society_admin, Author at SocietyGazette.com

LAGOS ASSEMBLY DRILLS 20 SANWO-OLU CABINET NOMINEES

Twenty out of the 39 nominees whose names were recently sent by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the Lagos State House of Assembly have so far been screened by a committee of the House which began sitting on Sunday.

It is expected that all the cabinet nominees would have been screened by Wednesday when the exercise is expected to end.

On Monday, the committee grilled Mrs. Adetoke Benson- Awoyinka, immediate past Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Housing, and Mrs Bola Olumegbon Lawal, a former Executive Secretary of Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Others screened are Yakoob Ekundayo Alebiosu, Idris Aregbe, Abdul-Kabir Opeyemi Ogungbo, Dr. Oreoluwa finnih- Awokoya, Eng. Abiola Okanlawon Moshood Olowu, Dr. Adekunle Olayinka, Mosopefolu George, and Eng. Aramide Adeyoye.

Earlier on Sunday, the committee led by Hon. Mojeed Fatai, Chief Whip of the House, screened Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, Dr. Olamide Abiodun Babatunde, Lawal Pedro, and Afolabi Waheed Ayantayo, immediate past Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatals Monitoring.

Others include Mr. Jamiu Tolani Adedeji Alli-Balogun, Olugbenga Olanrewaju Olaniyi, Ogunwuyi Rotimi Ekundayo, Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju Layode, immediate past lawmaker of the State from Badagry, Adetokunbo Wahab and
Olakunle O Rotimi-Akodu.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, had recently constituted the 12-man ad-hoc committee for the exercise.

The committee is to make a report to the House when it reconvenes.

At the commencement of the screening, Hon. Fatai had noted that the task before the lawmakers was in line with a provision of the 1999 Constitution.

“The House of Assembly has the mandate to screen and confirm the nominees for the position of commissioners and Special Advisers.

“Recall that on July 28, 2023, the Executive Governor of Lagos State submitted a total of 39 commissioners and Special Adviser nominees,” he said adding that the recommendation of the committee would be presented to the House.

Members of the committee include Hon. Adedamola Kasumu, Hon. Ajomale Oladipo, Hon. Saheed Babafemi, Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, and Hon. Ajani Owolabi.

The others are Hon. Sa’ad Olumo, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, Hon. Adewale Temitope, Hon.Ajayi Oladele, Hon. Abdulkareem Jubril and Hon. Orekoya Abiodun.

Eromosele Ebhomele
Media Assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly

Niger Coup: Protesters Wanted to Attack the Embassy – Nigerian Ambassador to Niger

Nigerien protesters tried to attack the Nigerian embassy in Niamey but were repelled by the Nigerien military, an official has said.

The attempted attack happened on Sunday, 30 July, four days after presidential guards toppled the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum who has since remained in detention with his family.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Niger, Mohamed Usman, stated this in a Friday statement signed by a staff of the embassy Liti Auwalu, following a video shared on social media of a building being set ablaze which many claimed is the Nigerian embassy.

“At the moment, the Embassy is well guarded by the Nigerien Military and other Security Authorities,” the statement said, reiterating that the videos are fake and should be disregarded.

Nigeria has continued to operate its embassy in Niger despite the coup there and the strong response of ECOWAS.

Presidential guards led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Wednesday, 26 July, arrested Mr Bazoum, dissolved the government and assumed leadership of the country.

In response, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger in a bid to have them reinstate Mr Bazoum. It also gave a seven days ultimatum to the putschists which they ignored.

The bloc held another meeting last Thursday where it ordered the activation and deployment of its standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger.

Just In: Anthony Joshua Record First Win in 3 Fights…Knockout Opponent in the Seventh Round

Anthony Joshua took out Robert Helenius inside seven rounds at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday.

Helenius surprised when he took Joshua into the second half of their contest but then with a single shot, a huge right cross to the jaw, Joshua extinguished his efforts, dropping him heavily at 1-27 of the seventh round.

Joshua was due to renew hostilities with old rival Dillan Whyte on this show. But that bout had to be cancelled after Whyte returned adverse analytic findings in the pre-fight anti-doping protocols.

It left Joshua looking for a replacement opponent at just a week’s notice and Helenius, moments after he had taken a three-round victory over Mika Mielonen last weekend in Finland made himself available for this fight.

After being knocked out in the first round by Deontay Wilder, Helenius was seizing an opportunity to return to action at the top tier of the heavyweight division. He began with spirit too, rushing out in the first round to cuff punches at Joshua’s guard.

Joshua, a former unified champion, is determined to reclaim a title and for him Helenius was just another step on the road back.

He was patient, he softened Helenius up with the occasional combination and then delivered a brutal ending.

By the second round Joshua was taking control. He lunged in with a left hook to catch Helenius. His jab thumped into the body but he wouldn’t rush himself.

Joshua might gradually have been taking the measure of this short-notice opponent, having a close look at him. But that wasn’t what the crowd wanted to see. They wanted more action.

As early as the third round boos began to ring out from some quarters of the arena, a demand for urgency.

Joshua answered that call though and launched a right cross flush into Helenius’ jaw. It connected and a cursory glance at Helenius showed it was a hurtful punch.

But the Finn collected himself. He withstood a charge in the next round and boxed through it. In the fifth, with Helenius backed into the ropes, Joshua smacked in a right that struck so hard the thud was audible.

The pace leaked out of the contest in the sixth round and if Joshua was affronted to see Helenius still in with him in the latter half of the contest, he finished matters with a sudden burst of speed.

His jab flicked out, distracting Helenius and the right carved a path through to hit the Finn cleanly to the jaw.

The blasting shot dropped him heavily, ending the contest at once.

The result, and the manner of the finish, clearly delighted Joshua. He even left the ring to celebrate before returning to have his hand formally raised by the referee.

He took his time but eventually Joshua got exactly the ending he wanted.

Fake News: Blogger Who Published Lies Against Former Lagos Gov. Fashola begs Netizens for Help

Fake news is a disaster currently ravaging the Nigerian information space and the fact that many affected are not pressing charges seems to be emboldening the propagators. This is responsible for the current dilemma a blogger currently find himself when one of the victims of the lies in the person of Babatunde Raji Fashola, the immediate former Minister of Works and Housing refused to allow it fly by seeking the intervention of the security agencies.

The situation which started last week Saturday, when the Nigeria twitter space was awashed with unfounded stories of how armed Army personnel are allegedly guarding the estate where the former Minister resides in the FCT allegedly because the Senior Advocate is at that time writing the judgement that the justices currently overseeing the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) will be reading as their submission, whereas the former Minister was at that moment in Lagos, where he’s attending the wedding ceremony of the son of a former Senator.

Findings also shows that the allegations is a mischievous imagination of the carrier as there is no military or even police presence in the mentioned estate. The perpetrators who felt they will go scot-free really got it wrong as the minister who is a lawyer decided to take scapegoats on the issue of the rising proliferation of the fake news as he asked his lawyers to petition all security agencies about the matter.

One of those whose names or organizations was listed in the petition, one Ibezim Nnamdi, known as Iruefi on Twitter is currently soliciting for help and public sympathy on the X app, as the men of the Department of State Services (DSS) about two days ago visited his house and met his absence but met his brother who they invited to their office for questioning to aid their investigations into the matter.

Ibezim who runs a blog had been warned against fake news by many Netizens in the past, but will rather abuse them, though he claimed he was never invited before the visit but since the visit he has been in hiding, while his brother is fielding questions from the DSS.

Below are his tweets and explanations;

https://twitter.com/IruefiNG/status/1690331681595564034?t=jrP4VozUfWVPIwABcFZNwQ&s=19

FIRSTBANK ANNOUNCES CALL FOR APPLICATION IN THE SECOND EDITION OF ITS FIRSTBANK TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY

FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider has announced the call for participation in the second edition of its FirstBank Technology Academy.

Interested participants are to visit the website https://hdbc.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/877 and complete the online application form.

The application, which closes on Friday, 11 August 2023, is open to individuals in Nigeria and the Bank’s subsidiaries in Africa – FirstBank in The Gambia, FirstBank in Sierra-Leone, FirstBank in the Republic of Congo, FirstBank in Guinea, FBNBank in Ghana, FBNBank in Senegal.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews and assessments to gain entry into the Technology Academy in the coming weeks.

FirstBank Technology Academy targets young and recent graduates with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) background. These tech enthusiasts will undergo a comprehensive and practical programme that will expose them to a wide array of cutting-edge technologies – including: IT Fundamentals, Application Support & Development, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure and Data Science – which will strengthen their hands-on experience in the field of digital technology.

According to Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank “As a digitally led financial services institution in Africa, we recognise the impact of technology in shaping the world in all spheres of human endeavours, including the global financial services industry. Technology is indeed the gateway to unlocking endless possibilities in the banking industry.”

“We invite young graduates with a passion for innovation and a strong desire to create a positive impact on the banking landscape to join us on this transformative journey as we collectively contribute to leaving no stone unturned in plugging FirstBank to being the Bank of first choice in the continent,” she concluded.

95% of customer-induced transactions on FirstBank’s digital channels are enjoyed by 22 million of its digital product users. The Bank processes over 12% of the industry payment volume in Nigeria.

FirstBank Technology Academy is one of the many ways the Bank reinvents itself to leave no stone unturned in exposing its customers to state of the art and leading digital banking experience in the the continent.

ALAT by Wema Unveils Exciting Summer Internship Programme

ALAT by Wema, a trailblazing digital bank, has announced the launch of its eagerly anticipated Summer Internship Program which will not only serve as a remarkable learning opportunity for young talents but also highlights Wema Bank as an exceptional place to work.

The initiative, according to the Divisional Head, Brands, People and Culture, Ololade Ogungbenro, is designed with a commitment to nurturing future leaders, offering hands-on experience that bridges the gap between academia and the corporate world.

She says participants will gain invaluable insights into the dynamic banking industry while contributing to real-time projects that impact the country.

“The summer internship program isn’t just about professional development; it’s a testament to Wema Bank’s dedication to fostering a vibrant and collaborative work environment. Participants will have the chance to interact with seasoned professionals, immerse themselves in innovative projects, and truly experience the bank’s unique culture.” Ogungbenro adds.

The ALAT Summer Internship Program is open to undergraduates between the ages of 15 and 22. Selected participants will undergo a comprehensive orientation and mentorship, working side by side with seasoned professionals across various departments.

Wema Bank continues to be at the forefront of digital transformation in the banking industry, and the ALAT Summer Internship Program is a reflection of its commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and growth.

FIRSTBANK GRADUATES THE FOURTH SET OF PARTICIPANTS IN ITS SENIOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (SMDP)

The SMDP is an intensive skill development programme structured to enhance core leadership and business competencies of selected senior management staff within the Bank and 20 successful participants were graduated in the recently concluded fourth edition.

SMDP is one of the three core leadership programmes aimed at internally identifying and developing high-potential talents positioned to take up the mantle of the next generation of the Bank’s leaders. Leadership Acceleration Programme (LAP) and FirstBank Management Associate Programme (FMAP) are the others.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, has announced the graduation of 20 successful participants in the fourth edition of its Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) at an event held recently at Oriental Hotel, Lagos.

Before the 2023 graduation, the SMDP had produced 52 graduates. The Bank successfully graduated 23 participants in its inaugural edition, held in 2018; 17 in 2019 and 12 in 2020.

The Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) is FirstBank’s intensive modular programme for a select group of senior managers to principal managers who are proven leaders in their respective functions and identified as central to the Bank’s succession plan.

The SMDP is an intensive skill development programme structured to enhance core leadership and business competencies of elite senior management staff within the Bank. It consists of three instructor-led modular periods adopting a blend of classroom lectures, experiential activities, flipped learning strategies and peer-to-peer discussions to develop the desired talent pool.

“This programme is one of FirstBank’s key initiatives designed to create a dependable pool of highly skilled, favourably competitive, and globally minded Senior Managers. It is also aimed at accelerating their journey through the very demanding process of becoming outstanding leaders and management executives,” said Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO of FirstBank Group.

“FirstBank is widely acclaimed for sound corporate governance and this programme is further proof of our commitment to grooming and development. Through the Senior Management Development Programme, we emphasise sound leadership as the ethos and language of Bankwide conversations; this provides an empirical means of guaranteeing the Bank’s leadership bench strength both for now and the future,” he concluded.

The Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) is among the three core leadership programmes and strategic approaches designed to sustain performance, build capacity and promote the empowerment of employees from the lower cadres to the upper levels. The other programmes are Leadership Acceleration Programme and FirstBank Management Associate Programme (FMAP).

These programmes aim at internally identifying and developing high-potential talents who could take up the mantle of being the next generation of the Bank’s leaders, thereby building on its over 129 years of heritage since its founding.

Access Holdings Receives Karlsruhe Award for Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement for the Eighth Consecutive Time

Access Holdings Plc has been honoured with the prestigious Karlsruhe Award for Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement for the eighth consecutive time.

Presented at the Global Sustainable Finance Conference (GSFC) organised by the European Organisation for Sustainable Development (EOSD) in partnership with the city of Karlsruhe, Germany, the Award underscores the sustainability commitment demonstrated in the way Access Holdings conducts its business operations and activities.

Delivering the opening remarks at the Awards event, the Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, Dr. Frank Mentrup, lauded the unwavering commitment of the organisations present and urged all stakeholders to collaborate to achieve the global sustainability vision.

“In today’s globalised world, the responsibility of each one of us does not end at our borders. We need to work together to make our world more just, more peaceful, and more sustainable. This requires a high level of commitment and allocation of resources – including finance and investments,” Mentrup said.

Reiterating Access Holdings’ commitment to driving the achievement of the SDGs, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, Head, Group Sustainability, at Access Holdings Plc said, “We are pleased to receive the Karlsruhe Award for Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement for the eighth consecutive time. At Access Holdings, we believe that businesses must play a significant role in addressing sustainability challenges and driving positive impact. In line with this, our approach to sustainability reflects our dedication to creating long-term value for our stakeholders in Africa and beyond.”

The 2-day Global Sustainable Finance Conference and Awards also had in attendance other notable stakeholders such as Arshad Rab, Chairman, International Council of Sustainability Standards and CEO, European Organisation for Sustainable Development; Dr. Jesimen Chipika, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe; Amaechi Okobi, Group Head, Corporate Communications, Access Holdings Plc; Rolando Victoria, President and CEO, Aski Group, Philippines; Romani de Silva, Deputy Chairman and CEO, Alliance Finance, Sri Lanka; Mr. Krishnan Vimalanandavally Shaji, Chairman, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, India; Mrs. Sylvi J. Gani, Director, PT. Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (Persero), Indonesia; Dr. Kao Thach, The Delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia; Jide Akintunde, Director, Nigeria Development and Finance Forum (NDFF) and Nigeria Country Representative, European Organization for Sustainable Development (EOSD), and Tom Hoyem, Former Cabinet Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark and Member, City Council of Karlsruhe, Germany.

Access Holdings has been widely recognised as one of Africa’s most responsible companies, earning numerous national and international honours and awards including the World Finance Award for Most Sustainable Bank (eleven-time winner) and Global Brand Awards for Best CSR Bank and Investor Relations (four-time winner).

FOR A THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, ZENITH BANK RETAINS POSITION AS NIGERIA’S BEST COMMERCIAL BANK, ALSO NAMED BEST CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BANK AT WORLD FINANCE 2023 AWARDS

For a third year running, Zenith Bank Plc has been named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria at the World Finance Banking Awards 2023. The bank also emerged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2023, retaining the award for a second consecutive year.

These awards were presented to Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, at the London Stock Exchange recently. The recognitions celebrate the bank’s tremendous feats and milestones in financial performance, financial inclusion, corporate governance, and sustainability.

Commenting on the awards, Dr Onyeagwu said that: “these awards are a testament to our resilience and ability to adapt to the vagaries of the market as well as our innate capability to engender very stellar business performances through our innovative products and solutions. It also affirms our continued commitment to global best practices in corporate governance, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.”

Dr Onyeagwu dedicated the awards to the Founder and Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR, thanking him for his mentorship and for establishing the basis for a resilient and highly successful institution. He also expressed gratitude to the board for their exceptional leadership, vision, and insight; to the staff for their unwavering commitment and dedication; and to the bank’s customers for making Zenith their preferred bank.

World Finance is a foremost international magazine providing extensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business, and the global economy. Its editorial combines award-winning journalism, covering a vast array of topics from banking and insurance to wealth management and infrastructure investment, with contributions from some of the world’s most esteemed economists and theorists and consultants from government think tanks and the World Economic Forum.

Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, with these latest honours coming on the heels of several recognitions, including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 14th consecutive year, in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine; Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and 2022; Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa, for four successive years from 2020 to 2023, by the Ethical Boardroom; Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 Banking Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation In Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards.

Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021 and Retail Bank of the Year, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. Similarly, Zenith Bank was named Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.

Wema Bank showcases strong performance – Doubles Profitability. Commences Rights Issuance in Q3

WemaBank announces its unaudited results for Half Year ended 30th June 2023.

The commercial bank achieved improved performance including Gross Earnings of ₦89.09bn, a y/y increase of 49% (H1 2022: ₦59.59bn). Interest Income up 53% y/y to ₦76.11bn (H1 2022: ₦49.75bn). Non-Interest Income up 32% y/y to ₦12.98bn (H1 2022: ₦9.85bn). Profit before Tax (PBT) was ₦12.05bn a y/y increase of 97% over the ₦6.13bn reported in H1 2022. Profit after Tax (PAT) also increased y/y by 97% to ₦10.48bn (₦5.30bn in H1 2022).

The bank grew its deposit year to date by 19% as at H1 2023 to ₦1,392.85bn from ₦1,165.93bn reported in FY 2022. Loans and Advances also grew by 20% to ₦627.01bn in H1 2023 from ₦521.43bn in FY, 2022.

Income statement (N’bn) H1 2023 H1 2022 (∆)

Commenting on the result, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Moruf Oseni said, ‘Our H1 2023 results saw significant upsides with profit before and after tax growing strongly by about 97%. The management team at Wema Bank is focused on driving the execution of our current corporate strategy. Our embrace of technology is helping us deliver seamless best in class services while offering compelling value propositions to customers. Hence, we are seeing record breaking returns across board. Finally, we continue to see improvements in our corporate, commercial, and retail businesses as evidenced by our strong loan growth.’

Also speaking on the result, the Managing Director communicated that, with the improved stability in the operating environment, the Banks earlier approved Rights Issuance will be commencing this 3rd quarter of 2023.

“It has been a good half year performance for Wema Bank with gross earnings growing by 49% year on year and earnings per share at 163.0 kobo,”. In addition, our cost to income ratio at 72.71% has witnessed significant improvement from the previous period.

“We have also succeeded in making Wema Bank an integral part of the Fintech ecosystem in Nigeria with our ubiquitous fintech infrastructure support play”.