First Bank

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Gas tanker explodes killing 8 in Johannesburg


A gas tanker apparently stuck under a bridge exploded in Johannesburg on Saturday (December 24), killing eight people, injuring scores more and damaging nearby buildings, emergency services said.

The blast broke the roof of the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial hospital, destroyed two houses and several cars, and injured bystanders.

The vehicle caught fire while under a low bridge, but emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi said investigations were ongoing.



Thursday, December 22, 2022

Abdul Samad Rabiu's ASR Africa Soars Higher Education In Nigeria With N5.5B Grant To 22 Institutions

 


The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) today, announced a N5.5billion grant to 22 universities and institutions of higher learning across Nigeria of 250million Naira each towards infrastructure projects under its

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Here’s how much money you get for winning the World Cup


The 2022 FIFA World Cup champions, Argentina, received the biggest monetary award in the history of the competition. Argentina were awarded $42 million for winning the tournament, while runners-up France received $30 million. 

The total prize pool for this year’s World Cup was $440 million, with teams receiving larger sums the further they progressed. How Much Money Did Each 2022 World Cup Team Get? Champions: $42 million Runner-up: $30 million Third place: $27 million Fourth place: $25 million 5th-8th place: $17 million 9th-16th place: $14 million Group stage: $9 million The amount is drastically higher than the prize pool of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which is only $60 million. 

14 year old prayed for father to win Glo car

…and he won!


For 48-year-old Afolabi Job, Globacom must have been sent to answer the
prayer of his teenage son who on Monday December 19 prayed that God
would surprise his father with another car, his old car having packed
up. That prayer came true as he won a brand new car in the ongoing Glo
Festival of Joy promo.

Two hours after his son’s prayer, Job got a call from Glo officials
informing him that his number had been drawn as winner of a brand new
car in the promo.  Afolabi, an employee of Zartech Farms in Oluyole
Estate, Ibadan, explained at the presentation of prizes to him and other
winners in Ibadan on Tuesday, December 20, that he once drove a
functional car but had to park it when he could no longer maintain it.

Actress, Iyabo Ojo, flaunts lover on Instagram




Actress, Iyabo Ojo, in the early hours of Wednesday shared a video of herself and music executive, Paul Okoye, and captioned it, "My Obim."

The actress, whose 45th birthday is on Wednesday, had been sharing photos on her Instagram page before now.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Money Laundering: Kogi Gov’s Nephew Arraigned for N10bn Fraud


Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, remanded Ali Bello, a nephew to Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and one Dauda Sulaiman in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions

They were remanded upon arraignment alongside one Abdulsalami Hudu, Cahier of Kogi State House Administration ( now at large) on a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering

Bello and Sulaiman are accused of fraudulently withdrawing a sum of N10, 270,556,800 (Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand Eight Hundred Naira), from the Kogi State treasury, which they delivered to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Tafada in Abuja to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.

Court Sends Okupe to Jail for N702m Scam


Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and chieftain of the Labour party is to spend two years in prison following his conviction on December 19, 2022 by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja.

In a well-considered judgment, the trial court held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, successfully established its case against Okupe,that evidence before it established that the defendant had in the discharge of his official duties, accepted cash payments that were above the statutory threshold, without recourse to a financial institution.

It was alleged that Okupe received funds from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, which he could not account for. He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment on counts 34 to 59.

The charges are centered on accusations of receiving various sums ranging from N10million in different occasions from 2012 to 2015 from ONSA when he was senior special assistant on public affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The court however gave the defendant an option of N500,000 fine on each of the counts.

He was however discharged on counts one to 33 which bordered on money laundering and criminal breach of trust

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties to win World Cup

 


Argentina won the World Cup on Sunday, defeating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties, following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time.

Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman's penalty and Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide before substitute right-back, Gonzalo Montiel, stepped up and converted his spot kick to give Argentina their first world title since 1986, and third overall.

France had come from two goals down to level over 90 minutes with Kylian Mbappe netting twice in two minutes, including an 80th-minute penalty.

The France striker completed his hat-trick in the 118th with another spot-kick after Argentina's Lionel Messi had tapped in for a 3-2 lead in the 109th.

Argentina had gone 2-0 up in the first half with Messi, making a record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance, converting a 23rd-minute penalty.

They struck again with a sublime four-pass counter-attack as Alexis Mac Allister's cutback found Angel Di Maria and he finished well.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

More Car, other Prize Winners emerge in Glo Festival of Joy


Telecoms and digital service provider, Globacom, on Tuesday presented a brand new Kia car to the latest winner in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state. 27-year-old newly graduated hairdresser, Temitope Bakare, was presented with the keys to her brand new car at the Gloworld Outlet in Ijebu Ode.


Winners of other items such as generators, sewing machines and rechargeable fans were also presented with their prizes at the event.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Reuters reveals how Nigerian army allegedly run a 'secret abortion programme'


Since at least 2013, the Nigerian Army has run a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country’s northeast, terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants, according to dozens of witness accounts and documentation reviewed by Reuters.

Nigerian military leaders denied the abortion programme ever took place during an interview with Reuters in November.

The abortions mostly were carried out without the person’s consent – and often without their prior knowledge, according to the witness accounts. The women and girls ranged from a few weeks to eight months pregnant, and some were as young as 12 years old, interviews and records showed.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

EFCC Arraigns Ex-Union Bank Staff, Two Others for Alleged N1.4bn Fraud in Lagos


The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, December 5, 2022, arraigned a former employee of Union Bank PLC , Abdulmalik Salau, alongside Ismaila Yousuf Atumeyi and Ngene Joshua Dominic before Justice Tjinani G. Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on an 18-count charge bordering on an alleged cybercrime and money laundering to the tune of N1, 403, 343, 400.00(One Billion, Four Hundred and Three Million, Three Hundred and Forty-three Thousand, Four Hundred Naira).

One of the counts reads: “That you, Abdulmalik Salau, between August and October, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, directly caused modification of data held in the network of Union Bank Plc leading to the fraudulent transfer of the total sum of N1, 403, 343, 400.00( One Billion, Four Hundred and Three Million, Three Hundred and Forty-three Thousand, Four Hundred Naira) to the account of FAV Oil and Gas Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Cybercrimes( Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”

Warri Banker takes home Glo brand new car in Warri


 A 52-year-old Manager with a first generation bank, Anthony Ukpu, has

taken home a brand new car he won in the ongoing Glo Festival of Joy
promo in Warri, Delta State.

The car was presented to him by the Chairman, Delta State Assembly
Committee on Health, Hon. Augustine Uroye, and by Glo officials. Many
other Nigerians also went home with different other prizes won in the
promo, including power generating sets, sewing machines and rechargeable
fans.

D’banj arrested, detained for N-Power project fraud


The ICPC has arrested and detained Oladapo Oyebanji, more known by his stage name, D’banj.

The musician was arrested and detained Tuesday after ICPC operatives closed in on him, forcing him to surrender himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, sources familiar with the matter said.

D’banj, insiders said, had dodged summons for weeks, claiming to be overseas for scheduled concerts each time he was invited to appear for interrogation over fraud allegation.

Monday, December 5, 2022

President Buhari Presents Another Award To BUA Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu


President Muhammadu Buhari was on hand to present yet another award to the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu today at the instance of the Nigeria military.

The event was the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference which

Zenith Bank Wins “Bank Of The Year, Nigeria” In The Banker Awards 2022

 


Zenith Bank Plc has emerged as Bank of the Year in Nigeria in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2022. The award, which was announced by The Banker Magazine, Financial Times Group, United Kingdom, during the awards ceremony held in London on December 1, 2022, was in recognition of Zenith Bank's strong management, sound business model and strategy, support for small businesses and efforts to cut energy consumption. According to the Banker, Nigeria's Bank of the Year award was among the continent's most hotly contested this year, befitting the country's status as Africa's largest economy. This is coming on the heels of the award as Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital by The Banker won by Zenith Bank earlier in the year.

 

Sunday, December 4, 2022

Abuja Glo promo house winner yet to wake up from dream!


Abia State-born Chukwu Reuben Okorie, was living in a rented apartment until Thursday, December 1, when the Glo Festival of Joy brought him a changed fortune as his number was drawn as winner of a three-bedroom house in Abuja.

At the ceremony to hand over the keys to the apartment to him on Friday, December 2, the 48-year-old businessman, who hails from Bende Local Government area of Abia State, kept begging staff of Globacom at the venue "to please wake me up from this dream. This is too good to be true. This is too much for me to contain".

 

Friday, December 2, 2022

Alleged N260m Fraud: Court Sends Ex-Gusau Varsity VC, Prof. Garba to 35 Years in Prison


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, December 1, 2022 secured the conviction of Professor Magaji Garba, a former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, as Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Garki, Abuja, found guilty of a five count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and forgery and sentenced him to 35 years jail term.

Garba was arraigned by the EFCC on October 12, 2021, for allegedly extorting various sums from a contractor on the pretext of awarding him a N3 billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the University.

Senator Bassey Jailed 42Years for Money Laundering


Albert Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom North East at the National Assembly was on Thursday, December 1, 2022 convicted and sentenced to 42 years imprisonment by Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. The court found him guilty of six-count of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Senator Bassey was prosecuted by the anti-graft agency on allegation of receiving vehicle valued at N204 million as bribe from companies linked to one Olajide Omokore, a contractor who executed a N3billion contract for the Government of Akwa Ibom State whilst Senator Bassey was Commissioner for finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee.

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Why Another Mega Lawsuit Looms Against Greenville LNG


Greenville LNG, the Liquefied Natural Gas company a Nigerian subsidiary of International Engineering & Construction (IEC), a Luxembourg-based construction company is facing a N50 billion court case.

Owned by

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Google to pay record $391.5 million privacy settlement

 


Google has agreed to pay $391.5 million in a privacy settlement with 40 state attorneys general over its location tracking practices, according to Oregon's Department of Justice on Monday.

The agreement is the largest consumer privacy settlement by states in US history. States argued that the search giant misled people into thinking they had turned off proximity-based data collection when the company continued to allocate that information. Google agreed to improve its location tracking disclosures starting in 2023.

Family mourns victims of Cameroon landslide


Charlotte Nzoupong's husband was among those killed in Cameroon's landslide over the weekend.

"How will I take care of my children," she asks.

She and others are still picking up the pieces – as the death toll climbed to 15 on Monday, with a handful injured.

Authorities say the tragedy started as a celebration of life.

Heritage Bank staff bags seven years jail term over N21.8m fraud


Embattled financial institution, Heritage Bank is in the news again for yet another fraud related offence.

This is coming barely days after a liquidity-related issue regarding the inability by the bank to pay it’s customers surfaced, the bank is being trailed by yet another scandal.

This is as an Account Officer with the Bank named Omosanyin Eniola, has been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment over a N21.8 million fraud.


 Omosanyin was sentenced by the Chief Magistrate Linda Yetunde Balogun, of a Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court, Yaba, last Friday, after pronouncing him guilty of two out of seven counts charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing of cheques made against him by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Ikoyi, Lagos.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

New Winners Emerge In Glo Festival Of Joy Promo

 


Globacom on Monday hosted a draw ceremony to pick a new set of winners in the ongoing Festival of Joy promotion in the Lagos area.


The draw event, held at

Monday, November 28, 2022

Stakeholders Extol Jim Ovia, As Zenith Bank Names Iconic Unilag Alumni Building In Honour Of Late Prof. Ibidapo-Obe

The memory of Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, came alive as Zenith Bank Plc named the iconic building housing its Unilag Branch and the University of Lagos (Unilag) Alumni in his honour on Friday, November 25, 2022.

 

In his opening remarks at the commissioning ceremony, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman of the Body of Banks' CEOs in Nigeria, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, lauded the Founder and Chairman of the bank, Jim Ovia, CFR, for being physically present at the commissioning of the building to honour the memory of his late friend, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, who served on the board of Zenith Bank as a Non-Executive Director, and for his passion for youth education and digital learning.

Friday, November 25, 2022

Zenith Tech Fair 2.0 Ends On A High As Hackathon Finalists Are Rewarded With N53m


A total sum of N53 million in prize money was won at the end of a keenly contested hackathon session at the Second Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed "Future Forward 2.0", which was held on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The prize money was shared among eleven finalists who emerged from the over 500 contestants that took part in the hackathon, with Ecotutu, a cleantech company making cooling affordable and accessible for businesses, especially in the agricultural sector, emerging as the overall winner and taking home the grand prize of N20 million. This is in addition to a mentorship programme with Seedstars, a company dedicated to implementing high-quality capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Thursday, November 24, 2022

"We Must Follow Tinubu, He Loves & Trusts Igbo" - Gov Umahi Declares, Uzodinma Backs Him


Governor of Ebony State, Dave Umahi has urged the people of the South East to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is elected the next President of Nigeria.

Tinubu is the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general election.

“Asíwájú knows the road, we must

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Buhari Launch Newly Redesigned Naira Notes


President Buhari presides over FEC and the Launch of the Newly Redesigned Naira Notes at the State House, Abuja.

Benin City Agog as New Car, Other Prizes are won in Glo Festival of Joy


Digital services provider, Globacom, on Monday, November 21, 2022, took its Festival of Joy promo train to the ancient city of Benin, Edo State, where a third winner of its highly coveted brand new car prize emerged, among other winners.

The Festival of Joy is an ongoing consumer promotion by the telecom giant to reward new and existing customers for their continued patronage from now and all through the festive season. The company had last week presented a new three-bedroom house to a 19-year-old student of Ekiti State University, while two car winners who emerged from Abuja and Ibadan were also presented with their prize as part of the promo.

The presentation event in Benin saw the emergence of Enakpomu Harrison, an Account Officer in a real estate firm in Edo State, as the third winner of the brand-new Kia car. Expressing his joy, he said, "I saw the offer last week Monday and decided to give it a try and suddenly got a call later in the week and was told I had won the new car. I could not contain my excitement as this is surely going to change my life". He expressed gratitude to Globacom and encouraged telecoms service users across the country to subscribe to Glo.

 

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Buhari to launch new naira note on Wednesday November 23rd


The governor of Nigeria’s central bank, Godwin Emefiele has announced that President Buhari will launch the new naira notes on the 23rd of November 2022.

This is well ahead of the earlier scheduled date of December 15th, 2022. The governor made this known in his briefing to the media at the monetary policy communique held on November 22nd, 2022.

Mr. Emefiele also insisted that there is no going back on the January 31st data of ensuring all old currencies lose their legal tender status. Mr. Emefiele also said he is relying on their law to push this policy forward.

Nigeria’s central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele also announced the apex bank is planning to reduce the volume of N500 and N1000 notes in circulation “over time”.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Zenith Bank Activates The Yuletide Season With Ajose Adeogun Street Christmas Light-Up


It was a great spectacle to behold as the Christmas and Yuletide season came to life at the 2022 Zenith Bank Christmas Light-Up Ceremony, which was held at the Ajose Adeogun Street Roundabout, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday, November 19, 2022. The official lighting ceremony, which was performed by the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, supported by Executive Management, was witnessed by many of the bank’s staff and customers, with others joining virtually.

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Glo Has Given Meaning To My Dream! – Abuja Car winner In Festival Of Joy Promo


Friday, November 18, 2022, will forever evoke joyous memories for 42-year-old Adeosun Adedayo as he became a proud owner of a brand new Kia car in the ongoing Globacom Festival of Joy promo.

 

For the Kuje-based Automobile Engineer, it was a fitting fulfillment of his cherished dream of

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Jim Ovia, It Practitioners To Headline Zenith Tech Fair

The Second Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 2.0”, will be held on Tuesday, November 22 and Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily.

Conceived in the mould of global technological events such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and EmTech Asia, the fair will showcase leading technology innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Robotics, Big Data, FinTech, Augmented Reality, Data Analytics, 5G and Communication Technologies, among others. The event will also feature Hackathon sessions to identify innovative startups, panel discussions, masterclasses and exhibitions.

The two-day fair will feature a welcome address by Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank and opening remarks by Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman, Body of Banks' CEOs, Nigeria. The keynote address, "The Future of Banking: Digital Transformation Journey", will be delivered by Brett King, a renowned futurist, bestselling author, award-winning speaker, Founder of Moven and Author of Bank 4.0. Other eminent IT practitioners who represent top global brands will make presentations. These include; Tarik Alatovic, Senior Partner, McKinsey; Juliet Ehimuan, West Africa Director, Google; Ola Williams, Country Manager, Microsoft Inc.; Andrew Uaboi, Vice President/Head, Visa West Africa; Mrs Rakiya Mohammed, Director of Information Technology, CBN; Chris Lu, Managing Director, Huawei Technologies Nigeria, and Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, Deputy Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, amongst others.

The fair will feature three panel discussions. The first panel, which will examine "The future of payments: what next and how can we get there", has Prof. Yinka David West of Lagos Business School as the host, with four discussants, including Agada Apochi, Managing Director, UPSL; Olu Akanmu, Managing Director, Opay; Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director, NIBBS; and Kari Tukur, V/P & Head of Products East/West Africa, MasterCard.

The second panel will explore the theme "What are the main challenges of digital transformation in the financial industry? How do we solve them?". It will be hosted by Brett King and has four discussants, including Tosin Eniolorunda, Managing Director, TeamApt; Obi Emetarom, Managing Director, Appzone; Dr. Babatunde Obrimah, COO, FintechNGR; and Olugbenga Agboola, Founder/CEO, Flutterwave.

The third panel discussion is titled "Driving the global trade revolution with technology: current transformation trends". The panel, which will be hosted by Samuel Eze, Founder/CEO, Ourpass, has five discussants, including Mike Ogbalu III, Managing Director, PAPSS; Akeem Lawal, Divisional CEO, Interswitch; Massimiliano Spalazzi, Country Manager, Jumia; and Dr. Ozoemena Nnaji, Director of Trade & Exchange, CBN.

The first edition of the Zenith Tech Fair was held on November 27, 2019, at the Landmark Events Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Tagged 'Future Forward', the fair featured a hackathon which produced ten winners, including Octave Analytics Limited, who won the grand prize of N10m; Neohaul Technologies, the first runner up who received N6m prize; and reQuid Technologies, the second runner up who won N5m. Other winners who took home N1m each includes Termii, Xcard Nigeria Limited, Payonhold, Escrow Inc, Alerzo, Nairapacket and Qview.ai.

To register and participate, visit www.zenithbank.com/techfair. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. The fair will be live on Zoom for participation and streamed on the bank’s social media pages including YouTube.

 

 

 

 

Twitter employees start exiting after Musk ultimatum

Twitter has closed its offices and cut staff access until Monday.

It comes as hundreds of employees are leaving the company after the new CEO Elon Musk gave them an ultimatum: Work "hardcore" or get fired.

Some took to the social media app to announce their departure, posting the accompanying hashtag "Love Where You Worked" - past tense.

According to one source, security officers had begun kicking employees out of the office on Thursday evening.

"I Am Still In Disbelief" - 19yr Old House Winner In Glo Festival Of Joy Declares After Getting Keys

 


The first house winner in Globacom’s Festival of Joy promotion, Ibrahim Akindele, who took possession of the property on Wednesday, November 16, said he is still in disbelief even after collecting the keys to the apartment from the company.

Akindele, a 19-year-old undergraduate of

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

I Won't Run My Administration On Religious Bias - Tinubu Assures Christian Leaders


Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has assured the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria that he will not run his administration on the basis of religion if elected President of Nigeria.

Tinubu who met with the CAN leadership in

Teni The Entertainer's Endorsement Deal With Glo Renewed


Leading telecommunications and digital services provider, Globacom, has renewed its brand endorsement deal with sensational singer, Teniola


Apata, popularly known as Teni, for another

Monday, November 14, 2022

Major Opportunity For Youths As TalentCity Energy Throws Weight Behind FG’s Renewable Energy Master Plan


Talentcity Energy, a renewable energy development company, is ramping up its youth empowerment programme with three training programmes scheduled for the rest of the year as part of its contribution to the achievement of the Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) and the government’s economic development efforts.

The

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Prudential Africa Leads Industry With Highest Number Of Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Qualifiers

Prudential Africa has announced that 222 of its sales representatives across seven of its markets in Africa have qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) in the first half of 2022. This is in comparison to 39 qualifiers from the same period last year, up 469 percent. This makes Prudential the company with the highest number of MDRT members in Africa, with the largest number of qualifiers coming from Nigeria.

 

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) is the global Premier Association of Financial Professionals. MDRT members lead the global financial services profession in professional knowledge, ethical conduct, and client service. Members are recognized as setting the international standard of excellence in the financial services field, meeting unique client needs in the evolving landscape of modern personal finance while adhering to a strict code of ethics.

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Facebook parent Meta lays off more than 11,000 employees

 

Meta Platforms Inc META.O said on Wednesday (9 November) it will let go of 13% of its workforce, or more than 11,000 employees, in one of the biggest layoffs this year as the Facebook parent battles soaring costs and a weak advertising market.

The mass layoffs, first in Meta's 18-year history, follow thousands of job cuts at other major tech companies including Elon Musk-owned Twitter and Microsoft Corp MSFT.O.

The pandemic-led boom that boosted tech companies and their valuations has turned into a bust this year in the face of decades-high inflation and rapidly rising interest rates.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Ghanaian protesters demand president step down over economic crisis


Over a thousand protesters marched through downtown Accra on Saturday (November 5), calling for the resignation of Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo amid an economic crisis that has hammered the cedi currency and seen fuel and food costs spiral to record levels.

Filing past police in riot gear, the red-clad crowd waved placards and chanted 'Akufo-Addo must go' and 'IMF no' - a reference to the government's ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars to prop up the economy.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

In Africa's monkeypox outbreak, sickness and death go undetected

At a village clinic separated from the world by a tangle of meandering waterways and forests in central Congo, six-year-old Angelika Lifafu screams as nurses in protective suits pick at one of the hundreds of boils that trouble her delicate skin.

Her uncle, 12-year-old Lisungi Lifafu, sits at the foot of her bed, facing away from the sunlight that pours through the doorway and pains his swollen, weeping eyes. When nurses approach, he raises his chin, but cannot look up.

The children have monkeypox, a disease first detected in Congo 50 years ago, but cases of which have spiked in West and central Africa since 2019. The illness received little attention until this year, infecting 75,000 people.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Zenith Bank Surmounts Headwinds With Strong Q3 2022 Topline And Bottom Line Performance


Zenith Bank Plc has announced its unaudited results for the third quarter ended 30 September 2022, recording a remarkable double-digit growth of 20% in gross earnings from NGN518.7 billion reported in Q3 2021 to NGN620.6 billion in Q3 2022. This performance demonstrates the Group’s resilience against a challenging macroeconomic environment. 

According to the unaudited account presented to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), the growth in the topline was driven by interest and non-interest income growth. Interest income grew by 27% from NGN308.8 billion to NGN390.8 billion, driven majorly by growth in risk assets and an improvement in pricing. This also strengthened Earnings Per Share (EPS) by 9% to NGN5.55.

Monday, October 24, 2022

Kogi Government vigilantes inflict enormous damage on Dangote cement in Obajana

Destruction of the company’s assets wounded staff from gunshots, and violation of the fundamental human rights of staff and commuters are some of the fallouts from the invasion of the Dangote Cement Plc by Governor Yahyah Bello’s extra-judicial forces popularly referred to as ‘Government Vigilantes or Government Hunters.’ 

Over 500 Government Vigilantes invaded the Dangote Cement Plant located at Obajana on Wednesday at the behest of the State Governor and forcefully shut down its operations. 

Cement trucks were also burnt, and many others were vandalized, as they forcefully hijacked Dangote buses and vans. 

Friday, October 14, 2022

Tinubu Says New CJN, Ariwoola Has "Always Distinguished Himself In Character And Conduct"

 Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the frontrunner in the race to determine the new President of Nigeria has provided an insight into the character of the new Chief Justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola.



“He is never swayed by anything but

EFCC Wants Arrest Of Briton, James Nolan In $9.6b P&ID Fraud Case

 


The EFCC on Thursday, October 13, 2022, made a tripartite application before Justice D.U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, praying the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of