allow users to draw water by tapping on the dispenser unit.

Consumers with a prepaid smartcard only tap the water dispenser, and credit is deducted from the smartcard balance to the exact amount of water collected. The technology helps to reduce water wastage due to spillage and non- revenue water. The Water Management System Server captures all the reports from remote kiosks to enable LWB system administrators to remotely monitor the performance and water usage of the kiosk through an easy to use web-based dashboard.

“This system is a very useful platform to ensures continuity of water supply services to some of the most vulnerable communities in Lilongwe, at times when water is most needed,” said Odete Muximpua, World Bank task team leader of the LWSP. “The system minimizes human contact, thus reducing the risk of contamination from taps during opening and closing, and cash payment transactions at the kiosk.”

The cashless system further improves the collection efficiency by the water service provider. The supply and installation work for the system costs approximately $41,500.

“This system is easy to use and suitable for installation in congested and COVID-19 risk areas like schools, hospitals, bus stations or community meeting places,” said Muximpua.

“Congested areas need to have services with reduced contact to minimize the risk of transferring the coronavirus.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/10/automated-water-kiosks-provide-continuous-water-for-malawians-during-covid-19/

The Federal Government, through the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has directed 9,000 filling stations in the country to commence the installation of facilities for gas products.
The Director, DPR, Mr Sarki Auwalu, said the agency issued the directive to deepen the utilisation of liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and autogas as alternative fuels for Nigerians.

Auwalu stated this in his interaction with stakeholders in Lagos on Thursday, according to a statement on Friday entitled “DPR issues directives to deepen gas usage as alternative fuel.”

He said the directive was in furtherance of Federal Government’s aspirations to provide affordable fuels and ensure domestic gas penetration and expansion in Nigeria while entrenching price freedom for Nigerians.

He said the DPR had carried out a nationwide audit of all filling stations and categorised them into three – categories one, two and three – with a view to ascertaining readiness for deployment of add-on facilities for gas products.

According to him, about 9,000 filling stations, which represents 27 per cent of the total number of retails outlets in the country are in category one and have been identified as suitable for immediate integration of add-on facilities based on robust safety assessment and technical considerations by the DPR.

He said the department had directed that all category one filling station operators should commence immediate installation of modular add-on facilities or full-scale stand-alone plants and update their DPR operating licences accordingly.

Auwalu said, “All operators of retail outlets in categories two and three whose facilities do not meet the minimum requirements or do not have sufficient land area are encouraged to apply for stand-alone LPG, CNG, LNG or autogas facilities (full-scale or modular) under an incentivised regulatory regime.

“The DPR has also approved the deployment of skid-mounted modularised/containerised LPG/autogas handling systems and other intrinsically safe systems for gas storage and handling to promote affordability, accessibility, and availability of the products.”

According to him, the DPR encourages investments in auto conversion, production of composite cylinders and ancillaries (valves, hoses, etc.) for domestic LPG, CNG, LNG and autogas penetration.

Auwalu said he was confident that retail outlet operators and other investors would leverage the opportunities in the domestic gas sector to grow their wealth and create employment for Nigerians.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/09/fg-directs-9000-filling-stations-to-install-gas-facilities/

If you live in Nigeria, you’ve probably heard some stories about how difficult it is to get anything done at a government agency. Those stories are so popular that they have made their way into popular culture through “Oga is not on seat” jokes.

When you’re going to a government agency, you brace yourself for the reality that no matter how small the task you want to accomplish, it could take all day. It’s not unusual for simple processes to be complicated by ridiculous demands.

It’s the sort of thing we’ve come to expect from Nigeria’s public sector. Yet, in the private sector, Nigeria’s legacy banks will give any government institution a run for their money. A few weeks ago, I read this interesting rant by a Nigerian in the UK Guardian on how it took him 15 trips to the banking hall to withdraw money.

We all have these experiences. The Nigerian banking system throws up the kind of processes that can test the patience of the Pope. Sometimes you apply to get a debit card and you wait for weeks to get. Then you begin another process to get the PIN for the same debit card.

Some other issues that rankle are the unending debts for card maintenance, SMS alerts, the list is endless. Yet, these would be such small trade-offs if Nigerian banks actually provide services that work and are reliable. Bank transfers in Nigeria are like Russian roulette.

Sometimes you can transfer money without hassles, the next time, you may get debited thrice for a failed transaction.

Frankly, I’m not sure which I would rather visit: a banking hall or a government parastatal. If banking is this difficult for me, what’s it like for a lot of the people in the informal sector?

I got the clearest answer last week when my friend shared an article about how many of the artisans who work for him often do not have bank accounts. It’s hard to fault them because banks and banking have come to represent stressors for the average person.

This is why the Digital alternative to banking is interesting. The counterbalance to the wahala of legacy banking is a bank that exists almost entirely in your phone.

They have no physical branches so you don’t have to spend hours in a banking hall trying to explain to a frazzled customer rep that you can no longer reproduce your signature from when you first opened the account seven years ago.

But beyond the branchless structure of digital banks, one of the things Digital banks like VBank say that works for me are their promise of banking without a ton of bank charges. I can be free from those pesky little card maintenance charges from that second-generation bank.

I can make a request for a debit card from an app and get the card delivered to my address in one week.

It’s not often that a bank says all the right things. Yet, there are lingering questions like, “can I put my money in a bank that doesn’t have a branch that I know?”, “Whose shirt will I hold when they debit my account wrongly?.”

There are also big questions like; many of the promises of ease the digital banks make will appeal to the carpenter down your street who still doesn’t have a bank account. How will digital banks reach people like this?

Can the segment of the population who find these promises of freedom attractive- young millennials – form the basis for a sustainable business?

These are questions that remain up in the air, but here’s what I know; VBank makes really good promises, but the real argument for them is time. Will they still send my debit card in 4 business days in 2027? Will my free transfers still go through and will their customer reps still be as attentive?

I don’t have a crystal ball, but it doesn’t hurt to live in the moment and enjoy all these perks right away.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/09/the-real-arguments-for-nigerias-digital-banks/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, re-arraigned Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Aliyu Abubakar and six others before Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on sixty-seven amended charges, bordering on money laundering to the tune of $875,740,000 (Eight Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Thousand United States Dollars).

The other six defendants are:

A Group Construction Company Limited

Rocky Top Resources Limited

Megatech Engineering Limited

Novel Properties and Development Company Limited,

Imperial Union Limited

Carlin International Nigeria Limited.

EFCC Counsel, Bala Sanga told the court that he was ready with the amended charges and for the eight defendants to take their pleas:

Count one of the charges read:

“That you Malabu Oil Gas Limited, Seidougha Munamuna (at large), Amaran Joseph (at large) and Douzia Loya Etete (at large), on or about the 24th day of August 2011, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took control of the sum of $401,540,000.00(Four Hundred and One Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand United States Dollars) paid from the Federal Government of Nigeria Escrow Account No: 0041451493 IBAN 30CHAS609242411492 with JP Morgan Chase Bank in London into account 2018288005 of Malabu Oil & Gas Limited domiciled with First Bank of Nigeria Limited, when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds formed part of an unlawful activity to wit: negotiation, signing and payment in respect of the Block 245 Resolution Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, whereby taxes, accruals and royalties due to the Federal Government of Nigeria were unlawfully waived and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act.”

Count two of the charges read:

“That you Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Seidougha Munamuna (at large), Amaran Joseph (at large) and Dauzia Loya Etete( at large) on or about the 24th day of August 2011, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took control of the sum of $400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million United States Dollars) aid from the Federal Government of Nigeria Escrow Account No: 0041451493 IBAN 30CHAS6092424411492 with JP Morgan Chase Bank in London into the account No. 1005552028 of Malabu Oil & Gas Limited domiciled with Bank PHB Plc (Now Keystone Bank Limited, Account No. 3610042472), when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds formed part of an unlawful activity to wit: negotiation, signing and payment in respect of the Block 245 Resolution Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited whereby taxes, accruals and royalties due to the Federal Government of Nigeria were unlawfully waived and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011(as amended) and punished under section 15(3) and 15(4) of the same Act.

Count three of the charges read:

“That you Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Seidougha Munamuna ( at large), Amaran Joseph( at large) and Dauzia Loya Etete (at large) on or about 30th August 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court took control of the sum of $74,200,000.03(Seventy Four Million, Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars, Three cents) paid from the Federal Government of Nigeria Escrow Account No: 0041451493 IBAN 30CHAS609242411492 with JP Morgan Chase Bank in London into the account No. 1005552028 of Malabu Oil & Gas Limited domiciled with Bank PHB Plc(Now Keystone Bank Limited Account No.3610042472), when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds formed part of an unlawful activity to wit: negotiation, signing and payment in respect of the Block 245 Resolution Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited whereby taxes, accruals and royalties due to the Federal Government of Nigeria were unlawfully waived and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011(as amended) and Punishable under section 15(3) and 15(4) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the sixty-seven charges.

Thereafter, Sanga prayed the court to grant date for commencement of trial. Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to Thursday, September 10, 2020, for the commencement of trial and granted that the defendants continue with their existing bail. “I presume the defendant will continue with their bail”, he said.



SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/08/875-7million-alleged-fraud-efcc-re-arraigns-malabu-oil-gas-limited-7-others/

Cititrust Financial Services Limited won the award for The Most Innovative Loan/Investment Services Brand for The Year 2020. The African Brands hosted the Most Innovative Fintech Brands Awards 2020 tagged the “Future of Money” in recognition of the need to celebrate the great works of Africa’s Fintech Innovators.

The award was received with gratitude by the Managing Director – Mr Charles Olaluwoye and assisted by the Executive Director – Ayorinde Ayo-Paul.

According to CITITRUST, the award has further boosted commitment as an organisation to commit to serving customers excellently and offer value-based and innovative financial service especially in the spectrum of investments and loans.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/08/cititrust-wins-the-african-brands-most-innovative-loan-investment-services-brand-award/

8 September 2020: Google today joins the world in marking International Literacy Day (ILD) by upscaling the Read Along app, a speech-based reading app designed to help primary grade kids learn to read – anytime, anywhere.

Read Along, formerly known as Bolo, acts as a personal reading tutor for children. It uses speech-based technology to provide personalised assistance in a student’s reading journey, correcting them when they need help and encouraging them when they get it right.

Students select stories to read from a growing app-based library and earn stars and badges when they read correctly. After an initial download, the app works offline, even on low-cost phones, making it more accessible and relieving worries of privacy and security.

The Read Along app now includes improved features that make it easier for multilingual children to switch languages or get phonics support when they tap a word. The app also has more than 700 unique books across all nine languages, including Arabic, with a refreshing new look for the content library.

“Google is taking the education journey back to the basics by providing a digital platform that will make learning to read simpler and fun especially in the light of COVID-19 related school closures,” notes Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head of Brand & Reputation, Sub Saharan Africa. “At Google, we believe technology can help children around the world learn how to read to help achieve the goal of basic universal literacy.”

Google will run a global story-a-thon from 8-30 September 2020 to encourage children to bring out their imagination through writing. Through participating, children stand a chance of getting published on the Read Along app. Parents can share stories written by their children during the month of September. Read Along will publish some of those submissions on the app.

UNESCO’s theme for International Literacy Day 2020 is Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Schools have remained closed due to COVID-19 restrictions and parents and teachers are increasingly turning online to find educational resources for children.

Since Read Along’s introduction, children have cumulatively spent more than 3 million hours on the app reading over 32 million stories. Google’s internal analysis, as well as feedback received from parents and children across the globe, is encouraging. Beginner readers register an improvement of between 38 per cent and 88 per cent in their oral reading skills after reading for 100 minutes on the app.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/08/read-along-app-make-your-childrens-reading-journey-simple-and-fun/

Over 1,000 women of the Magboro Makogi community, through a Coca-Cola Foundation-sponsored program; Catalyst For Change, were trained for over four weeks on relevant skills with more than 200 empowered to start their own businesses.

It is not news that in Nigeria, there are twice as many women below the poverty line than men, and with the outbreak of COVID-19, it became even more pertinent to provide women with opportunities to become financially independent.

A Nigerian based NGO, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, recognised this gap and sought to fill it. The Foundation launched a capacity building program tagged, “Catalyst for Change”, to help equip 5000 women with relevant vocational skills and business training across five locations in Lagos State.

With funding from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the program has seen a total of 1,048 trained in relevant skills with over 200 of them receiving kits to kickstart their own businesses.

In addition to providing vocational skills training, the women of the Magboro Makogi community were also schooled on how to access grants and loans for their businesses by The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

Over the next few months, Catalyst for Change will visit the Sangotedo, Iwaya, Oworonshoki, and Ogijo communities to continue this good work. By the end of this community-wide outreach, the Foundation will have empowered 5,000 women with relevant skills while providing 1,000 of them with Start-up Kits to begin their own businesses.

Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation is a non-profit established in 2017, with a vision to empower women and girls across the rural demographic. The funding of the Catalyst for Change programme by The Coca-Cola Foundation will help Coca-Cola achieve its 5by20 initiative to empower 5 million women economically by the end of 2020.

The Coca-Cola Foundation has, since its inception in 1984, contributed more than $1 billion to help empower women, protect the environment, and enhance communities, socially and economically, around the world.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/08/coca-cola-1000-women-empowered-4000-more-to-go/

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday said over 1000 public schools need reconstruction and equipment with modern teaching facilities across the 16 local government areas of the state.

He added however that the administration has activated plans to gradually fix the facilities, equip them, and train and motivate teachers to guarantee quality basic education in the state.

“We have over 1000 public schools which need to be rebuilt completely. It is not just about renovation because many of classrooms have collapsed. Some do not even have floor, not to talk of furniture. So, we will gradually fix these public schools and bring them back,”

AbdulRazaq told participants at the last lap of the citizens’ engagement on the 2021 budget held at Ajase-Ipo (Kwara South).

“There are many lapses especially in the area of education. That is why we intend to access UBEC funds which the state has not accessed since 2013. We want to access it to fix some of our public schools. The infrastructure deficit is so huge that even the entire UBEC fund cannot fix all our public schools.”

The State Executive Council had on Friday approved for the state to take a N7.1bn facility to access (another N7.1bn of) the six-year backlog of outstanding UBEC funds which the state plans to invest in its basic education sector.

Speaking via zoom to the participants at the engagements session, the Governor said the administration would also invest in training and promotion of teachers, among other incentives, to keep and attract more qualified hands.

He commended the people of the region for their self-help approach to development but said the administration would not fail in its duty to build infrastructure and rejuvenate the economy.

The government is aware of challenges in Kwara South particularly in the area of access roads for farm produce and trade, and would soon commence phased construction of at least 600 kilometres of roads under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) before the end of the year, he said.

“The World Bank assisted programme (RAAMP) is going on. That should cover about 600km roads which should begin by the fourth quarter of this year. Many roads have been captured under the programme, including in Kwara South,” AbdulRazaq said.

He said the administration has been constructing some roads and rehabilitating health centres in the region, as in elsewhere across the state, and called for more engagement with and support for the government.

“This meeting is to engage you, to know your pains, where you want us to improve in terms of infrastructure: roads, water, healthcare, schools, job creation, and indeed all facets of human endeavours. So, we are here to listen to you. Tell us what you want and how you want it done,” he added.

AbdulRazaq said the government has also set up a committee on job creation headed by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi with a mandate to explore more areas the administration can get people engaged in productive activities.

The engagement session was attended by the Deputy Governor; members of the Kwara State House of Assembly led by Speaker Rt Hon. Yakubu Danladi; cabinet members; traditional rulers; and various youths and community-based associations across the Kwara South.

The Ajase-Ipo (Kwara South) event drew the curtain on the three-legged citizens’ engagement on 2021 budget which began in Ilorin (Kwara Central) on September 1 and berthed in Bode Saadu (Kwara North) last Thursday.

The first-ever citizen engagement session on a budget in Kwara State was held last year December to harvest public views to the state’s fiscal plan for the new year. Finance and Planning Commissioner Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi said the engagement was to deepen participatory democracy and encourage transparency.

The initiative has attracted commendations from the House of Assembly and members of the public, including the civil society groups, which described it as innovative and a show of good faith by the administration.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/07/kwara-state-to-reconstruct-1000-public-schools-photos/

Wapic Insurance Plc has issued a notice of change of name to Coronation Insurance Plc.
In a note to the Nigerian Stock Exchange dated 3rd September 2020 signed by Mary Agha, Company Secretary, the company informed that Wapic Insurance Plc having passed the necessary Special Resolution in line with Section 31(3) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAP C20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and obtaining the approval of the Corporate Affairs Commission, had changed its name to Coronation Insurance Plc.

“The public is further informed that pursuant to Section 31 (5) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Company has been issued a new certificate of Incorporation by the Registrar General of the Commission evidencing the change of name.

All stakeholders are requested to take note of the above information.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/05/wapic-insurance-plc-changes-name-to-coronation-insurance-plc/

In the time when we are so dependent on our mobile phones, losing the opportunity to receive calls for a while can make you feel uneasy and even hurt you professionally if your job requires you to always be near the phone. If your phone battery is low or you won’t have access to your mobile phone for some time, here is how to answer your calls from another person’s phone.

No matter what you may be reading from questionable online sources, the only way to answer your phone calls on another person’s phone is to forward them to the target phone. This service may not be supported by your or another person’s service provider, but if it is supported, it can be easily turned on nearly any mobile device with the help of Settings.

Alternatively, your service provider may have a specific procedure or a short USSD code to forward your calls, so make sure to try the provider’s website first. Here is how to forward phone calls on Android and Apple mobile phones.

1. How To Forward Calls On Android Phones

To forward your calls to another person’s phone while you temporarily don’t have access to your own device, here is what you need to do:

*Launch the Phone app.

*Tap the menu button or the icon with three dots to reveal the available menu options.

*If there is a Call Settings option, choose it. If there are only Settings, go there and then

*Choose Call Settings.

*Find the Call Forwarding option.

*There are several ways to forward your calls: Always Forward, where 100% of your calls are forwarded to another number, Forward When Unanswered, when the caller misses you, Forward When Unreached, when your phone is off, and Forward When Busy, when you manually reject the call. Choose whichever option is the most appropriate one in your situation. Normally, you’ll want to choose Always Forward if you are going to be away from your phone for some time.

*Don’t forget to disable call forwarding when you get full access to your mobile phone again.

How To Forward Calls On iPhones


*iPhones make it even easier to transfer your calls to another number, as iOS doesn’t even make you choose the type of call forwarding feature you want to use. Here is how to forward the calls from your phone to another person’s telephone number.

*Go to your phone’s general Settings, choose Phone, and then find the Call Forwarding option.

*Use the switch to turn on call forwarding.

*Enter the target number that will temporarily receive your calls, beginning with +.

*Return to the previous menu to quit the call forwarding settings. Your changes will be saved automatically.

*Don’t forget to turn call forwarding off when you have steady access to your phone again.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/04/how-to-answer-your-calls-from-another-persons-phone-if-your-battery-is-low/

International quotations for sugar, vegetable oils and coarse grains increased from July, while worldwide cereal harvests remain on course to hit an annual record
3 September 2020, Rome – Global food prices rose for the third consecutive month in August, influenced by generally firmer demand and a weaker U.S. dollar, according to a report released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks the international prices of the most commonly traded food commodities, averaged 96.1 points in August, up 2.0 percent from the previous month and reaching its highest level since February 2020.

The FAO Cereal Price Index rose by 1.9 percent from July, averaging 7.0 percent above its value in August 2019, with coarse grains leading the rise. Sorghum prices rose 8.6 percent – and stood at 33.4 percent above their year-ago level, mostly on the back of strong import demand by China. Maize prices rose 2.2 percent amid concerns that recent crop damages in Iowa would impact supply. International rice prices also rose, underpinned by seasonally tight availabilities and increasing African demand.

The FAO Sugar Price Index rose by 6.7 percent from the previous month, reflecting reduced production prospects due to unfavourable weather conditions in the European Union and Thailand, the world’s second-largest sugar exporter, as well as strong import demand by China.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index increased by 5.9 percent, led by firmer values for palm oil especially, but also soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils. The moves mainly reflect prospective production slowdowns in leading palm oil producing countries amid firm global import demand.

The FAO Dairy Price Index was virtually unchanged from July, with cheese and whole milk powder quotations declining amid expectations of ample seasonal export availabilities in Oceania, while butter prices rose due to tightening export availabilities in Europe in the wake of the August heatwave reducing milk output.

The FAO Meat Price Index was also almost unchanged since July – although down 8.9 percent from August 2019 – as the effect of lower import demand for bovine, poultry and ovine meats was offset by surging import demand for pigmeat from China.

Updated cereals outlook
FAO also lowered its forecast for world cereal production in 2020 by 25 million tonnes from a July projection, due largely to expectations of a lower maize output in the United States of America. However, despite this reduction, such an outcome would still represent an all-time high, amounting to 58 million tonnes above the 2019 output.

Record maize harvests are forecast for Argentina and Brazil, while global sorghum production is expected to grow by 6 percent from the previous year. Worldwide rice production in 2020 is also expected to reach a new record of 509 million tonnes.

More detailed assessments are available in the Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, also released today.

FAO’s new forecast for world cereal utilization in 2020/21 stands at 2 764 million tonnes, up 2.0 percent on an annualized basis

Global cereal stocks are projected to rise by 1.7 percent to 895.5 million tonnes by the close of the 2021 seasons, translating to a world cereal stocks-to-use ratio of 31.8 percent, slightly down from July but still relatively high from a historical perspective.

Buoyed by expected larger shipments of rice and coarse grains, world trade in cereals in 2020/21 is now pegged at 441.4 million tonnes, 1.6 percent above the 2019/20 level.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/03/global-food-prices-rise-in-august-report/

Syinix, a global smart home appliance brand, will launch the brand’s first Android TV™ in Ghana and Nigeria on 15 Sep. Given the increasing demand for smart home appliances, this will be a huge step forward for consumers to elevate their experience and start a smart life.

The new Syinix Android TV features a frameless screen display, Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities, 4K Ultra HD Resolution, Dolby 5.1 Perfect Surround Sound and Android TV operating system at competitive price point.

“Driven by the brand philosophy of ‘Starting Smart Life’, our goal is to empower customers to modernize and streamline the efficiency of their life at home. We respect for our customers mandates that we always strive to provide the best possible value for our customers at an achievable price.

“Through our collaboration with Google, we believe it will further elevate the utility of our smart devices, and in turn, give our customers more power to enjoy their family life in a smarter way.” said Leon, Marketing Director of Syinix.

Multi-faceted Approach to Connection Gives Users Flexibility

Syinix Smart Android TV is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, which works with many Bluetooth devices such as soundbars, speakers, or a keyboard and mouse to control and increase the ease of connection.

With more options to connect to outside sound systems, it is possible to customize the TV’s functions to even better cater to large crowds at home, such as house party guests, enabling people to enjoy socializing with friends or family at home. Meanwhile, Android TV’s comprehensive content selection via Google Play includes 5,000+ apps and games, providing users with all-round entertainment experience.

Frameless Display, 4K Ultra HD Resolution and Surround Sound Creates an Immersive Entertainment Experience

The Syinix Android TV features a frameless design, offering a greater field of vision. The TV will be sold in a wide range sizes ranging from 32″ to 75″ to cater to the diverse needs for large screens.

The Syinix Android TV has 4K Ultra HD Resolution, with more than 2 times the resolution of 1,080P, 8.29 million pixels, offers the best picture quality and unfathomable resolution. The TV has improved image processing with HDR 10+, Dolby Vision, enabling users to see richer and more realistic colours.

The TV is equipped with immersive 5.1 Surround sound with a Dolby decoder that optimizes its sound quality for a seamless entertainment experience that allows consumers to immerse themselves in their content of choice.

Android TV Delivers a Simple, Helpful and Comprehensive Interface

Android TV allows users to access content from a variety of platforms, and for them to connect their TV to a wide range of smart devices within their home in a more user-friendly way.

With Chromecast built-in, the Syinix Android TV can act as the second screen of a consumer’s mobile phone, to easily cast their favourite movies, music, photos and more to their TV.

Google, Android TV and Chromecast built-in are trademarks of Google LLC.

Launched in 2015, Syinix is a global smart home appliance brand guided by the brand philosophy of “Starting Smart Life”. Syinix is committed to providing consumers with innovative smart home appliance solutions that are practical and beautifully crafted to improve the quality of life at home.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/03/syinix-to-release-first-android-tv/9

Sanofi and GSK today started the Phase 1/2 clinical trial for their adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine candidate, developed in partnership by Sanofi and GSK, uses the same recombinant protein-based technology as one of Sanofi’s seasonal influenza vaccines with GSK’s established pandemic adjuvant technology.

The Phase 1/2 clinical trial is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity (tolerability) and immunogenicity (immune response) of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate. A total of 440 healthy adults are being enrolled in the trial across 11 investigational sites in the United States.

The companies anticipate first results early December 2020 which will support the initiation of a Phase 3 trial in December 2020. If data are sufficient for licensure application, the plan is to request regulatory approval in the first half of 2021.

Sanofi is leading the clinical development and registration of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Preclinical data showed an acceptable reactogenicity profile and data based on two injections of the adjuvanted recombinant vaccine showed high levels of neutralizing antibodies that are comparable to levels in humans who recovered from the COVID-19 infection.

Pre-clinical results will be published later this year. In parallel, Sanofi and GSK are scaling up manufacturing of the antigen and adjuvant with the target of producing up to one billion doses in 2021.

“Sanofi and GSK bring proven science and technology to the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the shared objective of delivering a safe and effective vaccine,” said Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Sanofi Pasteur.

“The initiation of our clinical study is an important step and brings us closer to a potential vaccine which could help defeat COVID-19. Our dedicated teams and partner continue to work around the clock as we aim to deliver the first results in early December. Positive data will enable a prompt start of the pivotal phase 3 trial by the end of this year.”

Roger Connor, President of GSK Vaccines added, “Moving this vaccine candidate into clinical development is an important moment in the progress towards addressing the global pandemic we are all facing.

“This builds on the confidence shown by governments already in the potential of this protein-based adjuvanted vaccine candidate, which utilizes established technology from both companies, and can be produced at scale by two of the leading vaccine manufacturers globally. We now look forward to the data from the study, and if positive, beginning Phase 3 by the end of the year.”

The development of the adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidate is being supported through funding and a collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sanofi and GSK are committed to making the vaccine available globally

In July 2020, Sanofi and GSK announced a collaborative effort with the U.S. government to supply up to 100 million doses of their COVID-19 recombinant protein-based vaccine to meet the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed goal of making hundreds of millions of doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States as quickly as possible.

The U.S. government has a further option to discuss the purchase of up to 500 million doses longer term. Both companies also agreed (subject to final contract) with the UK government to supply up to 60 million doses of recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.

The partners plan to supply a significant portion of total worldwide available supply in 2021/2022 to COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the ACT-Accelerator (Access to COVID‐19 Tools), a global collaboration of leaders of governments, global health organizations, businesses and philanthropies to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

On the front lines in the fight against COVID-19

In addition to the recombinant protein-based vaccine in collaboration with GSK, Sanofi is developing a messenger RNA vaccine in partnership with Translate Bio. With several innovative vaccine platforms currently being investigated across the industry, mRNA is considered among the most promising.

Preclinical data shows that two immunizations of the mRNA vaccine induced high neutralizing antibody levels that are comparable to the upper range of those observed in infected humans. Sanofi expects the Phase 1/2 study to start in November, with earliest potential approval in the second half of 2021. Translate Bio has established mRNA manufacturing capacity and Sanofi expects to be able to supply annual capacity of 90 to 360 million doses.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/03/sanofi-and-gsk-initiate-phase-1-2-clinical-trial-of-covid-19-adjuvanted-recombinant-protein-based-vaccine-candidate/

Gaming industry investors and developers are capitalizing on the growth of mobile games as a result of high smartphone penetration across the world. Based on the number of applications on the Apple App Store, it is clear that the gaming category continues to be a force to reckon with.

Data presented by Safe Betting Sites indicates that as of August 2020, game applications accounted for the largest share at 21.86% on the Apple App Store. There are a total of 958,269 game applications out of the 4,382,718 total App Store applications as per the data. The games category has almost double application compared to the second-placed business category that has about 443,082 applications.

The research further indicates that the video category accounts for the least share at 786 or 0.02% of the total applications on the Apple App Store. Photography with 940 applications is the other only category with less than 1,000 applications.

The SafeBettingSites research also compared the growth of games and general applications on the Apple App Store from July 2010 to July 2020. Ten years ago, the games category on the App Store had 65,729 applications. By July this year, the number grew by a massive 1,356.57% to 957,390.

Overall, in July 2010 the total number of applications on the Apple App Store stood at 153,573. Ten years later the apps grew by a whopping 2,127.06% to 3.42 million.

Pandemic to spur mobile games growth

By the end of the year, the number of game applications on the App Store might increase further thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Developers capitalized on the fact that people were forced to spend more time indoors and looking for new ways to pass time. Games emerged as a perfect escape route to pass time.

Overall, mobile gaming has been thriving, prompting app developers to invest more resources into creating new games and mobile versions of well-known stationary games. There has been a growing shift of console games to mobile.

Despite games holding a record high share on the App Store, it has been caught in the US-China trade tensions. Recently, Apple unexpectedly pulled down more than 47,000 apps from the Chinese App Store, a majority under the gaming category.

The move by Apple came after the company enacted a policy change to eliminate a loophole that previously allowed paid games and games with in-app purchases to be sold even when they were still awaiting approval from Chinese regulators. If such crackdowns continue, the number of games applications might be impacted.

From the data, the number of applications has been growing extensively in recent years in correlation with access to smartphones. The growth in the game application has also been fuelled by the rise in casual gamers for mobile. Based on this aspect, gaming companies are targeting casual gamers when it comes to mobile games. Notably, a big section of casual gamers is reluctant to spend money on games since they do

The future mobile gaming

In the coming years, several factors are expected to spur further growth of gaming applications on the App Store. With the emergence of a 5G network, gamers will no longer need a gaming PC or console to run high-quality fps games. Apple is already putting in place structures to support the technology. The company has expressed interest in making its chipsets in-house through Intel’s modem business to support 5G networks.

The high number of games on the App Store can also be seen on the revenue aspect. The vast majority of money spent on the mobile App Store has been going to games. In general, the mobile gaming industry has become a billion-dollar industry attracting entrepreneurs, investors, advertisers, content creators and gamers.

Revenue and user bases are set to keep growing with the emergence of new developments like synchronous multi-player formats and live streaming opportunities.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/02/games-applications-hit-almost-1-million-on-apple-app-store-with-21-share/

COVID-19 came unexpectedly and its advent has reshaped so many things in Nigeria ranging from the business sector to the education sector, Nigerians now look forward to the new normal with stringent policies coming to play such as the use of face masks, sanitising and social distancing rules, among others.

With the feasible tendencies that many things might not come back to place, many firms hit by the pandemic are laying off their staff and people are evading banks too as a result of overcrowding and swerved to the use of Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals for withdrawals and deposits.

 

That Monday morning, Alagbe Bukola has gotten to the bank as early as 7 am to redeem her lost ATM card, only to get number 263, she sat down on the chair provided by the banking security personnel to wait her turn. At every intervals and hours that pass, she growls knowing fully well that she has been deprived another day to go to her shop.

This is her third time of coming to the bank and leaving in annoyance because of the mammoth crowd that often throng banks to complain about one or two drawbacks. The embattled Bukola lamented that she’s gradually losing her customers to her competitors just because she wants to get an ATM card to assess her own money.

 

Bukola, who said she had waited outside the bank for over eight hours when BRANDSPUR NIGERIA visited the bank, narrated her ordeal.

“I am frustrated already, I wish PoS terminals too can issue new card, just help me beg them to help my life, this is really unbecoming. “

The COVID-19 pandemic is gradually becoming a thorn on the flesh of many and it is not easing by the day as cases soar consistently day-to-day despite lesser test done by the government. In recent times, the epicentre is shifting from Lagos State with the highest cases of the virus to Abuja and now to Plateau State.

 

Recall that On March 29, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the initial lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, the three major places which were first hit hard by the COVID-19 tornado while other states enforced their versions of lockdown. People were asked to stay at home and follow the COVID-19 guidelines to avoid the risk of infection and transmission.

 

Nigerians were not ready for it; financial institutions refused to open to customers, people were advised to use their mobile banking applications for transactions and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to make withdrawals. The ones with other issues that required them to be present in a bank were not attended to. Institutions were fast coming up with several ‘Do It Yourself’ options for their customers.

 

Also, on April 27, when the president reported a staged and slow facilitating of the lockdown, banks made their ways for customers. From May 4 to date, all bank premises have become a conflict zone, actually. Customers storm the banks every day, remaining on long queues for a considerable length of time. Resolved to approach their record, some even spurn the social distancing regulation and other COVID-19 rules.

 

Like Bukola, other customers recounted their experiences when our correspondent visited a few banks in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State. The stories were yearnings for better service by their financial institutions in this pandemic.

 

Maleek Poopola bemoaned the security personnel of his financial institution for allowing some executive customers to enter the bank without queuing. In his conversation with BRANDSPUR NIGERIA, he said: “I don’t know if some people have two heads but how they are allowed into the bank when they meet others here still amaze me. We also are customers in the bank, no matter how small our money might be, the bank is using it to run its corporate affairs, so we shouldn’t be denigrated, it’s demeaning.”

 

Another customer, who doesn’t want his name mentioned explained the bank has recently become a ‘no-go’ area in recent times.

 

According to him, he usually leaves his place of work to come to the bank to resolve an issue of withdrawal he did a few days ago on PoS terminal but wasn’t paid, he thought his money would be reversed as told by the person in charge but to his utmost surprise, it is going to a week and his money is yet to be refunded.

Mrs Anifowose also elucidated the setback the pandemic has caused her saying that it’s been up to about 3 months she reached the bank premises after her ATM card expired since April.

 

“I am always scared to come to the bank despite the fact that my card has been renewed, the crowd has always been a frightening experience from afar, I just glance from my car most times when I am heading to the office to know the situation of things but the situation has always remained the same,” she added.

 

“Since that time, I have been transferring to the PoS agents when I need to get money or sometimes use my husband?s card while I make a transfer to him.”

 

PoS taking over banks with style 

The PoS was presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2012 to additionally commute home its credit only strategy planned for upgrading Nigeria’s instalment framework. This drive, investigators state, was outfitted towards lessening the measure of money utilized for business yet not to dispose of money use.

The peak bank had, a year earlier, released the PoS guidelines which stated that “PoS terminal owners should include banks, merchants, acquirers, Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA) and Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs).”

 

However, in recent times, the PoS has been used to withdraw money and deposit money into accounts.

 

Before this time, PoS has always been issued to large supermarkets and stores as an avenue to pay for items sold to customers. This was to contribute to the cashless policy introduced by the then governor of CBN. However, in recent times, it has become a platform to deposit and withdraw as the number of PoS terminals is growing sporadically.

 

According to Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), the value of transactions done across Point of Sale (PoS) channels in Nigeria increased from N1.14 trillion recorded between January and May 2019 to N1.64 trillion within the same period in 2020.

 

The report implies that the total value of transactions from PoS machines rose by N500 billion, which represents a 43.8% increase in five months.

 

The total volume of PoS transactions also increased from 152.6 million to 228.86 million within the period under review. This indicates that the volume increased by 76.26 million, or 49.9%.

 

Gloria Enang said she has solely enjoyed not going to bank, in fact using PoS to transact pays her more if she considers the transport fare and the time she will use in the bank.

 

“I always withdraw the money I will use for the whole week from the terminal, so as to cut cost. N100 is charged for N1000 to N5000, I often withdraw N5000 to beat the cost of coming to withdraw again,” she asserted.

 

Meanwhile, it isn’t juicy as it seems for some other customers, Alonge Fatai narrated his ordeal in the face of PoS saying he will never try to use it again because of how it has made him repeatedly go to the banks to claim his money that was debited and not paid.

 

“I will rather stand the long queues in banking premises than be debited for what I did not get. I don’t like PoS transactions, they always complain of network and leave you to your fate when you aren’t paid.”

 

“Network cannot be shortchanged, it happens in the bank too and these PoS machines are connected to banks that provided them to us,” a PoS service operator, Idayat Arowosegbe countered Fatai.

 

The banks try as much as possible to know who they are issuing the PoS machines to avoid fraudulent activities by asking us to sign the ‘Know Your Customer’ form which encapsulates names, address, phone number(s) of the person seeking the machine.

 

“There is little or nothing to what we can do about the network glitches, but that fraudulent activity will go on on the machine is questionable.” She affirmed.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/02/covid-19-how-nigerians-are-fast-replacing-pos-with-banks-over-unending-queues-glitches/

Axens, today, is to be awarded by BUA Group, a leading Foods, Mining & Infrastructure Conglomerate based in Lagos, Nigeria the supply of process technologies for its greenfield refinery and petrochemicals facility in Nigeria.

BUA Group has selected Axens as the technology provider for its greenfield 200,000 bpd refinery and petrochemical plant in Nigeria. This multi-billion-dollar integrated project aims at producing Euro-V fuels and Polypropylene for the domestic and regional market.

The French technology provider Axens was selected by BUA Group after a comprehensive process, for its advanced technology licenses, basic engineering, catalysts & adsorbents, proprietary equipment, training and technical services.

BUA Group Chairman and CEO Abdul Samad Rabiu announced:

“Once completed, this RFCC-based complex will produce high-quality gasoline, diesel, jet fuel meeting Euro-V specifications for the Nigerian market and the larger region. In addition, it will produce propylene, an essential component for the petrochemical industry used in polypropylene-based plastics and packaging. This large complex will help in reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuels and petrochemicals.”

Axens’ Chairman and CEO Jean Sentenac said:

“We are delighted to be part of this strategic project providing the most advanced technologies on the market that are energy-efficient and ensure the production of high-quality fuels and petrochemical intermediates. This state-of-the-art integrated complex will allow BUA Group to develop its refining and petrochemical capabilities in Nigeria and produce highly valuable products for the domestic market. It is a great pleasure and a pride to partner with them to concur to develop Nigerian economy and ensure the success of this strategic state of the art project.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/02/axens-selected-for-bua-group-integrated-refinery-and-petrochemical-project-in-nigeria/

Global commodities markets are gradually recovering despite soaring cases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oil prices are high, the agricultural market are mixed while the precious metals regained their safe haven positions.

ENERGY

Last week, Crude oil prices settled higher, after Hurricane Laura largely spared the
U.S. energy industry from disaster — turning the focus again toward sketchy fuel
demand in a Coronavirus-moderated economy.Aside from loss of at least six lives and countless property, Hurricane Laura also
scored a near-direct hit on Lake Charles in Louisiana, where Citgo’s 769,000 barrelsper-day refinery is located. Fortunately, all the refinery’s employees were safe and damage was being assessed, indicating the situation was under control.In this context, market participants will return their focus towards the recovery in
global energy demand, which continues to show signs of stalling.This comes amid virus flare-ups in Europe and Asia, which threaten to derail the
recovery in demand growth.

Consequently, Nigeria’s benchmark crude oil, Bonny Light, was up by 2.71% w/w, to
close at $44.29/barrel.

This week, we expect oil prices to nudge slightly above its present levels, driven jointly
by the recent weakness of the greenback (i.e. the USD) against other major currencies,
and the expectation of improved energy demand as many countries begins to re-open
educational institutions.

AGRICULTURE

Last week, the price of Wheat increased by 2.33% w/w to close at $539.00 per bushel, as UK experiences worst wheat harvest season in 40 years, buoyed by poor quality harvests due to droughts earlier in the season, followed by lots of rain in August.Similarly, Corn prices gained 5.81% w/w to close at $346.00 per bushel, buoyed by
China’s demand for corn to feed animals as its pig herd has rebounded more quickly
than expected from a deadly swine disease first detected in the country two years
ago.The price of Cocoa also gained 9.48% w/w to $2,692.00/MT, driven by steady rise in
global demand.However, Sugar price shed 1.79% w/w to settle at $12.60/lbs., due to the prevailing
weakness of the Brazilian currency.

This week, we anticipate an increase in the price of Wheat, supported by low supply.

METAL

Last week, the price of gold rebounded, notching its first weekly gain in three weeks, as investors continued to assess the Federal Reserve’s change to its monetary policy strategy (It simply seeks to move inflation back toward two percent— balancing its pursuit of price stability with achieving the other leg of its dual mandate, maximum employment). Consequently, Gold prices contracted by 1.43%w/w to close at $1,974.90/oz while Silver was up 3.29%w/w to $27.61/oz.

We anticipate that a weaker dollar, massive amounts of stimulus; and the increased
demand for inflation hedges are likely to continue to make precious metals well sort
after this week, sustaining their safe haven positions.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/02/oil-awakens-as-dollar-weakens/

The Federal Government has resolved to inject over N600bn as stimulus-response into Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, has said.

Nanono said the fund would target small scale farmers to ensure food security and sustainability.

He disclosed this while on a tour of Dangote Fertiliser Plant and during a crucial meeting with other fertiliser companies in Lagos to galvanise their cooperation for the production of inputs.

The minister’s comments were contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director, Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Theodore Ogaziechi.

Nanono explained that the N600bn stimulus-response which targets farmers nationwide would take off with an initial 2.4 million farmers in the first instance.

He further explained that to avoid the abuse of government funds and good intentions, the support would be in kind, as it would come in the form of inputs and not cash as was practised in the past.

The minister added that the forceful closure of all international borders, necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, had made it evident that Nigeria could conveniently and sustainably feed itself.

Nanono pledged to support the farming communities in Lagos with rural roads, solar lighting and water boreholes so as to empower them to increase productivity.

He promised to collaborate with the Lagos State Government in the fishing sector to tap the potential of the state?s marine endowments and reduce the importation of fish in Nigeria.

In his response, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, promised to collaborate with the Federal Government not only in the fishing sector but also to join forces to embark on mechanised farming.

The governor said Lagos would complement the Federal Government?s effort when it completes its rice mill project, describing it as the largest rice mill in Nigeria with a capacity to mill approximately 30 million metric tonnes of rice per annum.

This, he said, would help Nigeria focus more on the exportation of rice and the downward review of prices at the retail market.

In another engagement, the agriculture minister and his Permanent Secretary, Abdulkadir Mu?azu, interacted with agro-input dealers in Lagos to discuss quality, affordability and availability of fertilisers across the country.

Fertiliser dealers at the meeting told the minister that raw materials for fertiliser blending, most especially Ammonium phosphate, was the major challenge confronting the production of the commodity in Nigeria.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/01/fertiliser-dealers-lament-as-fg-set-to-inject-n600bn-into-agricultural-sector/

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed the minimum interest payable on savings deposits as provided in its Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-bank Financial Institutions issued in December 2019.
With this, effective today (September 1, 2020), interest on local currency savings deposits shall be negotiable subject to a minimum of 10% per annum of Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), as against the 30% it was previously.

The CBN stated this in a letter to all banks dated August 31, 2020, signed by its Director of Banking Supervision, Bello Hassan, a copy of which was made available to Brand Spur.

The Apex Bank stated that it took the decision because it had noted, “with satisfaction the recent declining trend in market rates in the banking sector following the implementation of policies aimed amongst others, at stimulating credit flow to the real sector.”

“In line with recent market developments, the Bank has reviewed the minimum interest payable on savings deposits as provided in its Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-bank Financial Institutions issued in December 2019.

“Consequently, all deposit money banks are hereby informed that effective September 1, 2020, interest on local currency savings deposits shall be negotiable subject to a minimum of 10 per cent per annum of Monetary Policy Rate.”

The apex bank had last December, announced the downward review of charges for electronic banking transactions; review of other bank charges to align with market development and the inclusion of new sections on accountability/responsibility and a sanction regime to directly address instances of excess, unapproved or arbitrary charges.

IMPLICATION
When you keep money in your savings deposit accounts you will be paid at least 1.25% per annum by banks. When you consider that inflation rate is 12.8%, then this is almost like paying banks to keep the money for you.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/01/cbn-reviews-interest-on-savings-deposits/

Governor Darius Ishaku had, on Friday 28/08/2020, commissioned a remodelled GeneXpert laboratory for testing Covid-19 within the Specialists Hospital Jalingo.
This testing facility adds to the number of treatment facilities the state currently has which can be said as increasing the capacity for managing COVID-19 in the state.

While inaugurating the new facilities, Governor Ishaku said that the state government had previously commissioned a 100-bed isolation and treatment facilities within the state, which he assured citizens of a sound testing centre to be provided soon.

The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Engr Haruna Manu, said the commissioning is in fulfilment of his promise while commissioning the 100 beds isolation centre a few months ago.

He added that his government will also provide sample collation centres across the state and they will be located at Ardo kola, Wukari, Takum, Gassol and Sardauna local government areas.

Governor Ishaku further said that the state’s COVID-19 technical committee will remain the central management emergency response by the state government and the need to test will be surveillance driven and based on a clear case definition.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/31/covid-19-gov-ishaku-commissions-a-remodeled-genexpert-laboratory/

Nigerians across banks did transactions worth N1.4 trillion over mobile payment and point of sales (PoS) between in the last 7 months (from January to July 2020), data from the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement Scheme (NIBSS) revealed.
The report disclosed that the figures indicated a 384% rise compared to N289 billion recorded in the same period of 2019 as more Nigerians had to use the medium due to the limitations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the NIBSS’ e-payment data released, the amount transferred through mobile platforms in the last seven months has surpassed the total value of mobile transfers recorded in the 12 months of 2019, which stood at N828 billion.

Mobile Inter Scheme Transactions
NIBSS revealed that the volume of the mobile inter scheme transactions also rose by 485 per cent from 10.9 million recorded between January and July 2019 to 63.8 million in the same period of 2020.

In a breakdown of the 7 months figures, it was disclosed that the sum of N133.2 billion was transferred via mobile in January this year.
In February, transactions worth N148.3 billion were carried out, while in March, a total of N169.8 billion was recorded as mobile transfers.
In April, a total of N172 billion was transferred over mobile, while the figure stood at 230.2 billion in May.

The steady rise continued well into June and July as they rose to N245.9 billion and N275 billion respectively. This means July has recorded the highest transactional value so far.

The NIBSS data showed that electronic payments through the various platforms made available by banks and facilitated by system sustained their gains in the period under review.

Point of Sales (PoS)
Transactions over Point of Sales (PoS) rose by 41% as the value of transactions on the platform across the country stood at N2.4 trillion in the seven months, compared with N1.7 trillion recorded in the same period in 2019.

The NIBSS data showed that in January 2020, N313.4 billion worth of transactions were carried out over the PoS, an amount which is 41 per cent higher than the N222.9 billion recorded in January 2019.
In February 2020, the value grew by 69 per cent from N193.4 billion in 2019 to N326.0 billion. In March 2020, N368.9 billion worth of transactions were conducted, an amount which is 70 per cent higher than the N217.5 billion recorded in 2019.
By April, the value of transaction declined slightly to N272 billion, this was, however, higher than the N246 billion recorded in April 2019 by 11 per cent.
This changed in May as transactions worth N358 billion was recorded, a 39 per cent growth over N257.7 billion recorded in the same period last year.
The value of PoS transactions in June stood at N364.7 billion, which was 48 per cent higher than N245.9 billion recorded in June 2019. In July, the value jumped to N416.7 billion, a 49 per cent growth over N279.5 billion recorded in the same period last year.

The e-payment platform also recorded a 46.9% increase as the volume of the PoS transactions for the seven months stood at 332 million compared with 226 million recorded in the same period of last year.

Analysis of the monthly volume showed that in January, the total volume of PoS payments was 41.30 million; 46.07 million in February and 52.25 million in March 2020. In April, the volume dropped to 40.8 million while it increased to 48.3 million in May. By June, the transaction volume rose to 49.4 million, while 53.9 million was recorded in July.

Out of a total of 548,592 terminals registered by Nigerian banks, only 360,534 had been actively deployed for use as of July, NIBSS data showed. This indicated that 188,058 PoS terminals were inactive.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/31/nigeria-mobile-transactions-rise-384-to-n1-4tr-in-7-months-nibss/

IROKOtv is laying off around 150 staff and reducing its investment in Africa. The fluctuating exchange rate devalued its ₦3,000 annual plan in Nigeria from $18 before 2016, to $6 today. IROKOtv plans to place more focus on its international market, which generates a higher average revenue per user (ARPU) for the company and represents 80% of its revenue. IROKOtv is liaising with organisations for work placements for laid-off staff.
“There will be around 150 job losses. We are still working on the numbers, and in order to soften the blow, we are speaking with a number of companies who have taken an interest in our highly trained telesales agents.

“The ambition in this terrible job market is to try and give our departing teams the best odds of success in what is, unfortunately, one of the worst job markets in decades. We wish them well on their adventures, it is no fault of their own. They definitely tried their best. We all did,” he wrote.

He also noted that his firm will focus more on North America and Western Europe subscribers that account for more than 80 per cent of revenues.

According to him, the devaluation of Naira dropped the platform’s subscription costs from N3,000 ($18) in 2015 to N3,000 ($8.33) by 2017.

Currently, subscription to the platform costs $6.3 with a dollar equivalent to N477.

Mr Njoku said it was rather strange to be finding out after almost nine years with IROKOtv, five exclusively focused in Africa, that the brand “may be too early for Africa”.

According to him, business models have attempted to crack the consumer economy in Africa to no avail.

“Classifieds didn’t work. Lead generation didn’t work. E-commerce didn’t work. Free didn’t work. If we only had the Africa market (like so many before us who failed) then this post would be RIP IROKOtv. Thankfully we have an international business to fall back upon”.

Interestingly, while the company’s fortunes are dipping in Africa, business is booming internationally with the average revenue per user in the west between $25 and $30.

“Our annual ARPU internationally is $25-30. When people talk to me about Netflix and its impact globally, and then in Africa, I always smile. My response is the same. Globally, streaming media is booming. In Africa, it is regressing. It’s impacting everyone,” he wrote.

iROKOtv was launched on December 1, 2011. Dubbed the ‘Netflix’ of Africa, it is the world’s largest legal digital distributor of African movies.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/31/irokotv-to-lay-off-150-staff-reduce-investment-in-africa/

Facial hair is hair grown on the face, usually on the chin, cheeks, and upper lip region. Having facial hair, as a lady, can be a result of hormonal changes, genetics, or simply be a harmless condition that does not signal about any problems with your body.
However, noticing the growth of facial hair can be quite distressing for a woman. Here are the 5 best methods to remove facial hair safely and effectively.

1. Shaving
Shaving is probably one of the first hair removal methods one can think about. It is is one of the fastest and easiest ways to remove hair. Shaving works best on the areas of your face that are densely covered with fine hairs.

Contrary to a popular myth, shaving does not make new hairs grow out thicker and darker, but you will need to shave your face every couple of days to maintain that smooth look.

The best way to shave your face is after a shower, when your skin is soft, and don’t forget to apply your favourite moisturizer afterwards to prevent irritation. Don’t shave the same patch of skin more than once and use a good sharp razor to avoid cuts and rashes.

2. Hair Removal Creams

If you want your hair removal process to be as painless as possible, you should consider hair removal creams. Unlike hair removal creams that were produced decades ago, modern products don’t have any strong smell and are gentle on your skin.

They work by weakening the hairs, allowing you to scrape them away along with the leftover cream after some time passes. This method works best for areas that are densely covered in hairs, but the hairs are not too dark and thick, otherwise, the cream may not be as effective, or you may need to keep it on your skin longer than recommended, which can lead to irritation.

3. Threading
You may be already familiar with threading – it’s one of the most popular ways to shape your eyebrows next to tweezing.
Threading is usually recommended to be performed by a professional, but if you already have enough experience with threading your eyebrows, you can transfer your skills to other areas where hair bothers you, including your chin and upper lip area.

Threading can be quite painful, especially during the first few procedures, so you may want to numb your skin with a special cream or an ice cube. If you have breakouts in the target area, threading can make things worse, so it’s best to withhold the procedure until your skin calms down.

4. Waxing
Waxing is one of the most painful methods to remove facial hair and it’s only recommended for areas where a lot of hair grows in one place – for example, on your cheekbones or above your upper lip.

However, since a waxing strip removes the hair completely and not just its visible part, its results last longer and you don’t need to repeat the procedure too often.

Today, you can find a variety of products for waxing, including strips and DIY home waxing kits. This method is not the best option for sensitive skin that is easily irritated, and it can sometimes lead to ingrown hairs.

5. Laser Hair Removal

Out of all the hair removal methods described on our list, laser hair removal is the most expensive one, but it’s also one of the most effective ones.

By applying heat to your hair, the laser kills the follicle and prevents the growth of new hair in that place. Salon laser hair removal is the preferred option simply because the beautician can properly assess the state of your skin and whether the procedure is right for you, since it works best on dark, long hairs.

However, you can also buy home laser hair removal devices online, but you need to be extra careful when using them.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/30/five-ways-to-get-rid-of-facial-hair/

As bank customers continue to encounter challenges such as regular long queues in the banking halls, consistent network failure, stringent documentation to assess credit facilities, frequent transaction/dispensing error, delay in transaction completion and process among others, the Central bank of Nigeria has granted final approval to Nigeria’s lifestyle and first payment service bank, 9PSB (Payment Service Bank), to commence operations in fostering financial inclusion drive in the Nigerian ecosystem.
Speaking on the vision of 9PSB’s entrant into the Nigerian financial sector, the CEO of 9mobile, Mr. Alan Sinfield stated that there’s a huge potential in the market and 9PSB is strategically positioned to expand its operations into financial services.

“We are happy to be the first Payment Service Bank to provide all Nigerians with access to banking services and open up a digital world of possibilities to improve everyday lives. We know that this new development will further improve the country and the people going forward. In 2018, 9mobile partnered with Nigerian bank, UBA to roll out 9Pay, a mobile payments solution while also pushing for a fintech license. We are delighted that we have now secured finale approval for a Payment Service Bank.”

In his own reaction, the CFO of 9mobile, Mr. Phillips Oki stated that “the financial inclusion that 9PSB will provide will be an enabler to achieving unparalleled benefit in everyday transactions. The *990# allows Nigerians to perform all financial transactions including utility payment from the comfort of their phones and homes on any mobile network at no charge.

“With a large network of agents strategically located in both urban and rural communities, 9PSB is going to make sending and receiving money possible, easier, seamless and less stressful for all Nigerians. 9PSB is also available on mobile App and internet banking for ease of banking and simplicity. Over the coming weeks, 9PSB will unveil its products and services to Nigerians.”

9PSB will no doubt bring relief to all Nigerians. This is because Payment Service Banks facilitates sending remittances across the country from one user to another, bypassing the banks. Furthermore, 9PSB will reach the people at the bottom of the pyramid to facilitate financial inclusion especially in the rural setting and increase financial payment in Nigeria.

According to a survey conducted by the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) in 2010, it indicated that over 54 million Nigerians above the age of eighteen are either served by informal institutions or are totally unbanked.

In October 2012, the CBN introduced the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) to provide Payment Service Banks across Nigeria with the aim of breaking the traditional barrier preventing financial inclusion and promoting low cost, secure and convenient financial services across the country.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/30/cbn-approves-9psb-payment-service-bank-with-ussd-990/

The team of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) paid a courtesy visit to the CEO of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Chief Innocent Chukwuma at his Nnewi factory in Anambra State on 26th August 2020 as the duo is set to partner in the production of MRAP EZUGWU.

DICON in collaboration with the Command Engineering Depot (CED) produced a Mine Resistant Armoured Protected Vehicle named EZUGWU MRAP which has been deployed to the North-East by the Nigerian Army to be used for executing insurgency operations.
The team intends to further partner with IVM in order to produce more military-grade vehicles, patrol vehicles, and Soft Skin vehicles for the Armed forces and other security agencies.

The DICON Team which comprises of Maj.Gen V.O. Ezugwu, DG DICON (Team Lead), Mr Livingstone Nwaigbudu (Director P&BD), Engr. Shedrack Agbo (Consultant DICON/CED Imperium Nig.Ltd), and Engr. Terra Adding (Consultant DICON/CED) took a factory tour of the IVM facility in the company of Chief Chukwuma and other key members.

According to the team lead, Maj.Gen V.O. Ezugwu, who was impressed with the facilities on the ground; he said the collaboration with IVM is inline with the FG’s drive to boost local content and encourage indigenous production in the country.

Chief Innocent Chukwuma was also very delighted to receive the team and promised to partner and support DICON in its production in order to assist the FG in its fight against insurgency in the country.

Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) is the state-run defence corporation of Nigeria and operated by the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is responsible for the production of defence equipment and civilian products and was founded in 1964.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/28/dicon-partners-with-innoson-vehicles-in-producing-military-hardware-photos/

Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced the introduction of its Unlimited Ultra Plans, a new value offering that is designed to ensure it’s Home Broadband customers do not run out of data while enjoying superior, uncapped speed and continuous broadband connectivity to the internet.

According to Airtel, the new offering, which is available only to Routers and Outdoor Unit (ODU) customers, will offer telecom consumers the freedom to do more and become more productive without worrying about data speed reduction and utilization, ensuring that customers ‘Never Run Out of Data.’

With the ‘New Unlimited Ultra Plans’, customers have four distinct packages to choose from which include ‘Unlimited Ultra Weekly’, ‘Unlimited Ultra Standard’, ‘Unlimited Ultra Diamond’ and ‘Unlimited Ultra Platinum’, each package comes with unlimited Data, Uncapped speed and applicable Fair Usage Policy (FUP).

Customers who purchase Unlimited Ultra weekly, which is priced at N5,000 only will enjoy Unlimited Data for 7 days with a FUP of 30GB plus 1GB data daily after FUP, whilst Customers who purchase the Unlimited Ultra Standard for N20,000 will enjoy Unlimited Data for 30 days with a FUP of 130GB plus 3GB data daily after FUP.  

For Unlimited Ultra Diamond, which can be purchased for N30,000 and Unlimited Ultra Platinum for N60,000 only, Customers will enjoy Unlimited Data for 30 Days with a FUP of 210 GB and 550 GB respectively plus 3GB data daily after FUP.

Commenting on the new offer, Godfrey Efeurhobo, Director, Home Broadband, Airtel Nigeria, said the Unlimited Ultra plans will further enrich Home Broadband customers experience. According to him, the Unlimited Ultra plans have been designed to meet the growing demand for quality Home Broadband experience with consideration for those working from home, schooling remotely and enjoying home entertainment.

“Airtel is committed to creating unique and innovative value propositions that will make life simpler, easier, better and more fun for all its customers. With this compelling Unlimited Ultra plans, we are confident that telecoms consumers in the Home Broadband segment will have an enriched experience and further empowered to realize their full potentials,” he said. 

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/27/airtel-unveils-unlimited-data-plans/

In line with achieving the completion agenda of Udom Emmanuel, the Akwa Ibom State Governor in securing and safeguarding lives and dignity of the citizens, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare embarked on the evacuation of mentally challenged persons.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Ini Adiakpan flagged off the exercise yesterday, August 26th, 2020 in Uyo.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/27/photo-news-akwa-ibom-begins-evacuation-of-mentally-challenged-persons-off-street/

Vodacom Group has announced Raisibe Morathi as its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective 1 November 2020, when she will also be appointed to the Vodacom Group Board. As one of the most experienced and one of very few African black female CFOs of a listed company in South Africa, Raisibe’s appointment underscores Vodacom’s commitment to driving diversity across the workplace.

Raisibe joins Vodacom from Nedbank Group, where she was the Group Chief Finance Officer since 2009. She was responsible for leading a team of over 900 people involved in finance and operations and focussed on strategic decision making impacting the Group. For most of her tenure at Nedbank, she was the patron of its Women’s Forum, demonstrating her commitment to the development of women and young people.

Raisibe is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and has also completed an Advanced Management Programme (AMP) with INSEAD (France). Her other qualifications include a Higher Diploma in Taxation (Wits University) and she is currently a few months away from completing her Masters in Philosophy (Corporate Strategy) at GIBS.

Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group, said: “I am delighted to welcome Raisibe to the Vodacom Group, where she will drive and continue to modernise our finance operations as we position ourselves as a leading pan-African technology company. Raisibe has a proven track record in dealing competently with complex leadership challenges and driving strategic transformational change. Given Vodacom Group’s leadership position as a mobile money provider in Africa and our accelerated growth ambitions beyond traditional Telco services, Raisibe’s extensive financial services experience makes her an excellent addition to the Vodacom Group Board and Executive Committee (Exco).”

Raisibe has acquired 26 years of experience, including 20 years in executive roles at institutions such as Industrial Development Corporation, Sanlam and Nedbank. Raisibe succeeds Till Streichert following his departure in June 2020 and the interim appointment of Sitho Mdlalose as Group CFO.

Commenting on her appointment, Raisibe said: “I’m excited to be joining the Vodacom Group Board and Exco at a time when it has simplified its structure to drive increased focus across all of its international territories. I look forward to leading a high-performing Finance team, driving the function’s strategic digital transformation and contributing to the future success of the Group.”

“I would like to thank Sitho Mdlalose for his significant contribution as interim Group Chief Financial Officer during a time that happened to coincide with the unprecedented global pandemic. In his new role as CFO of Vodacom South Africa (VSA), Sitho will have dual reporting lines into Raisibe and Balesh Sharma, designate CEO of VSA,” concludes Shameel.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/27/vodacom-group-appoints-raisibe-morathi-as-group-chief-financial-officer/

Abuja Nigeria – August 27th, 2020 – TAJBank, Nigeria’s most innovative Non-Interest Bank, has announced the launch of its 4th (fourth) branch in Sokoto State recently.

The launch which held at the TAJBank office in Sokoto State had several dignitaries present from across the country including the special guest of honour, His Excellency Governor of Sokoto, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal CFR (Matawallin Sokoto) who commissioned the new branch.

In his opening remarks, Governor commended TAJBank for its innovative strides and enjoined the bank to live up to its mission to provide superior banking products and services to the peoples. He also noted the enormous benefits of non-interest banking and assured the institution of the government’s continued support.

The Chairman TAJBank, Alhaji Tanko Isiaku Gwamna, acknowledged the efforts of the Sokoto State government in initiating an investment into the fourth branch even while it was still a project and emphasised this singular act a strong catalyst to the eventual realisation of the new branch in Sokoto.

He also emphasised some of its key focus points in the state as namely agricultural development and the significant enhancement of financial inclusion within underserved communities in the state.

Governor Tambuwal, while taking a tour of the facility, also opened the first TAJBank account. 

Recently, the bank also launched two platforms: its Agency banking network-TAJXpress and Nigeria’s 1st (first) ethical e-commerce site, TAJMall. The network spans states within the North West and North East areas of the country.

TAJBank is Nigeria’s 2nd Non-Interest Financial Institution. The Bank received its license from the Central Bank of Nigeria on July 12th, 2019. The Bank offers an exciting array of products and services that span Private Banking, Retail Banking, Business Banking, Development Finance and the Public Sector.

TAJBank has its head office in Abuja and also branches at the National Assembly Complex and Kano State. 

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2020/08/27/tajbank-opens-new-footprints-in-sokoto-state-photos/