By Ayomide Otitoju First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has introduced the Fempreneur Accelerator programme, designed to provide financial and non-financial support to women in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Nigeria. The initiative is part of the bank’s SheVentures programme, created in partnership with Shecluded, a finance and capacity-building organization for female entrepreneurs. In a…
By Ayomide Otitoju Access Bank has unveiled its latest initiative, Power of 100 Africa, aimed at empowering 100 female entrepreneurs across 16 African countries. The announcement was made by the bank’s Deputy Managing Director, Chizoma Okoli, during a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday. Okoli highlighted the bank’s long-standing commitment to supporting women leaders on…
By Ayomide Otitoju Union Bank has introduced an industry-first initiative in Nigeria’s financial sector, offering comprehensive maternity leave and a new on-site crèche facility to support working parents. The new policy, which is available to both male and female full-time employees, underscores the bank’s commitment to gender equality and employee well-being. The initiative includes five…
By Ayomide Otitoju First Bank of Nigeria has revealed plans to transition to a new cloud-based procurement and financial platform, as part of its efforts to enhance operational efficiency and improve service delivery. The migration, set to begin on Saturday, October 26, is expected to cause temporary disruptions to some services, the tier-one lender announced…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded Nigeria’s 2024 economic growth forecast due to challenges including low crude oil production and severe flooding. In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF revised Nigeria’s growth prospects to 2.9%, down from its earlier projection of 3.3%. The downgrade is attributed to inflationary pressures, disruptions in agriculture…
By Ayomide Otitoju In response to mounting calls for a cabinet shake-up, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten others, and nominated seven new ministers for Senate confirmation. This move comes months after many Nigerians expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the government in the face of rising inflation, economic hardship, and…
Saudi Arabia executed seven individuals on Wednesday, including five for drug trafficking, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The latest executions bring the total number carried out in the kingdom this year to 236, based on an AFP tally derived from official statements. Among those executed were four Yemeni citizens—Yahya Lutfullah, Ali Azib,…
By Ayomide Otitoju Ethiopian Airlines has announced plans to soon introduce a new Airbus A350-1000 to its Lagos fleet. The airline’s Sales Manager, Mrs. Adetola Alabi, revealed this at the 20th Akwaaba African Travel Market, held recently in Lagos. During her presentation titled “Ethiopian Airlines: Past, Present, and Future Innovations for Continued Leadership in Aviation,”…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has acquired equipment to establish an additional 40 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations nationwide, as part of efforts to expand access to alternative fuel. The Federal Government also plans to have 100 CNG stations operational within the next six months. Oluwagbemi Michael, the Programme Director…
