BrandArena: October 2017

Tuesday 31 October 2017

Letshego MFB wins Excellence in Microfinance Banking Award

Letshego Microfinance Bank, a subsidiary of Letshego Holdings Limited has been honoured with the ‘Excellence in Microfinance Banking’ award at the New Age Banking Summit 2017 which was held in Lagos on 28 September, 2017. The Africa-born inclusive finance group’s Nigerian subsidiary was recognised for its commitment to growth, transformation, and the provision of simple, appropriate and affordable financial solutions.

The Board of Directors of Terragon Group recently announced the appointment of Andrew Bing, former Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, as an independent non-executive director (NED) at the last board meeting which was held in London.

ADVAN is celebrating its 25th year as an association with yearlong lined activities one of which is the unveiling of the 25th year’s anniversary logo.

In collaboration with Africa’s hottest emerging design talent, Lulu Mutuli and Azra Walji, global beer brand, Heineken has launched its first-ever African fashion collection, unveiled on the catwalk of the closing show at Lagos Fashion and Design Week on Saturday 28 October 2017.

‘Marketplace Africa’ discusses the challenges of manufacturing medicine in Nigeria

On CNN’s ‘Marketplace Africa’, host Zain Asher sits down with CEO of Fidson Healthcare Plc Dr. Fidelis Ayebae to explore some of challenges facing the drug manufacturing company today.

Benedict Peters, Executive Vice Chairman of Aiteo Group, has instructed London law firm Mishcon de Reya and Washington’s Covington & Burling to lead ongoing efforts to address politically-motivated issues.

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), in collaboration with DFID-Market Development for the Niger Delta (MADE) and USAID-Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) Project, is set to hold the sixth edition of the invitation-only Niger Delta Development Forum (NDDF) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, November 14-15, 2017, with the theme ‘The Future in Our Hands: A State-Led Framework for Planning and Development in the Niger Delta’.

The 2017 edition of the 9mobile Photography Competition, a talent development initiative by 9mobile, Nigeria’s most innovative and youth-friendly telecommunication company, is coasting to the climax with the announcement of the three finalists and the Voters’ Choice winner.

Fero Mobile launches the Fero X2 smartphone in Nigeria

Fero Mobile, the fastest growing mobile phone brand in Nigeria, yesterday launched the Royale X2 Smart phone device into the Nigerian Markets.

L-R, Rosemary Alfa, Brand Ambassador, Ayodeji Ogunmola, Product and Development Manager, Natalie Omini, Brand Ambassador and Phiroze Seth, Director, Fero Mobile, Nigeria and Emerging Markets at the launch of the Royale X2 launch in Lagos yesterday

The Royale X2 is a classic High End Smart Phone that runs on the Android Nougat 7.0 operating system. The device comes with a high definition 5.2 inch display screen which has a multi-touch feature and a 2.5D Front Dragon Trail Glass that makes it rugged and durable.

(L-R) Area Sales Manager Airtel North Region, Mr. Rowland Atodoh Rapheal; the Awardee/Head Teacher, Yahaya Hamza Primary School Zaria, Hajia Binta Bello; Education Secretary, Zaria Local Government Education Authority, Mallam Yusuf Muhammad Bello; and Resource person, Reading For Development intiative, Mr Pascal Iheanacho, during the Airtel Teachers Teaching workshop held at the adopted school in Kaduna on Thursday.

(L-R) Area Sales Manager Airtel North Region, Mr. Rowland Atodoh Rapheal; the Awardee, Longest Service Teacher, Hajia, Lubabatu Abdulahi; Education Secretary, Zaria Local Government Education Authority, Mallam Yusuf Muhammad Bello; and Resource person, Reading For Development intiative, Mr Pascal Iheanacho, during the Airtel Teachers Teaching workshop held at the adopted school in Kaduna on Thursday.

Nigerian companies are uniquely well positioned to take advantage of business process services

There’s a golden opportunity for Nigerian companies – one that turns their delay in investing in outsourcing and shared services into a unique strength. By plugging directly into the delivery machine of an experienced business process services provider, they can sidestep many of the challenges endured by earlier adopters. This enables businesses to leapfrog competitors and drive business value – rather than being a back-office function.

Major addition to Nokia's monetization portfolio helps service providers improve the digital customer experience, implement innovative business models and unlock new revenue opportunities.

Today, communications service providers' customers expect compelling, real-time digital experiences. However, legacy revenue management systems hinder their ability to build digital businesses, and efforts to update these systems are often costly, time consuming and prone to failure.

Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, is encouraging Nigerians to express love as well as bond with friends and family in celebration of this year’s Yuletide as it announces the launch of a new offer, SmartRecharge.

The Board of Directors of Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced a revenue of N254.7 billion for nine (9) months ended September 30, 2017. In the statement of the result sent to Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Board of the Company further announced the declaration of an interim dividend of N7,996,902,051 (Seven billion, nine hundred and ninety six million, nine hundred and two thousand and fifty one naira only), which is, N1.00 (one naira only) per ordinary share of fifty kobo in the share capital of the company.

Wednesday, 25th of October, The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture [NACCIMA] Hosted some of its Cooperate members to a Breakfast/Interactive section at the NACCIMA Secretariat GRA Ikeja, Lagos.

Insurance Industry in Nigeria is set to embrace a deliberate attempt at measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of its public relations and other related communications campaigns. This came to fore after a round table interactive session by members of the Corporate Communications and Branding Managers of Insurance Companies under the auspices of Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) popularly known as CAMCONIA.

The Mastercard Foundation today announced that its fifth annual and largest Symposium on Financial Inclusion (SoFI) will take place in Accra, Ghana, on November 7 - 9, 2017. The Symposium champions the idea that, to achieve greater financial inclusion, financial service providers in developing countries must do more to meet the needs and expectations of people living in poverty.

The African Leadership University (ALU) and GE Africa announced on Wednesday the launch of the ALU Africa Industrial Internet Program. Powered by GE, the program combines the best of GE’s technical expertise with ALU’s unique learning model in a 12-month professional training program that merges the essential business and technical skills necessary for African professionals to succeed in a digital industrial environment. The program which begins in January 2018, reemphasizes GE’s position as the world’s premier digital industrial company.

The Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers of Nigeria (UTQEN), said it is set to crash cost of construction in Nigeria, boost development of Solid Mineral sector and bridge the $2 trillion infrastructure deficit of the country.

From 30 November-1 December 2017, Africa’s biggest football stakeholder knowledge sharing a platform, the Football Africa Forum (FAF) to discuss the future of football on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Forum will be a non-aligned gathering with the key objective to come up with the most workable strategies on how to make the continent a force to be reckoned with on the global stage both on and off the field of play.

30% revenue growth and 24% gross profit increase for quarter one 2018 fiscal year

Guinness Nigeria on Friday announced its first quarter results for the period ended 30 September 2017. The company delivered revenue of N29.9 billion and gross profit of N10.4bn representing a 30% and 24% increase respectively over the same period last year. The results reflected continued growth within the spirits business as well as benefit of an expanding portfolio, however this was against the backdrop of lapping the inventory reduction last year.

5G to serve user generations divided by digital literacy rather than age

By Peter Linder, Networked Society evangelist at Ericsson

The fifth generation of mobile networks will be the first to serve five distinct human generations. The reason? Digital literacy… While in the past, we grouped generations into age brackets, soon we might use digital literacy as the divider.

African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation are pleased to announce that 22 year old, Ibrahima Ben Aziz Konate from Cote D'Ivoire has been awarded the top prize at the seventh annual Anzisha Prize awards gala. Ibrahima Ben Aziz is the founder of Poultry D'Or, a poultry business that often has over 500 sales a day and employs 15 people.

Feyi Olubodun, Charles Ifedi, Others To Speak At BBM Messenger Digital and Mobile Innovation Event

Feyi Olubodun, Managing Director/CEO, Insights Publicis; Charles Ifedi, Divisional CEO of Interswitch; Elsie Oluku of Ariiya Tickets among others will speaking at the maiden edition of BBM Messenger Digital and Mobile Innovation Event which will hold on Friday 10th November at Protea Hotel Ikeja, Isaac John Street, Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria.

Oracle on Wednesday hosted its Modern Business Forum in Mauritius to help the country's fast-growing and large enterprises accelerate digital transformation and drive business growth with its next generation cloud applications that are now embedded with artificial intelligence (AI).

Advertising startup Hooplacar has won the Morocco round of the Seedstars World Competition which will see it represent the country next year in Switzerland at the global final and also pitch for up to US$1 million in equity investment.

…set to facilitate capacity building training for insurance correspondents

Nigeria’s foremost insurance company, Leadway Assurance has announced its partnership with the National Association Insurance and Pension Correspondents (NAIPCO) on its NAIPCO 2017 conference.

AFC signs Accreditation Master Agreement with Green Climate Fund

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has signed an Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA) with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Seoul, South Korea. Having received its accreditation in 2015, AFC is one of the first African development finance institutions to sign such an agreement.

L-R, Oliver Andrews, Executive Director, Chief Investment Officer Africa Finance Corporation; Pa Ousman Jarju, Director Country Programming, Green Climate Fund

Established in 2010 by the 194 countries founder members of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the GCF launched its initial resource mobilization in 2014, which rapidly gathered pledges worth US$10.3 billion.

PHD Nigeria moves to new office in Ikeja

Nigeria’s leading media planning and buying agency, PHD Nigeria, has relocated from its former office at 26, Oladipo Bateye Street, Ikeja GRA to a new and more spacious at 18 Isaac John Street, Ikeja.

Italian Serie A football club AC Milan have officially confirmed that they have ended their deal with Adidas, five years into a 10 year agreement.

The previous agreement between the two parties began in 1998 after previous partnerships, and is scheduled to run until 2023.

The creative artistes, who participated in this year’s edition of Lagos Comic Con, got a booster from Heritage Bank Plc as the financial powerhouse allayed their fears over inaccessibility of funds for operators in the industry.

Natures Gentle Touch Sponsored film 'OMOYE' Premieres in Lagos

...Hit Cinema on Friday, October 27

Penultimate Sunday was a day of heavy downpour, but that did not deter the high profile guests drawn across different strata of the society, to glamourise the premiere of a new Nollywood film ‘Omoye’ which held at Genesis Deluxe Cinema, The Palms Mall, Lekki, Lagos.

'Omoye', a film on domestic violence sponsored Natures Gentle Touch features popular Nigerian actors including Adeniyi Johnson, Nkiruka ‘Kiki’ Omeilli, Stan Nze, Tina Mba, Gloria Young, Rotimi Salami, Greg Ojefua, Olarotimi Fakunle, Omobola Akinde, and Mariana Dike.

Lagos Business School (LBS) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)/ Educational Partnership Agreement with Total to optimally harness the knowledge transfer and sharing initiative between both organisations.

Notable women and a male have been selected to speak at the maiden edition of TEDxMendeWomen taking place in Lagos.

FirstBank has pledged its support for The 2017 Annual Awareness Week of the Down Syndrome Foundation, scheduled for Monday, October 23 – 27. The 2017 edition is not the first time the Bank is supporting this initiative, as the Bank has over the last 8 years partnered and participated in a number of initiatives of The Down Syndrome Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation that was founded 17 years ago.

CSI is key to the sustainability of our business – Stanbic IBTC

Corporate Social Investment is deployed by businesses to help impact their operational environment. YINKA SANNI, Group Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC in this interview examines CSI practice in Nigeria and how Stanbic IBTC deploys its CSI as part of the financial institution’s larger sustainability strategy for socioeconomic integration of the under-served in the society as well as a tool for creating shared values.

Yinka Sanni

Excerpts:

How does Stanbic IBTC position corporate social investment (CSI)?

Most organisations interpret and implement CSI as best suits their overriding corporate goals. However, to borrow a leaf from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), we at Stanbic IBTC see CSI as a management concept whereby we integrate social and environmental concerns into our business operations and interactions with our stakeholders. CSI is the way through which Stanbic IBTC as a socially responsible company achieves a balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives.

Unsustainable pension systems in some countries need to learn from leading countries or risk creating intergenerational equity issues and disappointed retirees.

Now measuring 30 countries and covering 60% of the world’s population, this year’s ninth edition of the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (www.GlobalPensionIndex.com) urges countries with unsustainable pension systems to take action now, rather than risk the need to take even more drastic action in the future.

Following its impressive half year audited financial results, top Nigerian bank, Fidelity Bank has again posted another impressive financial performance for the 9 months period ended September 30, 2017. Details of the lender’s 9 months financial results, released at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today showed a remarkable growth in key revenue lines and improved efficiency and regulatory ratios.

Kaspersky Lab has launched a Global Transparency Initiative as part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from cyberthreats, regardless of their origin or purpose. With this Initiative, Kaspersky Lab will engage the broader information security community and other stakeholders in validating and verifying the trustworthiness of its products, internal processes, and business operations, as well as introducing additional accountability mechanisms by which the company can further demonstrate that it addresses any security issues promptly and thoroughly.

Marriott International, Inc. has announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Arusha, The Arusha Hotel, marking the debut of the brand into Tanzania. Founded in 1894, The Arusha Hotel, has emerged as a city landmark playing host to many dignitaries and well known personalities over more than 120 years. Rebranded after renovation, the hotel retains its unique charm reminiscent of a bygone era and a fabled past.

Munachi Ernest-Eze, the 2015 edition Junior category champion, has crossed the hurdles into the Senior category finals of the ongoing Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show, sponsored by Cowbell, the flagship brand from Promasidor Nigeria Limited.

Event Submissions Now Open For #SMWLAGOS 2018

Social Media Week Lagos #SMWLAGOS 2018 is now open for event submission as organizers commence plan for the biggest social media event in West Africa.

On this week’s episode of ‘Marketplace Africa’, the programme examines Nigeria’s recent investments in the arts.

On Thursday, 19 of October, 2017, Phillips Consulting, a business and management consulting company in Lagos, marked its 25th Anniversary at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (N-SACC) October Breakfast Meeting.

Industry eggheads and members of N-SACC were in attendance to celebrate with the firm.

See photos below:

Zenith Bank’s Q3 2017 results which have just been published show low single digit y/y declines in both PBT and PAT.

Although profit before provisions of N114bn showed a greater decline (-8% y/y), those on the provisions and opex lines proved significant, helping to limit the decline on the PBT line.

WHY NIGERIAN BREWERIES SUPPORTED ABUJA GOLF TOURNAMENT

Nigerian Breweries Plc has once again thrown its weight behind the IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja to hold the Heineken Golf Tournament at the club’s lush golf course in Abuja. The tournament which attracts wide participation from across Nigeria, saw Mr. Effiong Etifit emerge overall winner ahead of 248 other golfers who participated in the competition.

Mr. Vivian Ikem, Head, Government Relations, NB Plc (Right) presenting the Cup to Mr. Effiong Etifit, Winner 2017 Heineken Independence Golf Cup.

Adesina calls for immediate action over deepening crisis of global malnutrition

African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina has called for urgent action from stakeholders over the deepening crisis of global malnutrition.

Adesina made the call as he joined key nutrition actors, private-sector representatives, policy-makers and thought leaders at the 2017 World Food Prize-Borlaug Dialogue Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, October 18, to push for mutual accountability on leadership, governance and investments for nutrition.

A two-day downtrend recorded previously on the equities market on Thursday was halted with a 0.01% growth recorded in the All Share Index (ASI).

Kabiru Rabiu tops “Choiseul 100 Africa” 2017 list of future African Business Leaders

…as announced by leading French economic think-tank, Institut Choiseul of Paris

Kabiru Rabiu, Group Executive Director of Nigeria’s leading conglomerate, BUA Group, has been ranked second, only after Egyptian, Basil El Baz, on the ‘Choiseul 100 Africa’ list of future African Business Leaders by Institut Choiseul – a renowned French economic and political think-tank based in Paris in partnership with a leading publication, Jeune Afrique. The 2017 rankings, which boasts of only 10 Nigerians, has Kabiru Rabiu as the only Nigerian in the top 10.

Tuesday 31 October 2017

Monday 30 October 2017

Friday 27 October 2017

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Tuesday 24 October 2017

Friday 20 October 2017