BrandArena : December 2025

Tuesday, 30 December 2025

NGX Group chairman urges CBN, SEC to align policies ahead of 2026

Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other policymakers to harmonise policy frameworks ahead of 2026 to enhance market stability and investor confidence.

Samsung is set to introduce Google Photos as a native app on its smart TVs from 2026, marking a significant shift in how users view personal photos and videos on the big screen. The move removes the need to cast content from a smartphone or tablet, allowing Samsung TV owners to access their Google Photos libraries directly from their television sets.

Transgrid Enerco Limited has completed the acquisition of a 60 percent controlling stake in Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko DisCo) in a transaction valued at about ₦360 billion, making it one of the largest privately negotiated takeovers in Nigeria’s power distribution sector since the 2013 privatisation exercise. Innovation Village first reported the deal in January 2025.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a pan-African Gold Bank programme in Egypt, a move aimed at formalising gold value chains, strengthening central bank reserves, and reducing Africa’s dependence on foreign refining and trading hubs.

Facebook is testing a move that could fundamentally change how creators share content on the platform, sparking concern that posting links may no longer remain a free feature.

Internationally acclaimed actor Omar Sy has been named an ambassador for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, lending his voice and image to the first Olympic event ever to be staged on African soil.

Femi Otedola sells controlling stake in Geregu Power in $750m transaction

Billionaire investor Femi Otedola has sold his controlling interest in Geregu Power Plc in a landmark deal valued at about $750 million, marking one of the largest private power-sector divestments in Nigeria’s history.

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has warned that the gazetting of the country’s tax acts may amount to a constitutional breach, raising serious concerns about legislative integrity and the law-making process.

Google is preparing to introduce a long-awaited Gmail feature that could significantly change how millions of people use the service: the ability to change a Gmail address without losing access to existing emails, files, or Google services.

Samsung to Showcase Immersive AI Ecosystem in Standalone Exhibition at CES 2026

Samsung is set to unveil its latest artificial intelligence-driven innovations at CES 2026 with a standalone exhibition hall at The Wynn Las Vegas, offering visitors an immersive look at its connected AI ecosystem across mobile devices, home appliances, and displays.

LG Electronics (LG) is set to unveil its first-ever flagship RGB television at CES 2026 with the launch of the LG Micro RGB evo, a CES 2026 Innovation Awards winner. The new model marks a major leap forward in LCD technology, building on LG’s long-standing OLED expertise while moving decisively beyond MiniLED.

The bout between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua may have ended in a sixth-round knockout, but the bigger story unfolded far beyond the ring. According to Netflix, the fight attracted 33 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched boxing events ever streamed on the platform and reigniting debate about the future direction of the sport.

TECNO has celebrated Africa’s top digital creators at the TECNO Glory Night Awards, co-hosted with TikTok Live and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking a major moment in the brand’s growing partnership with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Government of the Republic of Ghana, through the Ministry of Finance, and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have confirmed the successful resolution of issues related to the US$750 million financing facility signed in 2022.

LG Electronics (LG) is showcasing the next chapter of its premium LG SIGNATURE brand at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, running from January 6 to 9. Celebrating a decade of innovation, the latest LG SIGNATURE lineup expands the brand’s portfolio with advanced AI-powered appliances that combine intelligent performance with refined, minimalist design, while staying true to its hallmark aesthetic of quiet luxury.

Japan Raises Defence Budget by 3.5% as Tensions with China Escalate

Japan is set to significantly increase its defence spending as relations with China remain strained, approving a record rise in military expenditure amid growing regional security concerns.

Bitcoin Cash (BCHUSD) advanced by 3.7% over the past 24 hours, extending its year-to-date performance even as the broader cryptocurrency market struggles to sustain an uptrend amid mixed investor sentiment, regulatory pressure and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Google has begun rolling out a long-awaited feature that allows users to change their primary Gmail address without losing any data tied to their Google account. While it may appear to be a minor interface update, the change represents a major shift for millions of users still using email addresses created years ago that no longer reflect their personal or professional identity.

Transactions on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) fell sharply by 379.1 per cent week-on-week as trading activity slowed during a holiday-shortened week.

Lagos fashion experienced a landmark creative moment as The Runway Heist on Broadway, a fashion-theatre production curated by BareFashionEvening, concluded to widespread acclaim. The production has since been hailed as one of the most conceptually ambitious runway experiences in the city’s recent fashion history, firmly positioning Lagos fashion at the intersection of performance, culture and innovation.

Microsoft has ruled out plans to build a data centre in Nigeria in the near term, saying its strategy in the country is centred on cloud connectivity, partnerships and enabling local organisations to access its global infrastructure rather than hosting data locally.

The Director-General of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has extended warm Christmas and New Year greetings to Christians in both Nigeria and China, marking the festive season with a message of unity and goodwill.

Pernod Ricard Nigeria and FRSC Step Up ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ Campaign to Tackle Drunk Driving in Lagos

Pernod Ricard Nigeria, a member of the Pernod Ricard Group, has partnered with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to launch a renewed ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ campaign in Lagos, aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and encouraging responsible drinking among road users.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a major overhaul of the continent’s international football calendar, confirming that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will move from a biennial to a quadrennial tournament after the 2027 edition.

First Holdco Plc has emerged as the top-performing listed financial stock on the Nigerian Exchange this year, delivering a strong year-to-date return of over 60% to shareholders following a rapid re-rating on the local bourse last week.

Heirs Energies Limited, Nigeria’s leading indigenous integrated energy company, has secured a US$750 million financing package from the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), marking a major milestone in the company’s long-term growth strategy.

Right to Smile FA, O&A Sports Academy, and Wazbak Queens emerged as champions at the seventh edition of the Cohesion Football Tournament, which concluded after two days of high-intensity grassroots football on Wednesday, December 17, and Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the Union Bank Stable, Surulere, Lagos.

The Presidency has dismissed claims of discrepancies in Nigeria’s newly signed tax reform laws, describing reports circulating in the media as false and misleading.

Record prize money for the 2026 World Cup underlines that FIFA does not need to charge “extortionate” prices for tickets, according to the head of the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).

Golf X has officially opened its doors at Lakowe Lakes, unveiling a new immersive entertainment hub designed to redefine leisure and social play in Lagos.

Detty December: How Fraudulent Reversals are Undermining Nigeria’s Festive Spending Boom

Detty December in Nigeria has evolved beyond a holiday season into a major economic cycle. From Lagos to Abuja, the final weeks of the year unleash a surge in consumer spending across nightlife, hospitality, fashion, e-commerce, travel, and live events. Concert tickets sell out within minutes, restaurants operate late into the night, online merchants record peak order volumes, and fintech infrastructure processes transactions at extraordinary scale. Beneath this celebratory boom, however, a quieter challenge is gaining momentum: fraudulent reversals.

Global equity markets delivered a mixed performance over the week as sell-offs in major US technology stocks, including Nvidia and Alphabet, weighed on investor sentiment, highlighting diverging regional trends amid softer inflation data, end-of-year portfolio adjustments, and shifting monetary policy expectations.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made it clear he will not sign the Central Gaming Bill into law, citing constitutional limits on federal authority and reinforcing the place of states in regulating Nigeria’s gaming and lottery industry. His position has reignited national debate around federalism, constitutional supremacy and the future regulation of a rapidly expanding digital gaming sector.

Coca-Cola and FIFA have launched the sixth FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, marking 20 years of the global initiative that brings football’s most iconic prize directly to fans, as anticipation builds for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Tinubu Nominates New Oil Regulators as Farouk Ahmed, Komolafe Exit

President Bola Tinubu has submitted the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as new heads of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of their chief executives.

FirstCap Limited, the investment banking subsidiary wholly owned by FirstHoldCo Plc, has acted as Joint Issuing House and Placing Agent on Veritasi Homes & Properties Plc’s ₦10 billion Series 1 Bond issuance, under the company’s ₦30 billion Bond Programme registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has formally rejected a $108 billion hostile takeover bid from David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, branding the proposal “illusory” and accusing Paramount of misleading shareholders about the strength and certainty of its financing.

Global cryptocurrency platform Luno has partnered with AltSchool Africa to roll out what both organisations describe as Africa’s largest crypto education programme, targeting 15,000 Nigerians. The fully funded initiative, titled Demystifying Crypto for Africans, is aimed at improving digital asset literacy and promoting safer participation in the rapidly expanding digital economy.

Pan-African film and television training institution, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), has opened applications for its 2026 intake, offering fully funded opportunities to aspiring African filmmakers and television professionals.

Google Translate Introduces Real-Time Speech Translations Through Any Headphones

Google has unveiled a new Google Translate feature that delivers real-time speech translations directly to users’ headphones, bringing live language interpretation closer to everyday use. Currently available in beta, the update allows spoken words in one language to be translated and played back almost instantly, removing the need for users to constantly check their phone screens.

“The Roar of Youth” – a striking design by 26-year-old Spanish designer Pilar Barbadillo Vicario – has been selected for the obverse of the medals for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The artwork was chosen by an international jury following a global design competition and will feature on the medals awarded to athletes at the Games in Senegal.

Fynd, an AI-native retail technology platform backed by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, has officially launched operations in South Africa, marking its entry into the African retail market. The company has onboarded Surtee Group, one of the country’s most established luxury and fashion retailers, as its first strategic customer, signalling a major step in the digital transformation of South African retail.

Google has confirmed it will shut down its dark web monitoring feature, known as the Dark Web Report, ending a service that warned users when their personal information surfaced in data breaches linked to the dark web. The tool will be withdrawn entirely by February 2026, marking a notable change in the company’s consumer cybersecurity strategy.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operating licenses of two mortgage lenders, Aso Savings and Loans Plc and Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc, over violations of capital and prudential requirements.

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on Friday held a symbolic send-off ceremony in Abuja to mark the end of the tenure of its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila, concluding more than four years of what the company described as transformative leadership.

WhatsApp has begun rolling out advertising across its Status and Channels features, marking a significant shift for one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms. The move represents WhatsApp’s first introduction of sponsored content, years after its acquisition by Meta, while preserving its long-standing promise that private conversations will remain free of adverts.

Fidelity Bank has announced that from 1 January 2026, customers whose accounts are not linked to either a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or a National Identity Number (NIN) may face restrictions on transactions, as Nigeria moves to tighten tax and identity compliance within the banking system.

Emirates has introduced a new collection of complimentary amenity kits for Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers on long-haul flights worldwide, reinforcing its commitment to wildlife conservation and sustainable travel. Rolling out onboard from December, the keepsake kits are designed to raise awareness of some of the world’s most endangered species.

Cambridge, HP Open Applications for New EdTech Fellowship in Middle East and North Africa

Cambridge University Press & Assessment and HP Inc. are calling on education leaders across the Middle East and North Africa to apply for a new EdTech Fellowship aimed at accelerating digital innovation in schools.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has secured its largest-ever Samurai loan, raising a record US$524 million equivalent in a dual-currency facility as demand from Japanese lenders surged.

Tuesday, 30 December 2025

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