Analyst has reported that the electronic transaction in Nigeria peaked at 3.5 billion in the year 2022 amidst the introduction of several policies to boost cashless economy in Nigeria by the Central Bank of Nigeria, therefore ranking Nigeria 6th in the world.



This has given rise to interest of many into trends which are to be expected in the year 2023. The election season has seen a lot of anxiety over the economy ecosystem of Nigeria due to the change in political power as well as global and various economic indices.

According to the reports by THISDAY, who spoke with Ken Ife, a renowned economist, London Enterprise Ambassador and Chief Economic Strategist, ECOWAS Commission on his forecast on how the banking sector will shape the electronic transactions in 2023. It is predicted that banks would try reduce operating expenses and make more profit from the non-interest income.



The renowned economist said: “Banks have been doing extremely well. If you look at the GDP figures of the third quarter, the banks were returning 18.3 per cent growth rate. That is phenomenal. Remember that throughout 2020 and 2021, the banks were running at 15 per cent growth rate, which is five times more growth than the rest of the economy. And they were running pari passu with the ICT. Now what has happened is that all of the banking sector and the financial sector have benefited from Central Bank’s massive investment in payment infrastructure because they invested heavily in permanent infrastructure.

“So when there was the COVID disruption, and there was a shutdown, people were comfortable trading and doing transactions at home because they had their mobile money, POS, and agency banking to the point that Nigeria in 2021 is number six in the world in electronic transactions. We are even ahead of America, which was 1.2 billion while Nigeria was 1.8 billion transactions a year; while those ahead of us are India, China and South Korea, but Nigeria was doing really well. And then in 2022, Nigeria’s transactions doubled and went to 3.5 billion transactions, which was equivalent to $200 billion turnover. So, Nigeria has gone nuclear in that respect with 100 per cent increase. I just laugh when people complain about the transaction, we are ready for electronic transactions and the evidence shows that we are.”

The head of Financial Institutions Ratings at Agusto & Co, Mr. Ayokunle Olubunmi also predicted a downturn on the economy saying “Its an election year as well as an import of global inflation and external economic factors.'”



While he also added that “Economically it is not going to be a very rosy year because when we check through the years where we’ve had a change in government you notice that the economy struggles because it takes a while for the new government to settle in. And especially with this election that there seems to be very likely that we might have a rerun because the candidates do not have the level of political acceptance that we have had in all other elections. So, it would be a tough year both politically and economically.”



“Also, Nigeria is not isolated from what’s happening in the global economy. The global economy is actually struggling and also if you look at the budget just passed the debt we are planning and other various elements would impact the economy generally.



Speaking about the banking sector, Mr. Bunmi predicts that banks would focus on fee-based income and strategies around cost saving on operation to which he said ““looking at the banking industry, banks need to also be strategic because the interest expense as inflation is going up and as the MPR is going up so also is the cost of funds also going up. So the net interest margin can actually thin out. For most banks, you will realise that there is a limit to how far you can actually raise your interest rate on your loans because you don’t want to push your customers into default or discourage them.”



“Of course the inflation will also increase the operating expenses but we also expect some more cost-saving initiatives from banks. I’m sure a lot of banks would start trying to scale down their unprofitable branches.”

“And we’ll see more banks focusing more on non-interest income. Because remember when I mentioned we expect the net interest income to actually reduce so most of them will be focusing on fee-based income and transactions that are based or fees to get more income,”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/05/nigerias-electronic-transactions-hits-3-5bn/

With the announcement of 5G in most parts of the world and a test run of 6G in China which is a super upgrade to the previous generation of smartphone network, we can say it is truly the end of the 3G era.

3G which is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology which was first rolled out commercially in mid-2001 and saw the upgrade from 2G, 2.5G, GPRS, and 2.75G networks, ushered in the smartphone era is no longer sustainable as announced by global telcos.

Global internet service providers like AT&T and T-Mobile had shut down the service earlier in 2022 and most recently, Verizon and Vodafone have notified customers that they intend to cut off 3G-enabled devices from their networks from December 2022 and December 2023 respectively.


Also, according to the October report of the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has confirmed that 142 companies in 56 countries have either completed, planned, or are in the process of shutting down 2G and 3G networks.

The decision to shut down these networks according to experts is being accelerated to make way for a stronger 5G technology and other networks. While network operators shut down 2G networks, the spectrums can be recycled for 4G and 5G networks to offer faster and better connectivity for their consumers.

However, in Africa, no announcement has been made by network providers concerning 3G services and devices.

South Africa which issued a statement about the future of 2G and 3G in the country announced that by June 2023, it will completely stop the licensing of 2G devices and the country also plans to carry out a similar process for 3G in the second half of 2024 which will end in March 2025.

Experts however believe that Nigeria will have little complications joining this movement because the 5G license currently being auctioned by the Nigerian Communications Commission can be deployed on the infrastructure of older networks.

These older networks, however, have a deadline date set by the original equipment manufacturers indicating when they will stop producing equipment for 3G and 2G and when the time comes, TELCOS using these equipment models may have difficulty operating.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/04/global-telcos-announce-plans-to-shut-down-3g-services/

Rite Foods, Nigeria’s market leader in the food and beverage industry has on New Year’s Day, 1 January, 2023, rewarded consumers of its award-winning brands with free shopping opportunities at the Ikeja City Mall, in Lagos.

The brand activation at the Rite Foods Wonder House at the Ikeja City Mall, was the centre of activities for its teeming consumers during the yuletide period, attracting thousands of shoppers who were treated to exciting moments.

The afternoon engagement saw consumers of the various Rite Foods brands, comprising the 13 variants of its Bigi carbonated soft drink, the premium Bigi Table Water, Fearless energy drinks, the Sosa fruit drink, and Rite Sausages, being refreshed, with those who bought any of the products worth N1,000 being randomly selected for the free shopping of items within a timeline of 30 seconds.

Four of the consumers were selected for the free shopping spree at the popular Shoprite store at the mall, and one of them, Lawani Uyi, who made the first attempt in 30 seconds, picked items such as toys, while another, Sam Ademuyiwa shopped two packets of 16 pieces of dinner sets based on how fast he could.

A regular consumer of the popular Bigi brand, Igbinosa Clara Adebayo, within 30 seconds, shopped for a bicycle for her daughter as well as other food items, while the last participant, Tochukwu Anyim, who was energetic with his shopping, picked a 43-inch Nexus TV set, and applauded Rite Foods for being selected for the exercise.

The event was fun-filled and action-packed, with other shoppers being entertained by the speed and performances of the beneficiaries who commended Rite Foods for the reward initiative aimed at connecting its various products with their consumers, especially the Bigi brand.

Overwhelmed with the euphoria of the New Year celebration package, the consumers affirmed that they will continue to make the Bigi carbonated soft drinks, the Sosa fruit drink, as well as other products their favourites and go to brands.

It was all an electrifying moment for Rite Foods consumers, who were also treated to a Bigi lucky dip engagement where eight people won freebies comprising a Panasonic Oven, HP Deskjet printer, Panasonic electric kettle, Master Chef electric blender, hampers, among others.

One of the winners of the lucky dip winners, Adekilekun Funmilayo, won a Master Chef electric blender and was over-the-moon, lauded the Rite Foods company for embarking on worthy schemes that are beneficial to its consumers.

Earlier at the event, Rite Foods Assistant Brand Manager, Boluwatfe Adedugbe, avowed that the company takes the well-being of its consumers at the core of its mission, aligning with them at various touchpoints to ensure optimum satisfaction.

She added that the shoppers reward engagement was intended at making the New Year celebration memorable by giving them the free opportunity of shopping for items they so much desire.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2023/01/02/rite-foods-rewards-consumers-with-free-shopping-in-new-year-shoppers-engagement/

Android phones are great, but like any other gadgets, they have their fair share of problems. There are some problems that most Android users will encounter at one time or another.

We’ll show you some fixes for these common issues, whether you’re using a Samsung Galaxy device, a Google Pixel, or anything else.


Unusual Battery Drain

Battery life is something you probably keep a close eye on, so it’s very noticeable when your Android phone is draining faster than usual. There are a number of things that can cause this, but it usually has to do with apps.

The easiest solution for battery drain—and most problems—is rebooting your phone. Sometimes, things just get wonky, and they need to be restarted. It’s easier to reboot your phone than try to hunt down the exact culprit.

The next thing to try is updating your apps. There could be a problem with an app that the developer has already issued a fix for. Head to the Play Store and make sure all your apps are up to date. This is a good practice in general.

Lastly, if you’re phone is old, the battery may just be degrading faster. You can check the battery health to see where it stands.

Wi-Fi Disconnecting
There’s nothing more annoying than trying to use your phone and Wi-Fi won’t stay connected. There are three possible culprits in this situation: your phone, router, or the internet connection itself.

We’ve highlighted a number of things you can try to stop your phone from disconnecting from Wi-Fi. If none of those things work, the last resort is resetting the network settings on your phone.

Google Pixel: Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile & Bluetooth.
Samsung Galaxy: Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset Network Settings.


Phone Freezing Up

If you’ve used a smartphone for any length of time—iPhone or Android—it’s probably frozen up or become extremely laggy for some unknown reason. It happens. Usually, a simple reboot will solve the problem.

However, it’s not as easy if your phone is unresponsive. The good news is it’s usually easy to force a reboot with a button combination. For most Android devices, that means holding the Power and Volume Down keys until the phone restarts. This will not wipe anything off the phone.

App Keeps Crashing

What if the problem is with a specific app? It’s very common for apps to occasionally crash or become unresponsive. Just like you can force reboot your phone, you can also force restart an app.

There are two ways to do this. The easiest method is to open the Recent Apps menu and swipe the misbehaving app off the screen. If that doesn’t fix the issue, you can go into the system settings and “Force Close” the app. Force closing an app almost always fixes little problems.

Charger Not Working
A pretty big problem that can occasionally occur is when your Android phone seems to refuse to charge. Typically, if this happens, it’s related to the charging port or cable, not wireless charging.

First, make sure it’s not just the cable but checking with other cables and chargers. If it’s still not working, examine the charging port for any debris that could be interfering with the connection. Still not charging? It could be water damage or simply a faulty charging port.

In the case of a faulty charging port, you should reach out to the manufacturer for a replacement. Occasionally, this happens with devices as they get older. However, if the problem is water-related, they may not honor the warranty.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/29/5-common-android-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/

Reigning West African Boxing Union (WABU) featherweight champion, Taiwo “Esepor” Agbaje, on Monday, won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental featherweight title at GOtv Boxing Night 27.

Agbaje defeated his Filipino opponent, Richard Taruc Pumicpic by a technical knockout in the 7th round to emerge champion. His fine displays also earned him his fourth Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy for the best boxer along with the cash prize of N1.5 million attached to it.

The Boxing Day show held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos also featured five explosive bouts across weight categories.

National super lightweight champion, Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla defeated the bullish Bartholomew Abuchi by unanimous decision to retain his belt and extend his unbeaten streak to 10 bouts, while Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan ended Sodiq Oyakojo reign as the national super featherweight champion by unanimous decision.

The bantamweight duel between Opeyemi “Golden Boy” Ibrahim and Sodiq “Happy Boy” Adeleke ended in Adeleke’s favour via unanimous decision, while Michael Adesodun knocked out Idris Aloma in the fourth round of their national super featherweight bout.

In the national middleweight female match, Abosede Akinsanya gave debutant Sofiat Lateef a night to forget by ending her debut with a second round technical knockout.

The event sponsored by GOtv and refreshed by Supa Komando also saw thrilling musical performances from international Afrobeat superstars such as Ruger, 9ice, DJ Exclusive and Chinko Ekun.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/29/gotv-boxing-night-27-esepo-wins-wbf-ritle-n1-5m/

Following the recent collapse of FTX and the subsequent ongoing prosecution of its former Chief Executive Officer, Sam Bankman-Fried, the International Monetary Fund has called for increased regulation of crypto markets in Africa.

IMF made this call on Thursday in its “October 2022 Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa”.

According to IMF, countries in the region should embrace regulation while citing the collapse of FTX and its ripple effect in cryptocurrency prices, which is “prompting renewed calls for greater consumer protection and regulation of the crypto industry”.

Moreover, the fund argued that “risks from crypto assets are evident” and “it’s time to regulate” to find a balance between minimising risk and maximising innovation.

The piece stated that “risks are much greater if crypto is adopted as legal tender,” posing a threat to public finances if governments accept crypto as payment.

“The collapse of the world’s third largest crypto exchange FTX, and subsequent plunge in the prices of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major crypto assets, is prompting renewed calls for more excellent consumer protection and regulation of the crypto industry.

“Regulating a highly volatile and decentralized system remains challenging for most governments, requiring a balance between minimising risk and maximising innovation. Only one-quarter of countries in sub-Saharan Africa formally regulate crypto,” the monetary fund stated.

According to IMF’s data, 25 per cent of countries in sub-Saharan Africa have formally regulated crypto, while two-thirds have implemented some restrictions.

It also explained that Cameroon, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and the Republic of Congo have placed the crypto market under a ban, representing 20 per cent of the sub-Saharan African countries. Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have the highest number of users in the region.

Between July 2020 and June 2021, Africa’s crypto market increased in value by more than 1,200 per cent, according to data from analytics firm Chainalysis, with high adoption in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Tanzania.

Meanwhile, investors in the crypto industry have lost $116 billion to the bear market and the wave of bankruptcies that have engulfed the market in 2022, Forbes stated in its recent report.

Its report titled “These Crypto Founders And Bitcoin Moguls Lost $116 Billion In 2022”, which was released on Saturday, showed a combined personal equity of 17 people in the space, with over 15 losing more than half of their fortunes since March.

Consequently, industry observers believed the market bearish would last until the end of 2023.

According to Forbes, one of the major losses was attributed to Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.

In March, Zhao 70 per cent stake in the crypto exchange was valued at $65 billion, but it is now worth $4.5 billion.

Zhao was closely followed by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong whose net worth was estimated at $1.5 billion from $6 billion in March.

The fortune of Ripple’s co-founder, Chris Larsen, downed from $4.3 billion to $2.1 billion while Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss of Gemini were valued at $4 billion in March but were now worth $1.1 billion each, Forbes revealed.

Among those who lost the billionaire status are FTX co-founders Sam Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang, whose fortunes in March were valued at $24 billion and $5.9 billion, respectively, and at $0 in December.

The $3.2 billion fortune of Barry Silbert, founder, and CEO of Digital Currency Group, was also lost as a result of the contagious wave caused by the collapse of FTX, according to Forbes.

Among the former billionaires were also Nickel Viswanathan and Joseph Lay from crypto software firm Alchemy, Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah of OpenSea, Fred Ehrsam of Coinbase, MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor and venture capitalist Tim Draper.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/27/imf-calls-for-stiffer-crypto-regulations/

The payments’ function, along with its operations and technology capabilities, is at the heart of any financial system supporting transactions processing payments for individuals, businesses, and governments. The growth of digital payments in India has piggybacked upon demonetization and the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last decade, the Indian payments environment has become much more dynamic, creating even greater challenges for financial institutions. Complex regulatory requirements, outdated and poorly integrated legacy systems, pandemic-induced urgency and an increasingly competitive marketplace have all pushed traditional financial institutions to evaluate innovative opportunities for payments transformation.

Phenomenal growth in the consumer, SME digital credit access and mounting participation of the retail investors in the stock market are testimonials to it being one of the best digital payments ecosystems of the world in terms of value and volume.

However, the rising trend of digital adoption is being surmounted by the mounting charts of payment frauds such as multiple phishing, malware, fake UPI links and OTP linked frauds is making it a situation of flux.

Rise in cybercrime is a menace to the global economy, leading to pernicious effects on businesses and communities. Disruptions in the processing of payment flows is additional threat to the payment systems.

As organizations innovate and undergo digital transformation, it is imperative for them to have a robust and scalable payment infrastructure.

The pressure on payments players is real, but the times are exciting. The introduction of newer and quirkier payment methods, industry collaborations, tech advancements and regulatory support are making space for a lot of innovation and best practices in two important customer agendas – security and convenience. Winners shall be the ones who are quicker in finding the delicate balance between the two. With a strong regulatory focus and multiple governmental headways into it, payment players have tides flowing in their favor. Some of these critical drivers include:

Adoption of PCI DSS 4.0: Developed with a zero-trust philosophy, allowing firms to create their own distinctive, pluggable authentication systems to satisfy the legal requirements for data protection.
Introduction of RBI’s digital lending guidelines: Leading to an increase in adoption by Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Online lending platforms have gained massive popularity among MSMEs post the pandemic as they could not secure finance through traditional lending institutions and thus had to switch to digital loans.
Security layer of tokenization: Credit and debit card tokenization is the procedure of substituting sensitive data with a token, which is randomly generated, one-of-a-kind placeholder, known as a ‘token’.
Proposed use of data localization: Data localization may improve India’s governance of payment-related data significantly and is focused on protecting the customer’s interests and data.

Government of India on the personal data protection bill

The Government of India has released a draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill for public consultation in November 2022. This bill is applicable to processing of digital personal data within the territory of India collected online or collected offline and later digitized. Indian payment security’s growth is driven by a bunch of nurturing initiatives undertaken by the government and regulators for a buoyed funding environment. These aim to offer an ecosystem that is geared up for strengthening the security and compliance design, enhance enterprise security, and proactively monitor and predict fraud monitoring. Organizations, on the other hand, need to play their role as well and invest in effective security measures to enhance growth and underpin their trust in the system.

Key recommendations for the industry to up their game in maintaining security and driving customer confidence:

Move security beyond the server room and into the boardroom:

With the growing number of channels for digital payments and the anticipated exponential rise in customer adoption of these products, the challenge of securing them will only continue to get more complex. The diversity in security maturity across the ecosystem participants only compounds the issue. Real-time payments need real-time security and enhanced fraud detection abilities for organizations. Following are some key areas that organizations across the board must prioritize as a part of their business strategies.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/24/how-to-unlock-the-power-of-digital-payments-through-security/

Shell (SHEL.L) will pay 15 million euros ($15.9 million) to communities in Nigeria that were affected by multiple oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta, the oil company on Friday said in a joint statement with the Dutch division of Friends of the Earth.

The compensation is the result of a Dutch court case brought by Friends of the Earth, in which Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary SPDC last year was found to be responsible for the oil spills and was ordered to pay for damages to farmers.

The money will benefit the communities of Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo in Nigeria, that were impacted by four oil spills that occurred between 2004 and 2007.

“The settlement is on a no admission of liability basis, and settles all claims and ends all pending litigation related to the spills,” Shell said.

An independent expert had confirmed that SPDC has installed a leak detection system on the KCTL Pipeline in compliance with the appeal court’s orders, the company added.

The case was brought in 2008 by four farmers and environmental group Friends of the Earth, seeking reparations for lost income from contaminated land and waterways in the region, the heart of Nigeria’s oil industry.

After the appeals court’s final ruling last year, Shell said it continued to believe the spills were caused by sabotage.

But the court said Shell had not proven “beyond reasonable doubt” that sabotage had caused the spill, rather than poor maintenance.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/24/shell-to-pay-15-mln-euros-in-settlement-over-nigerian-oil-spills/

In response to the invitation by the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, the European Union has decided to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the general elections scheduled for 25 February and 11 March 2023.

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, has appointed Barry Andrews, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer for the EOM to Nigeria. The EU previously deployed Election Observation Missions to Nigeria for the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 elections.

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “These elections will be crucial for the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria, and for the stability of the region. This is the sixth time that the EU deploys an election observation mission to Nigeria, reflecting our commitment to work together to consolidate democracy in the country. The elections are set to be competitive and will take place in a challenging security context. It is our hope that Nigerians will be able to cast their vote in a peaceful environment and that any challenges or disputes will be solved through dialogue or through available legal remedies.”

The Chief Observer Barry Andrews said: “I am very pleased to have been entrusted with the responsibility for leading this EU Election Observation Mission. The mission is taking place during a period of time when democracy around the globe is in decline. The forthcoming General Elections are therefore not only a key moment in Nigeria’s democratic development but also important to the future of democracy in West Africa and the continent at large. I am looking forward to meeting with electoral stakeholders that are playing important roles in the ongoing electoral process.”

Background
The EU EOM will provide a comprehensive, independent and impartial assessment of the electoral process based on international and regional standards for democratic elections. The Core Team of the EU EOM consists of 11 election experts who will arrive in Abuja during the first half of January. Towards the end of January, 40 long-term observers will join the mission to be deployed across the country and follow the electoral campaign. Thereafter, short-term observers from the EU diplomatic community as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland will reinforce the mission during election day. The EU EOM will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process.

In line with the EU election observation methodology, the mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Abuja after the election day. The final report, which will include a set of recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented after the finalisation of the entire electoral process.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/22/2023-european-union-deploys-election-observation-mission-to-nigeria/

Xiaomi Corp has started laying off workers in several units of its smartphone and internet services business, reducing its workforce by about 15%, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

The Hong Kong newspaper cited social media posts by affected employees and local Chinese media, saying China’s social media platforms, including Weibo, Xiaohongshu and Maimai, have been flooded with posts about the job cuts.

Xiaomi had 35,314 staff as of Sept. 30, the paper reported, with over 32,000 in mainland China, and the latest move could affect thousands of workers, many of whom have just joined the company during a hiring spree that began in December last year.

However, the company on Tuesday has said that it is implementing organisational restructuring and personnel optimisation that will affect less than 10 per cent of its total workforce. Those affected have been “compensated in compliance with local regulations,” the spokesperson was quoted saying by IANS.

Xiaomi in November reported a 9.7% fall in third-quarter revenue, hit by China’s COVID-19 restrictions and softening consumer demand. Revenue from smartphones, which make up roughly 60% of its total sales, fell 11% year-on-year, Xiaomi said.

Xiaomi is preparing for its first big launch of 2023 in India, with the new Redmi Note 12 lineup launching on January 5 in the country. The company has been sharing teasers of the phone’s features, and many expect the new devices to be focused on mid-range buyers.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/21/xiaomi-fires-900-employees-to-slash-15-of-jobs-globally/

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Abia State have led a number of other southern states as food prices soar to record levels in 2022.

This is according to data from “selected food prices” reports by the National Bureau of Statistics during the period in review.

The reports show that food prices have risen highest in the FCT, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Edo states in 2022. Further analysis showed that the southeastern region has recorded the highest food prices in the country.

Prices of food items observed within this period included staple foods such as rice, beans, yam tuber, tomatoes, agric eggs, bread, beef, among others. Findings by The PUNCH also showed that food prices witnessed significant price increases across the board in the year 2022.

For example, the average price of 1kg of tomato rose on a year-on-year basis by 30.79 per cent from N347.47 in October 2021 to N454.46 in October 2022. Similarly, the average price of a bottle of palm oil increased by 33.22 per cent from N727.21 in October 2021 to N968.76 per cent in October 2022.

Abuja, Abia Lead As Food Prices Soar – Report
This soaring food prices comes just as the NBS disclosed that 62.9 per cent of Nigerians — nearly 133 million people — are multidimensionally poor.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Lagos chapter Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Femi Oke said factors such as logistics, increased demand, as well as government’s unwillingness to invest in large scale cultivation of certain agricultural products are the reason behind soaring food prices in the country.

He said, “Diesel and fuel are affecting logistics and transportation. Most of these products are coming from the north. They will factor in their transportation.

“Diesel is almost a thousand naira per litre right now. It will affect food prices, and the Nigerian government is not doing anything about it. Why is the government not doing something strategic to curb grain importation? In the last ten years, if we deliberately invested in grain or wheat, by now we would be producing and not importing. This is what is happening to us. There is no family in Nigeria that does not take grain or wheat. What is the government doing about it?”

Commenting on the reason why food prices have been higher in the southeast, Oke noted that social tensions and frequent farmers-herders clashes have negatively impacted farming activities in the region.

He added, “When you don’t allow your people to go to the farm. With the sit at home, people are afraid to go to the farm.

“Fulani herdsmen, herder-farmers clash is also rampant in the east, coupled with the climatic change, almost all the farmlands have been washed away. This is the reason behind the current food prices.”

On his part, the president of the Premium Bread-Makers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onuorah agreed with the statistics body’s data that bread price had witnessed an increase of 36.68 per cent in 2022.

He said, “The increase could have been worse. It could have been up to 50 per cent. But if we do 50 per cent, you have to balance it.

“If you don’t balance it, you will go out of business. Our own production, our capacity utilisation has dropped by 70 per cent. Before, in my bakery, I was doing 110 bags (flour). Today I’m doing 30, 40 bags. I had 150 workers. Today I have just over 40 workers. I was doing two to three shifts. Today I’m doing one shift.”

In a recent report titled ‘Africa’s Inflation Among Region’s Most Urgent Challenges,’ the International Monetary Fund said Nigeria and its Sub-Saharan counterparts are facing one of the most challenging economic environments in years, marked by a slow recovery from the pandemic, rising food and energy prices, and high levels of public debt.

According to the IMF, with food and energy accounting for half of the household consumption in sub-Saharan Africa, living costs across the region have spiraled. It estimated that 12 percent of the region’s population will face acute food insecurity by the end of this year.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/19/abuja-abia-lead-as-food-prices-soar-report/

Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of the Standard Bank Group, made donations of non-food relief items worth 20 million naira to 650 families. The donations were made in support of the Nigerian government’s efforts to provide relief to victims of the recent flood disaster that had affected Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States.
Dr Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, stated that the donations were in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by floods in some parts of the country.

The relief items which included mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets, blankets, buckets, and bowls were presented to the representatives of the state governors.

The Chief Executive expressed that Stanbic IBTC commiserates with the people and the governments of Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states on the loss of human lives and properties.

He added, “as an organisation that prides itself on driving corporate social responsibility interventions, we were concerned about the negative impact of the floods on the socio-economic activities in the states. Our aid program was aimed at supporting displaced persons in IDP camps with women and children being the most vulnerable, thus, we provided them with relief goods that will prepare them for their return home.”

The support from Stanbic IBTC support came as the Federal Government had said that the floods had affected over 3 million people.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/20/stanbic-ibtc-donates-to-hundreds-of-families-affected-by-floods-in-affected-states/

Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) imposed limits on weekly cash withdrawals from automatic teller machines (ATMs) by individuals and corporate entities in a bid to boost digital payments.

In a circular, the bank said the highest amount of cash that can be withdrawn per week is N100,000 for individual customers and N500,000 for corporate customers. However, those who intend to take more than that must be ready to part with a 5 per cent processing fee for individuals and a 10 per cent fee for corporates.

The daily maximum withdrawals from a point of sale (PoS) terminal were also set at N20,000 by the apex bank.

On January 9, 2023, the new rule will come into force.

Brand Spur Nigeria understands that its goal is to increase the number of transactions conducted electronically while reducing the amount of physical cash that is used in the economy.

This is not going down well with Nigerians, both bank users and POS operators, who believe it is almost the end of the road for them.

The CBN has said it came up with this policy to increase the use of digital financial transactions, which it believes Nigerians are not embracing despite efforts to encourage them.

Despite this hurdle to cash withdrawals, Nigerians can still withdraw more than the CBN cash limits, only that they must fulfil some requirements listed below.

To take more than the N100,000 and N500,000 caps, a customer must provide a valid means of identification like a national ID, international passport, driver’s license, or permanent voter’s card (PVC).

In addition, the customer would have to provide his/her Bank Verification Number (BVN) and a notarized declaration of the purpose of the cash withdrawal.

Finally, the customer would have to submit written approval from the company’s Managing Director for corporate drawee.

When all these are provided, the bank will process them and obtain the approval of the chief executive for the money to be released to the customer.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/15/how-to-withdraw-above-cbn-cash-limits/

Business owners in Nigeria have begun to devise means to limit the intake of old naira notes following the commencement of new naira noted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) today, Thursday, December 15, 2022.

Brand Spur Nigeria reports that last month, precisely on November 23, President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled the newly redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes at the State House in Abuja.

The higher denominations of the local currency were redesigned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after obtaining approval from President Buhari.

The action, according to the Governor of the central bank, Godwin Emefiele, was taken to have control over the currency in circulation and also to tackle counterfeiting.

The apex bank said it observed that of the N3.2 trillion in circulation, about N2.7 trillion was not in the banking system, indicating over 80 per cent. To address this issue, the Naira was redesigned.

At a briefing in Abuja on October 26, 2022, Emefiele said the old and new notes would remain valid until after January 31, 2023, when the old notes would cease to be legal tender in Nigeria.

At the unveiling of the new banknotes, it was stated that they are embedded with security features that would be difficult to break by counterfeiters.

It is expected that banks will begin to give out the new Naira notes at over-the-counter (OTC) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

However as the new naira notes is set to get into circulation, business owners across Lagos have expressed worries at the ease of doing business with the recent CBN policies including the cash withdrawal limits and the time frame for the phasing out of the old naira notes.

In a chat with Newsbreak Nigeria, Keshinro Adeola, a POS operator in Ogba axis of Lagos state said she will start devising means to limit her intake of old currency so that she is not faced the stress of having to rush into the bank to make deposits when the new notes go into circulation today.

“I will devise means to limit intake of the soon-to-be-phased-out old currencies, as i don’t want to have difficulties visiting the bank later on,” she said.

On his part Okechukwu a foodstuff seller at Sunday market said despite the fact that he will still be collecting old notes, he’ll rather customers do transfers when they come to buy foodstuff.

“I will start giving customers the option of making transfers so that i do not get to hold too much cash,” he said.

He however said that he will however not refuse old notes until the government set deadline is up.

Adenike Arowolo a cold room operator at Ojodu Berger axis of the state like Okechukwu said she will first sell the option of POS and transfer to customers, making physical cash collection the last option.

“Except you are with the new notes I’d rather customers make payments with POS or cash transfer, not like i will not collect cash, but it will be my last option,” she said.

However, Adeshina Ajose a business analyst explained that business owners will have to face a lot of stress with cash circulation, going with the recent cash withdrawal limit policy and the recently redesigned naira notes.

“While business owners will be limited to a certain amount of cash when the new CBN withdrawal policy goes into effect, they also do not have an option of keeping cash at hand as the deadline for the use of old notes will force them to make deposits at the banks,” the analyst said.

He suggested that the only way for business owners to solve the problem of cash circulation in their business is by targetting new naira notes which might indirectly start making them reject old notes.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/15/business-owners-devise-means-to-limit-intake-of-old-notes-as-new-naira-notes-hit-circulation-today/

Nollywood sensations Toyin Abraham and Destiny Etiko have been unveiled as brand influencers of Quickteller, a leading consumer digital payments platform, powered by Interswitch, in a bid to expand its message of convenient and secure payment to a wider audience.

The unveiling ceremony, which was held at Interswitch’s office on Monday, December 12, 2022, kicked off with the signing of contracts, and had in attendance representatives of the company’s Group Marketing and Corporate and Communications department, who welcomed the actresses into the Quickteller family.

Speaking on the unveiling, Priscilla Iyari, Brand Manager, Quickteller, Interswitch Group, noted that as a brand that takes the business of payment convenience seriously, there is an ever-increasing need to ensure that more Nigerians become aware of the opportunities that abound with Quickteller.

Iyari shared, “We are thrilled to have Toyin Abraham and Destiny Etiko as part of the Quickteller family where we will work together to get their fans and even more people to join our expanding family, while getting more Nigerians to explore the possibilities and benefits that come with being a part of this ‘Everything Is Possible’ community.

“At Quickteller, we are keen on providing Nigerians with an easy life, and we are relentless in our efforts in ensuring that this message reaches a wider pool of Nigerians who seek easier ways to conduct daily transactions and pay their bills.”

Quickteller continues to place high value on payment convenience through its online and mobile payment channel that enables Nigerians to make electricity bills payments, airtime and data top-up, TV cable subscription, buy and rent homes, book flights, among others.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/13/quickteller-unveils-toyin-abraham-destiny-etiko-as-brand-influencers/

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has released the list of 34 primary mortgage banks through which retirement savings account (RSA) holders can access a residential mortgage.


A mortgage is used to purchase or maintain a home, land, or other types of real estate.

The commission made this known during a media retreat organised by the Pension Funds Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp) in Lagos over the weekend.

The event was themed ‘Pension: An opportunity to own your own home, an x-ray of the new RSA plan on home ownership’.


Out of the 34 mortgage banks, 19 are in Lagos, seven are in Abuja, two are in Akwa-Ibom, and the rest are in other parts of the country.


The banks are Abbey Mortgage Bank PLC, AG Mortgage Bank PLC, Aso Savings and Loans PLC, Brent Mortgage Bank, Centage Savings and Loans, City Code Savings, Coop Savings and Loans, Delta Trust Mortgage Bank, First Trust Mortgage and FHA Homes Limited.

Others are First Generation Homes, Gateway Mortgage Bank, Global Trust Mortgage, Haggai Mortgage Bank, Imperial Homes, Infinity Trust and Jigawa Savings and Loans Ltd, among others.

PenCom, under its mortgage guidelines, said that the names of mortgage lenders that meet the eligibility criteria of its guidelines would be published on its website on a bi-annual basis or when any new licence is issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

On his part, Ibrahim Kangiwa, head of investment department, PenCom, said participants under the contributory pension scheme (CPS) must have contributed for five years cumulative of employer and employee’s mandatory contributions to be eligible for acquisition of residential mortgage.

In September, PenCom issued guidelines to allow contributors of CPS to access part of their RSAs for payment of equity contributions for a residential mortgage.

It specified that the maximum amount to be withdrawn is 25 per cent of the total mandatory RSA balance as of the date of application, irrespective of the value of equity contribution required by the mortgage lender.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/13/pencom-approves-34-lenders-for-mortgage-scheme-full-list/

For their respective initiatives geared towards bridging the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gap through impact investment in climate, circularity and the future of sustainability, The Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility Awards (The SEARS CSR Awards Africa), has announced Dangote Group, HIS Towers and BUA Group as the most responsible businesses in Africa at the 16th edition in Lagos recently.
To emerge winners of The Industry Awards 2022, which is also known as Most Responsible Business in Africa category in The SERAS CSR Awards Africa, Dangote Group amass 105 points to emerge in first position, HIS Towers scored 100 points to come second while BUA Group through Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative, (ASR Africa) got 82 points to emerge third in 2022.

Announcing the outcome of the panel of judges, the founder/CEO of The SERAS CSR Awards Africa, Mr. Ken Egbas said that these three organisations outperformed over 26 other organisations in the areas of climate, circularity and approach to the future of sustainability in Africa therefore, they deserve to get gold for doing good.

Speaking to the theme: Climate, Circularity, and the Future of Sustainability: Bridging the SDGs Gap through Impact Investing, the executive director at TruCSR/The SERAS CSR Awards Africa, Mary Ephraim said, “CSR and sustainability have gone through their evolution. From philanthropy (the era of being back) to CSR (the era of giving back) to sustainability (the era of going back), and now to circularity (the era of bringing back.)

“Through these various seasons, prosperity has never been a norm absent in Africa. Despite all the problems we face as a continent, capitalists have remained largely happy. Entrepreneurs have continued to be productive. Our peculiar challenges have given rise to innovation as never seen before. For the first season in our human history, we face an existential threat to our ability to live on this planet,” she said.

Furthermore, she stated that “Before now, the conversations had been about how we could leave a befitting world for our children to inherit. But at the moment, it is how we as parents can live so that our offspring get the opportunity to survive. This is why we chose the theme,” Ephraim added.

Apart from the most responsible business in Africa category, CEO of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu defeated the 2021 winner, MD/CEO of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, CEO, NBC Matthieu Seguin and CEO of HIS Towers Nigeria, Mohammad Darwish to win CEO of the Year while Cima Sholotan of HIS Towers, Nigeria emerged Africa Sustainability Professional of the Year.

Other nominees in the Africa Sustainability Professional of the Year category include Caroline Oghuma of Multichoice, Nigeria, Babatunde Dawodu, Nigerian Breweries and Diana Ondoga of Stanbic Bank, Uganda

Other organisations that won laurels at the 16th edition of The SERAS CSR Awards Africa in different categories include Nestle Nigeria that defeated Coca-Cola Company, Nigerian Bottling Company, Dangote Cement and Dangote Sugar to win Best Company in Circular Economy category.

For best in environmental stewardship; IHS Towers emerged winner ahead of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nestle Nigeria, Coca-Cola Company, ABSugar and International Breweries Plc. Again, Nestle Nigeria picked Best Company in Rural Population Integration ahead of International Breweries, FMN, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Airtel and Upfield.

In the Best Company in Poverty Reduction category International Breweries won ahead of Zenith Bank, Dangote Fertilizer, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, Dangote Sugar, Bank of Industry and HIS Towers while Coca-Cola Company won Best Company in Promotion of Good Health/Well-Being.

In Best Company in Partnership category, HIS Towers emerged winner, Airtel won in education intervention, Dangote won in reporting and transparency, Zenith Bank won best work-place practice, FMN won in stakeholder engagement and not-for-profit of the year went to Biodun & Ibukunle Foundation.

9mobile emerged winner of Deborah Leipziger Africa Prize for Innovation, Bank of Industry won best company in diversity, equity and inclusion, NASCO picked best company in gender equality/women empowerment, Int’l Breweries won Social Enterprise of the Year.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/12/dangote-ihs-bua-emerged-2022-most-responsible-businesses-in-africa-at-seras/

Africa’s leading pan-African payments company, Cellulant won three prestigious awards at the just concluded National Communications Awards in recognition of its contribution to driving innovation and Ghana’s digitization agenda. The company was also recognised for its leadership in driving online and offline payments with its digital payment platform, Tingg.

The Awards, which celebrate and reward excellent communication and digitalisation companies, teams and professionals, are Ghana’s biggest gathering of the Communications, Digitalisation and Media Community. The Awards are a high-impact development communications programme developed and produced by RAD Communications Limited to champion communications, digitalization, and organizational and national development.

During the Awards Gala held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana on the 3rd of December 2022, Cellulant won the “Most Innovative Payment Service Provider of the Year”, the Tingg payments platform was recognised among the “Top 20 Innovative Technology Telecom Products in Africa for 2022” and Cellulant’s Country Manager in Ghana, Eric Kortey won the “Outstanding Payment Service Provider Business Leader of the Year”.

Speaking on the recognition, Eric Kortey stated, “As more money flows online and more people use digital finance apps and services, cashless transactions have grown significantly in Ghana during the past two years. Ghana’s mobile money market was worth $92 billion in 2021, and estimates indicate that it could grow to $494 billion by 2027. Cellulant has a significant market opportunity to provide these digital solutions to businesses and their customers. 2022 has been a fantastic year for us in Ghana as we have scaled the business and built an ecosystem that allows businesses to pay and be paid. This award is an ode to the amazing efforts Cellulant’s team makes to integrate digital payments into the fabric of everyday life in Ghana.”

Eric Kortey, Cellulant’s Country Manager in Ghana, has been at the company since 2018 and has led the Ghana business since April 2021. He has led the team in implementing and driving the Group’s strategy decisions within the market. He holds a Master of Science degree in Development Finance from the University of Ghana and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with Mathematics from the same university. In May 2022, Kortey was recognized by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) UK for his hard work and professionalism. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA) in Ghana.

In 2021, Cellulant Ghana was granted a Payments Service Provider License, enabling the business through Tingg to aggregate merchant services, process financial services, acquire merchants, deploy POS systems, and aggregate payments for banks and institutions as well as the general public. Its proximity in-store payments solution, which enables businesses to take payments from any mobile network, is one of its offerings. Jumia, Kikuu, Bolt, Star Oil, Zen Petroleum, Papa’s Pizza, and Telefonika are some of Cellulant’s clients in Ghana.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/08/cellulant-ghana-recognised-as-the-most-innovative-payment-service-provider-in-2022/

To achieve a safer cyber ecosystem, organizations must embrace synergy, information sharing and full disclosures of attacks. This was the consensus opinion of stakeholders and industry experts at the annual Information Security Society of Africa – Nigeria (ISSAN) Cybersecurity Conference in Lagos.


President of FinTech Association of Nigeria (FinTechNGR), Ade Bajomo said to adequately address the rising rate of cyber-attacks, organizations should embrace collaboration and information sharing on cyber breaches. According to him, keeping silence on the part of organizations that had been attacked would not help others, stressing that full disclosure, synergy and information sharing on reported cyber-attacks and how it was managed would guide other organizations to put preventive and counter measures in place. He called on organizations to constantly upgrade their technology to counter cyber-attacks, urging them to have data backup.

The Co-founder/Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode, Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare, while expressing his views at the panel session, made case for collaboration amongst stakeholders, noting the need to strike the balance between the investments in people, technology, and processes to fight cyber-attack and fraud. He further stated the need to build cybersecurity intelligence quotient, which will comprise of Augmented Intelligence to check what is happening on the system real time, Anticipatory Intelligence to analyse what could happen, and Assistive Intelligence to determine what needs to be done. He recommended that digitization, digitalization and digital transformation should be addressed.



In a paper titled: Understanding and Addressing Data Privacy in the Banking and Financial Services World, Managing Director, CyberTechNX, Dr. Austine Ohwobete spoke about vendor risk assessment and individual management, while taking a holistic look at the organization’s environment as a means of identifying and curbing cyber threat incidences.

In his welcome address, ISSAN President, Dr. David Isiavwe said the conference was devoted to further expose the new threats and trends in the cyber security space and also offer practical steps on what businesses and individuals need to know and do to check the rising tide of the activities of cyber-criminals. He observed that cyber attackers are getting more sophisticated globally, which is an aftermath of Covid 19 pandemic, stressing that greater awareness must be created to minimize attacks on businesses that may result in losses by various organizations.



Further, Dr. Isiavwe who is also General Manager at Ecobank made case for customer awareness as well as collaboration by all stakeholders. Other speakers at the conference include Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Digital Jewels Limited, Mrs Adedoyin Odunfa; Founder & CEO, Mint FT Innovative, Mr. Similolu Akinnusi; Chief Information Security Officer, First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Harrison Nnaji and Managing Partner, Technology Advisors LLP, Basil Udotai, Esq; Others are Group Head, Customer Fulfillment Center, UBA, Mr. Prince Ayewoh; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Financial Services Limited, Mr. Stanley Jacob; Sales Director (Africa), OneSpan Europe, Mr. Nicholas Poire and Field CTO, OneSpan Europe, Mr. Dan Mcloughin.



ISSAN is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of Nigeria’s cyberspace specifically and the entire cyberspace in Africa, generally.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/09/stakeholders-advocate-synergy-information-sharing-for-safe-cyber-space/

The good people of Ondo State, particularly Akure will not forget the 27th of November in a hurry; this was as the city was agog with the maiden edition of the 2022 Leadership Excellence And Dignity Awards, which held at the Dome International Conference Center.

The award ceremony which was chaired by the Deputy Governor, Honorable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa was well attended by notable personalities from within and outside the State.

The event kicked off with the presentation of a powerful and inspirational speech by the First Lady of Ondo State, Arabirin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu. Her Excellency, who was the guest speaker at the event, while speaking on the theme of the day, Rewarding Tenacity, An Example for the Next Generation… urged the young people to avoid shortcut to success. According to her, it is better to endure difficult times and be determined to succeed in their endeavors, by setting goals.

While encouraging the younger generation of Nigerians to set goals for themselves, she acknowledged that the country is blessed with incredible youthful talents, Mrs. Akeredolu charged them to focus on the future rewards of hard-work, rather than seeking shortcuts to success that has short-term gain. Her words: “I stand before you today as a typical example of Nigerian from a humble background who endured all sorts of temptations and distractions to come this far. My background, training, marriage and attainments are all evident products of Tenacity.

“Absence of Tenacity in the younger generation of Nigerians forms part of the problem we battle as a people. “Of the prized value system that the society seems to have lost, delayed gratification ranks high. By delayed gratification, I mean the ability to suspend the desire for immediate gain in favor of later and greater reward. This value, great as it is, has become virtually non-existent, and its absence, a threat”. She concluded.

The highlight of the evening was the celebration of several sons and daughters of Ondo State, who were honored for their contribution towards the development of the Sunshine state. They include, Dr, Tunji Abayomi, Pro Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Adekuoroye Odunnayo, Ondo state born international wrestler, Mrs Olamide Falana, who is the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender Matters, Tunji Alapini Jr, ADC to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. Others include Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, Gbenga Olaseeni, MurrayKurves Secret, Seun Alabi, Lijoka Jesu-Demilade, DG PPIMU, Engr. Babajide Akeredolu, bagged the man of the year award, while the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice was also honored as the legal icon of the year; Ceci Supermarket bagged the supermarket of the year in Ondo State, among others.

Lead Awards Convener and Principal Consultant, Abiola Alaba Peters AAP, while giving his closing remarks, thanks all invited guests, awardees and sponsors for their support, he also encourage the awardees to continue to do more for Ondo State, while promising to make the event bigger and better next year, “I want to say a huge thank you the Ondo State Government, through the office of the First Lady and the Deputy Governor for honoring us with their presence. I also want to thank our supporting sponsors, Denki Wire, Cape Town, Alba Royal, Shaunze Lounge, G-Sound and the entire Project Lead Africa team for their huge support, my Project Director, Adebukola Oba, Gbenga Shaba, Jenifer Nwosu, and my family, thank you for been there.”

While current Mr Nigeria International, Odunnayo Ajewole Emmanuel made a Special Guest Appearance, popular Nollywood Actor, Filmmaker, Yomi Fabiyi was the host anchor of the event, as Veteran Nigerian Singer, Jodie entertained the excited guests with her evergreen song, Kuchi-Kuchi.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/09/photo-olympic-bronze-medalist-adekuoroye-akeredolu-titiloye-others-bag-2022-lead-awards/

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that only Airtel Network Limited has emerged as a sole bidder for its 3.5GHz spectrum band for 5G deployment in the nation.

Based on this, there shall be no auction as Airtel would be assigned one of the available lots of 100 MHz TDD Spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band for the NCC’s reserve price of $273.60 million.

The commission stated this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to it, by the close of business on Monday, December 5, 2022, only two companies had expressed interest in the auction of its 3.5GHz spectrum band, but only one paid its required intention to bid deposit.

The companies were Airtel and Standard Network and Connections Limited.

It said, “However, only Airtel paid the Intention to Bid Deposit as stipulated in the Information Memorandum, whereas, Standard Network sent an email appeal for the deadline to be extended by 12 working days which was not acceptable in view of the auction timetable.

“Having met all the provisions in the IM, Airtel has, therefore, emerged as the sole Bidder. Consequently, there shall be no further bidding and the Commission will proceed to the assignment stage in line with the published Information Memorandum guiding the licensing process.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/08/why-5g-auction-wont-hold-ncc/

Mouka, Nigeria’s award-winning manufacturer of mattresses, pillows, and other bedding products, has clinched the “Most Innovative Bedding & Mattress Brand of the Year” at the Brandcom 2022 Awards, which was held in Lagos recently.
Also, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, Dimeji Osingunwa, was honoured with the “Most Outstanding Chief Commercial Officer of the Year” award in the bedding industry at the same event.

The award ceremony was attended by highly placed marketing professionals as well as other industry leaders and held on Friday, 25 November 2022, at the D’Podium International Event Center in Ikeja, Lagos. The event was organised by Brand Communicator, a foremost marketing magazine which recognises brands and top personnel that have excelled in their industry.

Mouka emerged as the winner in its category due to its recognition as the most outstanding bedding brand that has consistently come up with innovative product offerings and marketing campaigns to keep its consumers engaged.

According to the company’s CCO, this is made possible by substantial investment in research and development (R&) as well as the great minds behind the brand. This is how the company has been able to sustain its leadership position and remain relevant despite being in existence since 1959.

Consequently, Osingunwa’s award as the “Most Outstanding Chief Commercial Officer of the Year” was for his immense contribution to Mouka’s growth trajectory and for taking the brand to an enviable height.

Speaking on the double achievement, Mr Joshua Ajayi, Publisher of Brand Communicator Magazine, said the awards are the highest honours reserved for brands that have excelled in their sector and individuals who uphold the highest professional standards in their capacity while delivering excellence, quality, and expertise.

In his remark on the laurels, Mouka’s Managing Director, Femi Fapohunda, lauded Brandcom for the awards, which attest to the company’s market leadership in the industry, with a product portfolio of excellently crafted sleep solutions that keep Nigerians refreshed after a healthy night’s sleep.

He affirmed that Osingunwa ‘s award was merited due to his outstanding performance in ensuring the company’s growth and his leadership skills, which most staff have inculcated for improved productivity.

While commending Brand Communicator for the Brandcom award and his choice as the best CCO in its category, the Chief Commercial Officer of Mouka promised to continue in his stride in making Mouka the most sought-after brand in its sector.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/07/mouka-wins-double-at-brandcom-awards/

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appointed Ms. Folasade Coker as the Executive Secretary of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy.

The initiative is a leadership and mentorship programme of the State Government, with the vision to develop tomorrow’s leaders today for public service and governance in Africa. Folasade was appointed based on her impressive track record and demonstrated success on various leadership assignments.

Folasade has worked across numerous leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, in a career spanning over 30 years to date. She is the Visionaire and Chief Executive Officer of Coker & Castle Nigeria Ltd, a management consulting and coaching firm which she co-founded with Derek Castle in 2003.

She has a wealth of experience in delivering training on communication/interpersonal skills, team building, leadership and management, marketing and providing bespoke solutions.

Folasade’s role as the Executive Secretary of LJLA will include program planning and proactively monitoring its progress, organizational and budget planning. She will be responsible for administering the business affairs of the Leadership Academy. She will also be in charge of the total welfare of the fellows and to achieve their objectives of being part of the fellowship, build an all-round leader mentally, emotionally and physically.

The objective is to support the LJLA vision to develop future leaders by equipping them with the requisite skills to positively influence the Public Service and instill in them the ethics and values of purposeful leadership through direct mentorship and on- the- job training whilst ensuring the efficient management of the Academy in all aspects.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/06/governor-sanwo-olu-appoints-folasade-coker-as-executive-secretary-of-ljla/

Ghana is on the verge of running one of the most digitalized healthcare systems in Africa, with many digital interventions scheduled to be fully nationally on stream by the end of 2024, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated.

According to Dr Bawumia, this has become possible due to the several digital interventions introduced since 2017, as well as the massive infusion of digital technology into existing operations, which has led to greater access to healthcare services as well as revolutionized healthcare delivery.

The Vice President made the disclosure while speaking on “The Role of Digitalization in Modern Healthcare Delivery: Recounting Ghana’s ICT Journey in the Fourth Republic” in Tamale at the launch of the National Health Insurance Authority’s ‘Active Month’ celebrations on Monday, December 5, 2022

“The Government of President Akufo-Addo since January 2017 has been at the forefront of providing improved public service delivery using digital solutions. One key area we have been pursuing aggressively is social and health services delivery to the population.

“The role of digital health solutions in our healthcare sector cannot be overemphasized. Over the last few years, we have embarked on digitalization drive in the health sector as a response to the World Health Organization (WHO) call for member countries to implement digital health interventions in their health systems to improve access to care and well-being for their populations,” he explained.

Digitalization

Outlining some of the digital interventions introduced so far, Dr Bawumia stated:

“Early this year… we launched a digital health solution in the pharmaceutical space, called the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP), where clients can use their mobile phones to order their prescriptions to be delivered to them at the comfort of their homes.

“This digital innovation is also meant to check counterfeit or substandard medicines and help eliminate them in our Pharmacies and chemical shops. It will also help the menace of drug abuse. The technology developer is currently engaging the National Health Insurance Authority on the technical and operational feasibility of the platform in the NHIS. We are also enrolling the top 100 pharmacies. Government is very keen on getting the platform fused into the NHIS operations by January next year. This will make Ghana the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to have a nationwide E-pharmacy.

“Government has also introduced flexibility through the Lightwave Health Management Information System (LHIMS) and other technological platforms to manage electronic medical records without the use of printed booklets of patient’s folder and avoid the possibility of patients’ medical records getting lost.

“So far, 147 hospitals have been networked, including the Teaching Hospitals, such as Tamale, Cape Coast, Komfo Anokye, Ho and Korle-Bu, as well as many secondary and primary health facilities, making patient records available to all these facilities without the use of folders. By end of next year, we will have networked about 80% of all hospitals, and by the end of the following year, we will complete the networking of 100% of all our hospitals. This will make us the first country in Africa and one of a few in the world to have such a nationwide system.”

He continued: “Government’s introduction of the Zipline services in 2019 to improve medical supplies has expanded from one distribution hub to six hubs in the remote areas, making Ghana, home to the world’s largest fleet of medical-delivery drones.

“Zipline drones have undertaken 278,936 flights since their inception, making over 12 million deliveries, comprising of 8.63 million lifesaving medical products or medicines, about 1.9 million child immunization vaccine consumables and over 1.9 million COVID-19 vaccines and PPEs. It has also made very significant savings for the nation, both in lives and resources,” he revealed. The Vice President noted that Ghana’s medical drone delivery service is the largest in the world and saving many lives daily.

NHIS

Lauding the management of the National Health Insurance Authority for infusing digitalization into the operations of the NHIS, Vice President Bawumia said the Scheme, since its introduction, has no doubt, contributed to increased utilization of healthcare services, leading to improved health outcomes of the population.

“The NHIS has gone through several reforms over the years to improve its services to the members. On 9th November, 2019, I personally launched the NHIS- Ghana card linkage at the Accra International Conference Centre and today, over 5 million members of the NHIS have been linked to their Ghana Cards to enable them to use the Ghana card to access healthcare since 1st of May, 2020.

“Hopefully, when all members of the scheme are linked to their Ghana Cards, the NHIS card will be phased out and the Ghana Card will be the sole card for accessing healthcare services in the credentialled healthcare facilities.

“Aside this, Government has also embarked on a project, together with the National Identification Authority (NIA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Ghana Health Service, and Births and Deaths Registry, to link births and deaths data to the NIA database to give unique identification numbers to all newborn babies starting first quarter of next year.

“The NHIA has implemented electronic medical claims (Claim-IT) to reduce turnaround time for claims preparation and submission and reduce spurious claims and cost to the scheme for increased sustainability.

“Currently, close to 3000 healthcare providers, representing 70% are submitting medical claims electronically. The scale-up of this digital innovation is ongoing. All providers submitting manual claims have been trained and hopefully, the over 5000 credentialed healthcare providers of the scheme will start submitting electronic claims by end of the second quarter of 2023.”

As well, healthcare providers wishing to join the scheme can now apply using an online application system, reducing the turnaround time for processing the applications as well as saving cost of paper applications with copies of accompanying documents such as certificates and travelling cost.

The NHIA is also updating its database with the locations of all facilities by picking the GPS coordinates in line with the Government’s Agenda on address system to ease communication and assessment, according to officials of the Scheme.

The launch in 2018 of the NHIA Electronic receipting platform to enhance social auditing and accountability of revenue collection at NHIA district offices across the country has helped to establish daily premium collection and improve accountability and transparency in revenue mobilization, NHIA officials say. It has also substantially promoted electronic reconciliation of financial account and promoted transparency and efficiency in the financial operations of the scheme.

Highlighting other digital interventions, such as the introduction of a mobile renewal system to enable old members whose cards have expired to conveniently renew their cards using mobile phones, and the launch today of an improved portal dubbed “MyNHIS app” which allows new members to register using the Ghana Card, Dr Bawumia challenged the NHIA to continue to introduce digital innovations in other operational areas of the scheme to improve services for the members.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and its allied agencies are also seriously brainstorming on telemedicine, making it possible for Ghanaians to receive medical advice via their phones and other devices.

This, coupled with the many interventions in the provision of healthcare and the impending roll-out of the National E-Pharmacy platform has truly set Ghana on the path of having one of Africa’s most digitalized healthcare systems, Dr Bawumia declared.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/07/ghana-will-soon-have-one-of-the-most-digitalized-healthcare-systems-in-africa-dr-bawumia/

Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), the agency saddled with the mandate to regulate advertisement displays in Lagos State, has announced the release of its 2023 mobile advert stickers for branded vehicles in the state.

Managing Director of LASAA, Prince Adedamola Docemo, in a statement in Ikeja yesterday, stated that the new and improved mobile advert e-sticker will be in force effective from the 1st of January 2023, a development that will render the 2022 sticker invalid.

He reiterated that, just like last year, the agency has fully deviated from the yearly tradition of launching the stickers with pomp and would rather focus on improving the efficiency of the new process.

He explained that the new e-sticker, which was introduced last year, has attracted a lot of commendation from stakeholders. He said LASAA has continuously reviewed and improved the mobile advert e-sticker product throughout the year to assess the process and fix all barriers for better and efficient performance.

Prince Docemo disclosed that the 2023 e-sticker continues to experience constant upgrades with a Quick Response (QR) code scanner application, which is readable with a simple smartphone.

He said, “The e-sticker has been enhanced with internal control mechanism, which comes with specialised bar codes and embedded details, including vehicle particulars and serial numbers for authentication.”

He explained that the new e-sticker comes with new improved security features such as anti-counterfeit properties and authentication system against fraud.

Prince Docemo emphasised that the level of security implemented for ease of confirmation has improved the process of compliance for the agency’s clients. He stressed that all branded vehicles state-wide will be effectively captured on a mobile advert database, thereby making the agency’s ability to monitor compliance and enforcement to work efficiently.

He noted that the incidence of fraud has been hugely minimised, adding that non-compliant vehicles will be impounded and grounded. He assured clients that upon registration, the e-stickers will be available to them within 48 hours.

According to him, LASAA continues to monitor the activities of unscrupulous persons parading themselves as staff of the Agency as well as those working to frustrate it’s efforts by selling mobile advert stickers belonging to other States. This act LASAA believes is an attempt to cause confusion and conflict within Lagos territory. He added that LASAA has already taken bold steps to reverse this anomaly.

He, however, assured that LASAA is always a step ahead in ensuring that all vehicles branded with logos and adverts are properly registered in Lagos State. He warned that the agency would arrest those who fail to comply.

He also warned clients and customers who are in the habit of patronising touts to desist from such act because LASAA’s operation is fully automated and any forged registration will be easily detected.

He urged all registered clients to install the LASAA verifier app on their smart devices to verify the status of registration of their branded vehicles.
The LASAA e-sticker Verification App is a reliable platform that allows LASAA field officers or law enforcement agencies to verify the authenticity of brand publications on automobiles in the state.

With the verifier app, all information regarding the organisation or individual name, plate number (where applicable), brand type, vehicle type and branding type will be displayed seamlessly to verify the authenticity of the sticker.

The platform has been developed to ensure that branded automobiles have authorised stickers and to eradicate any occurrence of falsified brand information
Prince Docemo expressed appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his immense support towards the agency’s initiatives while also stressing that clients’ satisfaction is at the heart of the agency’s business.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/06/lasaa-launches-2023-mobile-advert-stickers-for-branded-vehicles/

The Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has been ratified by 43 African Union member countries, eight of which have started trading under AfCFTA preferential arrangements, yet intra-continental trade remains low.

Africa is a net importer of agricultural products, with import bills estimated at $56 billion dollars, up by 10 billion in just two years since 2020.

“Excessive dependence by many countries on imports of basic commodities such as food and strategic agricultural inputs has exacerbated vulnerabilities due to the impacts of the multiple overlapping shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the responses by some countries to restrict trade,” Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa said on the lack of substantive intra-African trade. “This is not sustainable. It is a trend we must reverse.”



The comments were made at a webinar organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Regional Office for Africa and FAO Markets and Trade Division, hosted by the FAO Virtual Learning Centre for Southern Africa (SFS-VLC), to bring stakeholders together to plot the course for increasing intra-African trade. It is the first in a series of webinars on African trade in the coming months. It comes after FAO and the African Union published a guide for countries on Boosting Intra-African Trade in Agricultural Commodities and Services.

“We are trying to build capacity and bring that value-added to our continent so that we become more self-reliant on food, to have that food security at home,” Poonam Mohun, Head of Non-Tariff Measures Division at the AfCFTA Secretariat, said.

She added that many levels of intervention are needed: government and private sector policies to increase agricultural production and manufacturing levels, increasing value addition through processing, and removing trade barriers so that trade flows smoothly.

John Bee, Executive Board Member of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists Sub-Saharan Africa Section, highlighted the need to implement mutual recognition of product registration. This allows products within economic communities to be recognized across borders, and although the mechanisms are in place in most of Africa’s economic communities, they are not enforced effectively. Mr Bee also highlighted the need to improve the region’s lab testing capacity to enable improved food quality standards.

The key actions highlighted by the meeting included harmonizing standards across the region, making border processes smoother and more gender-equitable, improving access to information and standards for stakeholders all along food systems, improving the feedback loop from the private sector to the AfCFTA Secretariat to further streamline processes, and further involving youth in agrifood systems through more attractive terms of business.

The Director of the FAO Markets and Trade Division, Boubaker Ben Belhassen brought the discussions to a close, highlighting the essential nature of agrifood trade and FAO’s commitment to the implementation and success of the AfCFTA. “I think today’s event has confirmed the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Trade is and will continue to be essential for achieving food security and improving nutrition on the continent. We must be prepared to make it work better for security and nutrition outcomes. It requires huge investment and financing; however, we all recognize that the payoff is also great.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/05/how-boosting-intra-african-agrifood-trade-will-reap-rewards-for-africa/

Giving.NG is partnering with Shoprite Nigeria on “40 Days of Giving” campaign, aimed at inspiring people and organizations to spread kindness and treat it as an everyday thing, rather than a seasonal activity.
Giving.NG, Africa’s first and only free crowdfunding platform, has announced that it will begin a campaign in November to assist less privileged Nigerians and honor organizations and people carrying out exceptional, social impact work nationwide.

The campaign, themed “40 Days of Giving,” is being launched in partnership with Africa’s largest fast-moving consumer goods retailer, Shoprite Nigeria, and is expected to span the Christmas season and into the New Year.

Traditionally, the Christmas season is known to be a season of giving, with statistics showing that most donations are made during this time. Most people use the season to appreciate people who have been there for them all year round or give back to the less privileged. The 40 Days of Giving campaign plans to tap into this existing trend in a way that encourages people to give and creates a chain of giving that goes beyond the festive season.1

Speaking about the campaign, Sterling One Foundation’s CEO, Olapeju Ibekwe explained that this was a much-needed campaign considering how tough the year has been, alongside the huge loss by the recent flood crisis in at least 32 states of the country. In her words;
“This campaign is about getting as many people as possible to join us in lending a helping hand to vulnerable Nigerians while supporting those changemakers who have been on the frontlines doing the same all year round. For each day of the campaign, we want to support at least one person, selected through an online nomination with their next meal, resources to restart their small business or just new clothes. We just want to spread kindness to many people daily.”

The 40 Days of Giving campaign is expected to kick off on November 29, 2022, the last Tuesday of November, is recognized globally as Giving Tuesday and runs until January 7, 2023. As part of the campaign, people can donate money to a fundraiser on the Giving.NG platform or items at designated points, including Shoprite stores nationwide.

Commenting on their partnership to execute this, Shoprite Nigeria’s Head of Marketing, Kunle Abiola stated that the campaign is a laudable initiative that has a lot of potentials to bring change into people’s lives. In his remarks, he said;
“Beyond want the items donated can do for the beneficiaries, we are keen on the hope that these acts of kindness can spread among Nigerians. We are giving our shoppers an opportunity to be part of a very noble initiative and we know they will buy into it.”
With this partnership, shoppers can buy items at any Shoprite store across the country and drop them off at designated points in the store from where they will be collected and redistributed to selected NGOs or given out in-store as a paid-forward gesture to other shoppers. Some of the beneficiaries nominated online will also receive shopping vouchers which they can redeem at any Shoprite store closest to them.

Both brands are also hopeful that they can grant as many wishes as they can from the nominations and requests they will receive, even as they look forward to having Nigerians join them in playing ‘Everyday Santa’ and spreading kindness.

About Giving.ng
Giving.ng is Africa’s first free crowdfunding platform with a focus on projects around health, education, gender equality, food security, and climate action. Established by the Sterling One Foundation, the platform provides finishing grants to organizations and individuals who launch fundraising campaigns on it and access to expert and volunteer support for project implementation. In addition, Giving.ng enables long-term commitment to projects through a recurring donation feature, allowing donors to support certain projects and initiatives with consistent monthly, quarterly, or yearly donations.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/12/02/giving-ng-partners-shoprite-nigeria-on-40-days-of-giving-campaign-2/

Ahead of the 2023 election, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat officially kicked off their re-election campaign slogan tagged ‘A GREATER LAGOS RISING’.

Brand Spur Nigeria reports that the theme ‘A GREATER LAGOS RISING’, was heralded by brand activations which included digital banners, A-Frames, static billboards, digital billboards, gantries and branded BRT buses in strategic locations at 12 midnight.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who gave an overview of the brand campaign at a media briefing, described the campaign as a thematic continuum of what Sanwo-Olu promised in 2019.

He said: “We promised our people A Greater Lagos. What do we see around us? Abundant evidence of a new city rising from the womb of time. We do not make a false claim of having reached the zenith of our journey. Our contextual usage of the word is as an adjective which suggests an upward swing, an increase and an upward movement. These are the signs Lagosians can see all around the state.

What You Need To Know
“From the social motivational perspective, the idea of rising captures the essentialism of the spirit of thousands of ‘creative and tech rebels’ who call Lagos home, and who are changing the false narratives about Nigeria with music, movies, fashion, sports and technological innovations. They are the heroic souls putting Lagos on the global map. They are the ones helping to announce the rising of our city on distant shores. They are the Made-In-Lagos brands to whom this campaign is also dedicated.

“Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has himself given this dedication the finest expressions in a TV commercial and two theme songs that will be released across traditional and social media platforms in the course of this campaign. All of our campaign assets capture the place of the audacity of the Spirit of Lagos in the rising of the City. The campaign assets are not some forms of self-adulation, but fitting credit to the contributions of Lagosians, especially the youths, to the height Lagos has attained today. This campaign is not about Mr Sanwo-Olu and his team alone, it is a tribute to all our youths who are putting Lagos on the global map. This campaign is a celebration of the collective progress we have made in the last three and half years – against all odds. It is also a vivid reflection of what to expect in the coming days.”

On the choice of colours and font for the campaign, Omotoso added: “Brilliant yellow is associated with the sun. It symbolises energy, youthfulness, enthusiasm, optimism and happiness. It is called an attention-grabbing colour in branding. The brand colour of our campaign comes with a little mix of foggy orange which signifies warmth, transformation, freedom and fun, which are all the hallmarks of the Lagos we see today. These colours are representative of the atmosphere in the city today, despite the fact that Lagos as a state has gone through a furnace of fire, from COVID-19 and the #ENDSARS protest, all during the first term of this administration in office. The black symbolises power, class, prestige and luxury, it evokes a feeling of modernity, all of which you see in Lagos.

“Our campaign theme has been rendered in a font known as Chalkboard. This font captures the unique dynamic spirit of the everyday Lagosian. Rendered in a brush-stroke style, it is clearly drawn by humans, not a machine. It is not the commonplace font often used for political campaigns in this clime. It typifies the animating energy, remarkable audacity and unbroken resilience of our people. These are qualities embedded in the spirit of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy and the cabinet in envisioning the scale of the ongoing transformation projects being delivered across Lagos. These are also the qualities engrained in the DNA of every true Lagosian.

“Let me remind us all of this truth – rising is the proof of doing. Rising moves us from our initial statement of intent, ‘For A Greater Lagos’, to ‘A city that is rising and transforming before our very eyes’. When we say a greater Lagos, we are drawing the attention of citizens to the positive changes taking place all over Lagos. We are making an affirmative statement about the growth of our economy, the breathtaking rebuilding of Lagos and the fresh hope of citizens following the reopening of the economy after COVID-19. A new chapter in the development of our state just flipped open before our eyes, let’s write a new history. Let’s rise to a new phase of our history as we collectively affirm that a greater Lagos is rising.”

The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Committee in Lagos State, Ganiyu Solomon, noted that Sanwo-Olu deserved to be re-elected because he made promises under the THEMES agenda and he every aspect of the THEMES agenda had been touched, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and Endsars disaster.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/11/30/lagos-2023-sanwo-olu-officially-rebrands-campaign-slogan/

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund the concessional lending arm of the African Development Bank Group has approved $16 million in loan and grant financing to Niger to implement the Financial Sector Deepening and Inclusion Project.

The project will strengthen mobilization of long-term resources for financial service providers and improve financial inclusion of vulnerable populations, particularly women, youth, rural dwellers and micro, small and medium enterprises.

Specifically, the project will contribute to the establishment of a financing mechanism that is conducive to the needs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises through the capitalization of the Financial Inclusion Development Fund and the strengthening of the technical and operational capacities of financial service providers, particularly the decentralized financial systems. This will enable them to develop financial products and services adapted to the needs of the population. All of this, with a view to increasing the resilience of the financial sector and reducing poverty in Niger.

Niger’s Minister of Finance, Ahmat Jidoud said he welcomed “this support from the African Development Bank which will strengthen the technical and financial capacities of financial service providers in Niger, in particular decentralized financial systems, which will make it possible to broaden access to financial services to the greatest number of our citizens, especially those living in rural areas.”

Ahmed Attout, Head of the African Development Bank’s Capital Markets Development Division said: “We are delighted with this collaboration between the African Development Bank Group and Niger. By strengthening the capacity of the Financial Inclusion Development Fund and financial service providers, this project will help diversify the sources of financing for Nigerien small and medium-sized enterprises and increase financial inclusion in Niger.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/11/30/african-development-fund-provides-16-million-to-support-financial-sector-deepening-and-inclusion/

Rail passengers in the United Kingdom will go on strike before and after Christmas under the auspices of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
According to RMT’s announcement on Tuesday, more than 40,000 union members are expected to participate in the strike.

The strike will last four days, on the 13th, 14th, 16th, and 17th of December, as well as the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th of January.

According to the BBC, services have been disrupted in recent months as a result of the ongoing dispute over pay, working conditions, and job security.
The RMT, on the other hand, said the latest strike action would send a “clear message” that workers want a better deal.

The union also announced an overtime ban from December 18 to January 2, implying that the union will be on strike for four weeks in total.

In a statement, the RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our message to the public is, we are sorry to inconvenience you, but we urge you to direct your anger and frustration at the government and railway employers during this latest phase of action.”

Network Rail’s chief negotiator Tim Shoveller said: “No one can deny the precarious financial hole in which the railway finds itself.

“Striking makes that hole bigger and the task of finding a resolution ever more difficult.”

The RMT union has already held eight days of strikes since June, which have caused widespread disruption. But the union has said salaries should increase to reflect the rising cost of living.

Claire Smith, a hotelier from Blackpool, said the strikes would be “very disruptive” to the hotel trade in the Lancashire seaside resort.

“So we’re put in a very difficult position by this,” Ms Smith added. “December is a very busy period for us. It’s our last bite of the apple, and then we hibernate probably until Easter.”

“Of course, we have huge sympathy for the strikers, and just wish they would do more negotiating round the table,” she added.

However, the prime minister’s spokesman criticised unions involved in the strikes, saying: “They are damaging the economy, stopping hard-working people from getting to work, to reaching hospital appointments, to going to school.

“I think everyone is well aware of the serious financial challenges the rail industry faces following the pandemic and the need for reform.”


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/11/27/uks-rail-workers-to-begin-strike-before-after-christmas/

Leading mobility platform, Bolt, rewarded two drivers operating on the platform with brand new cars in the recently concluded Driver’s League Challenge. The 3rd edition of the competition, held for eight weeks, rewarded drivers in Nigeria with prizes worth an overall value of N20 million, including brand-new cars and various home appliances.
Launched in 2020 in recognition and appreciation for service excellence, Bolt Driver’s League Challenge celebrates top-performing drivers on the platform. In addition, it showcases Bolt’s commitment to advancing and easing mobility in Nigeria while supporting drivers with extra earning opportunities.

Congratulating the drivers, the Regional Manager for Bolt in West Africa, Ireoluwa Obatoki, said, “We congratulate the winners of this year’s challenge and appreciate their dedication and loyalty to Bolt and its riders. Bolt recognises and cherishes the essential role drivers have played in expanding our brand in Nigeria and ensuring the continued sustenance of our operations. Through our Driver’s League Challenge, we are building a community of drivers dedicated to delivering the utmost service quality. We use this as an opportunity to celebrate their hard work and efforts throughout the year. We remain committed to the welfare of our drivers and promise to continue introducing initiatives that will improve their overall experience.”

he 2022 Bolt Driver’s League competition was divided into the Premier League and Championship League, which catered to existing drivers on the platform, and the Rookie League, dedicated to new drivers. Drivers were evaluated by unique criteria, including finished trips, online hours and maintaining a high driver score at the end of the eight-week campaign. Eligible participants were given goals in the form of rides finished and ratings by riders to qualify to win tokens towards the prizes. Drivers who had accumulated enough tokens were entered into a raffle draw which determined the winners. The challenge recorded outstanding participation nationwide and saw Ajibade Ademola from Lagos, and Kazeem Shehu from Abuja emerge victorious in their respective categories.

Expressing his excitement at winning the Premier League and being awarded as the Overall Top Driver in Lagos, Mr Ajibade Ademola graciously thanked Bolt for the initiative, “When I got the call that I had won, I was so happy that I shouted and called my family to celebrate. I thank Bolt from the bottom of my heart; only God can reward them for this. This is the first time in my life I am the owner of a brand-new car, so I am very grateful. My birthday is in four days, so this is the best gift I could receive from anyone.”

Mr Kazeem Shehu, who triumphed in the Championship League, also appreciated Bolt, saying, “I appreciate and thank Bolt for their work and this reward. My vision in life has always been to become a transporter and open a company of such. I want to help others as Bolt helped me, who just joined their platform four months ago. This win has proved that destiny can only be delayed but not denied. My appreciation to Bolt is not just because of the car, but because Bolt has allowed me to be my own boss”.

Since its yearly driver reward campaign in 2020, Bolt has rewarded drivers with brand-new cars worth over N50,000,000, over N1,000,000 worth of fuel vouchers, household appliances, gift hampers and other gifts worth millions of naira to participating drivers.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2022/11/24/bolt-awards-brand-new-cars-to-winners-of-driver-league-challenge/