By Moyinoluwa Ojegbade The rising cost of flour and other baking ingredients is increasing pressure on bakery operators and bread retailers, forcing many businesses to carefully manage production costs and slim profit margins. Speaking on the challenges facing the industry, Mr. Olamide Banjo, a bakery manager in Ogun State, said the cost of flour has…
By Ayomide Otitoju First HoldCo Plc (FirstHoldCo) has successfully completed the ₦45 billion second tranche of its ongoing ₦350 billion private placement programme, further strengthening the capital base of its flagship subsidiary, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank). The financial services group disclosed that the transaction was concluded after securing all necessary approvals from the…
By Ayomide Otitoju Fidelity Bank Plc has partnered with the Anambra State Government to empower 1,950 beneficiaries through a wide-ranging intervention programme aimed at promoting economic inclusion, education, and social welfare. The initiative, implemented under the 2026 Fidelity Empowerment Programme in Awka, saw the distribution of 200 sewing and grinding machines to women entrepreneurs, N25…
By Ayomide Otitoju FirstBank has announced that it will host the next edition of its SMEConnect Webinar on June 25, 2025, as part of its ongoing efforts to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to finance and business growth opportunities. In a statement, the bank said the quarterly virtual event is designed to…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, the Africa Creative Market (ACM), and the National Arts Council of Zambia (NAC) have announced a strategic collaboration to host a series of major creative industry events aimed at positioning Zambia as a leading hub for Africa’s creative economy. The announcement was made during a…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has called for stronger regional integration and technology-driven solutions to advance Africa’s energy sector. Ojulari made the call in a keynote address at the ongoing Africa Technology Conference (ATC 2026) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where he was represented by the…
By Ayomide Otitoju The NNPC Academy has been awarded the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification by global certification body DQS, in recognition of its commitment to excellence, quality service delivery, and continuous improvement. The certification was formally received by the Executive Vice President, Business Services, Sophia Mbakwe, from the Academy’s…
By Ayomide Otitoju NNPC Limited (NNPC Limited) and TotalEnergies (TotalEnergies) have renewed their collaboration to extend the deployment of the Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications (AUSEA) technology for methane detection, measurement, and reduction across upstream operations for another 24 months. The agreement, signed on Wednesday at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, is a continuation…
By Ayomide Otitoju The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, has opened applications for the 2026 edition of the CANEX WKND Junior Chef Competition, targeting Nigeria’s emerging culinary talents aged 16 to 21. The competition will hold during CANEX WKND 2026, scheduled for November 5 to 8, 2026, in Lagos,…
