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FG Goes Tough, Bans Importation of Refined Sugar, Derivatives from Free Trade Zones

The Federal Government has prohibited the importation of refined sugar and its derivatives from the nation’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs), in a bid to protect the sugar industry, which is governed by the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

The prohibition move, which came through a directive from the Minister, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, was conveyed in a letter by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Lagos, sent to the Terminal operators of the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa, Lagos.

The NPA letter dated 08 April, 2021, and titled ‘RE: Prohibition of Importation of Sugar from the Free Trade Zones into the Nigerian Customs Territory’, was signed by Mr. Buba Jubril for the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex.

According to the letter, “We have for reference a letter from Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment ref: HMIT1/GEN/ CORR/008/ VOL. I/ dated 15th February, 2021 on the above subject.

“It has recently come to our notice that due to the recent location of a Sugar Refinery in a Free Trade Zone, Refined Sugar is being imported into the Nigerian Customs Territory under the concession granted to enterprises in the Free Trade Zones to export 100% of their output to the Nigerian Customs Territory, and this is real potential threat to the goals of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

“The Nigeria Sugar Industry is governed by the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP). The NSMP provides a framework for motivating investment in the local production of Refined Sugar by securing the Nigerian Sugar market for investors in the Backward Integration Program (BIP). It does this by providing import sugar allocations for Raw Sugar to recognised investors based on the performance on the BIP and guided recognition of their installed refining capacity.

“Your Terminal is hereby informed by this letter that, in order to protect our national interest and ensure the returns in the Federal Government’s investment in the NSMP are realised, and in line with extant laws and regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, importation of Refined Sugar and all other sugar derivatives from the Free Trade Zones into the Nigerian Customs Territory are here prohibited by the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment,” the NPA letter stated.

It added that, “In view of the above, your terminals are by this letter directed to ensure strict compliance with this directive. Please accept as always the assurances of our esteemed regards.”

Elon Musk’s Space X launches 4 astronauts to Space on recycled rocket and capsule

Four astronauts from three countries bound for the International Space Station launched from the Florida coast early Friday morning as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission.

The Falcon 9 rocket blazed across a black sky just before sunrise and NASA confirmed shortly after liftoff Friday that the astronauts had safely reached orbit.

After about a 23-hour ride, the Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the ISS around 5:10 a.m. ET on Saturday.

“Watching a launch from Kennedy Space Center never gets old for me. I’ve watched many launches and watching a pre-dawn launch is especially exciting and just visually stunning,” NASA’s acting administrator, Steve Jurczyk, said at a post-launch news conference Friday morning. “I could not be more proud of the team.”

The crew is composed of NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

3.. 2.. 1.. and liftoff! Endeavour launches once again. Four astronauts from three countries on Crew-2, now making their way to the one and only @Space_Station: pic.twitter.com/WDAl8g7bUK

— NASA (@NASA) April 23, 2021

“What an incredible launch, hopefully you guys got to watch it this morning, right as the sun was rising we took off,” Kimbrough said from the Crew Dragon “Endeavor” capsule shortly after the astronauts reached orbit.

“We chased the sun pretty quickly and caught up just a few minutes after we took off. That was really special to see the sunlight coming in shortly after liftoff,” the mission’s commander added.

Watch Crew-2 astronauts check in LIVE from space!

👀 Take a look inside @SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour currently on its way to the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/ajdTjhDnqs

— NASA (@NASA) April 23, 2021

McArther said, “The ascent was incredible, the ride was really smooth. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Friday’s launch marked only the third time that Elon Musk’s private space-faring firm has flown astronauts.

It also ushered in a new era of reusability in human space exploration, as the mission uses the same Falcon 9 rocket that sent four astronauts to the ISS last November and the same Crew Dragon spacecraft that sent and returned two astronauts during the first crewed SpaceX flight last May.

“I met with the crew last night, they are ready to go,” Jurczyk said at a pre-launch news conference from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. “I asked them what they look forward to most in the mission, and they said launching and getting up on station and getting to work.”

This marks the “third launch in less than a year” for NASA’s Commercial Crew program, he said.

The launch was originally scheduled for early Thursday morning but was moved to Friday due to downrange inclement weather. Liftoff occurred at 5:49 a.m. ET on Friday from the historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Prior to liftoff, the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron had forecast a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions in the area for a launch.

NASA’s live coverage of the launch kicked off at 1:30 a.m. ET on its website and social media accounts.

Four astronauts are set to launch aboard their Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft tomorrow morning at 5:49 a.m. ET! 🚀🐉

Be sure to tune in starting at 1:30 a.m. ET on April 23 for live coverage. Let’s #LaunchAmerica: https://t.co/1XQVlkaW6V pic.twitter.com/43e86smAab

— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) April 22, 2021

Jurczyk said Wednesday that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory team received a call earlier this week from U.S. President Joe Biden, who congratulated the researchers on their success in conducting the first controlled flight on another planet.

“He told the team that his grandson asked him when was he going to travel to Mars,” Jurczyk said. “So that’s something really important that we do.”

“We enable commercial activities in space, we demonstrate leadership, and we inspire the next generation,” he said.

Red Star Launches Online Platform For Customs Duty Payment

Red Star Express Plc, one of Nigeria’s foremost logistics solutions providers, has launched an online platform which enables customers to make custom duty payments for imported items.

In a statement from the company, this platform will provide a more convenient option for customers to make such payments as they look to clear their items at the ports.

The company’s Group Managing Director, Dr Sola Obabori, in the statement, also mentioned that the platform will also offer customers other benefits alongside its convenience. “We understand that customers demand more in terms of transparency and accountability; especially when it concerns the payment of their custom duties for items brought into the country. Not only does this platform give them the convenience of paying online, customers will also be able to view the complete breakdown of these charges as determined by the agencies involved at the ports.”

“As always, Red Star Express Plc will continue to strive to meet and exceed the expectations of its customers. This development is just another step towards achieving that aim,” he added.

JA Nigeria Partners for Growth, Impact

The trajectory of Junior Achievement Nigeria reaching over 1 million youths is one that has embraced diverse support of individuals, groups, and organisations. The continuous tenacity applied to impacting the lives of youths especially in a time where the pandemic brought many to economic recession is one that can best be described as apt. Our programs are helping young people recover from loss, stay updated and learn in-demand skills that could help them become more attractive to the labour market. The support of Board members such as First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Sigma Pensions, Schlumberger, Citi, Channels Television, Agile Communications, Deloitte, Aliko Dangote Foundation, and partner organizations such as Union Bank, Google, ACT Foundation, Facebook, Slum2school gave life to these programs.

JA Nigeria kicked off the year with a financial literacy program themed ‘Break Free’ – #JAPA. ‘Break free’ was tailored toward impacting the lives of young professionals on matters regarding money management. Burdened with the fact that COVID-19 affected the finances of many, we organised a program aimed at helping young people gain financial freedom. With the support of Sigma Pensions, ‘Break free’ gave insight on basic finance understanding finance concepts such as saving, pension, and investments, and strategies to live a debt-free life.

As you know, one of JA’s aims is to build a generation of digitally inclined youths. To make this happen, youths need to learn diverse strategies on how to stay safe online. Due to the pandemic, more young people embraced online activity and this led to the implementation of the Safe Online Spotlight Series with Facebook. Although Safe Online has since been implemented, the COVID-19 outbreak made the implementation even more necessary. This program seeks to help young minds stay aware of online bullies, fraud, and other internet-like dangers that could pose a threat to them while surfing the Internet. JA Nigeria is glad to have Facebook support this program that helps protect young people from online dangers.

In the light of impact and choosing to challenge diverse societal abnormalities that could serve as barriers to the successes of women, JA Nigeria celebrated International Women’s Day. An offshoot of marking the IWD 2021 was the weekly ‘Girls4Tech’ program sponsored by Mastercard. This program was designed to inspire female teenagers between the ages of 8-14 as taking STEM-related courses could encourage more girls to consider a career in STEM. Did you know that in Nigeria, only 20% of girls are enrolled in STEM-related courses? This reveals the urgency for programs like ‘Girls for Tech.’ Recall, “An equal world is an enabled world.”

Our GoogleIT Support program is on the run! Organisations are counting on young people who can think outside the box and we delight in building young people to not only think creatively but to see how their potentials can cause a global impact. This program is a 4-6 month program that aims to equip young graduates and ‘out of school’ youths with 21st century professional IT skills needed for the job market. At Junior Achievement Nigeria, we are intentional about leaving no stone unturned as regards matters that can contribute to a thriving economic environment for youths. According to a statement by Adebowale Akinbobola, one of the beneficiaries of the JA Nigeria Google IT support program, he stated; “I am looking forward to the other modules and I appreciate JA Nigeria for this opportunity. I say cheers to greater impact from JA Nigeria and also for myself”.

In 2020, JA Nigeria started the #NoStudentLeftBehind campaign to support young people in developing skills that they need to be economically independent even in trying times. We look forward to more donations; this would accelerate our goals towards ensuring that there are No Students Left Behind.

In another development, JA Nigeria implemented its Financial Literacy Day program as part of the celebration for Global Money Week. Global Money Week is a worldwide celebration held in March to empower the next generation to be confident and money-savvy global citizens. The event which is in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria was held simultaneously in select schools across the country in efforts to create a financially literate generation. Similarly, through a partnership with Prudence Foundation. Primary school students were exposed to the basics of money management through the implementation of the ‘ChaChing’ program. ChaChing uses the ‘Earn. Save. Spend. Donate.’ mantra to teach these students life-long learning about financial management.

Furthermore, in line with JA Nigeria’s mission of providing business and economic education for young people, a recycling program titled ‘Every Can Counts’ will be implemented with the support of Novelis/GZI. ‘Every Can Counts’ is an educational program for primary and secondary school students, where they will be taught and motivated to know about the meaning and value of aluminum recycling, the importance of putting recycling into practice, and how this can help them become entrepreneurs who care about a sustainable future.

JA Nigeria, however, solicits support from well-meaning Nigerians, philanthropists, and corporate organisations to partner with us to accelerate our impact by helping us raise a generation of conscientious business leaders leading a vibrant economy and ultimately help young people to own their economic future.

Heritage Bank promotes creative industry with support for “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge”

L-R: Fela Ibidapo, Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank Plc; Jasmine Howson-Wright, Winner of “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge;” Chioma Okafor, 1st runner-up; Rita Dominic, Foremost Nigerian Actress/Co-Founder of the Audrey Silva Company and Josh Anowi, 2nd runner-up, during the cheque presentation to the winners of the first “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge,” powered by Heritage Bank, held yesterday in Lagos.

Heritage Bank Plc has further reiterated its commitment to the growth and development of the creative and entertainment sector by supporting the “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge.”

Heritage Bank in collaboration with a foremost Nigerian Actress and Co-Founder of the Audrey Silva Company, Rita Dominic launched an acting challenge for aspiring actors to recreate a scene in a new film “La Femme Anjola,” produced by the later.

Respectively, the winners carted away cash prizes- ; the Prize winner, Jasmine Howson-Wright received N1million, Chioma Okafor, 1^st runner-up got N300, 000, whilst the 2^nd runner-up grabbed N100, 000 consolation prize for the recreating a scene from La Famme Anjola in the acting challenge.

Speaking at the presentation of the cheque to the winners, the Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of the Bank, Fela Ibidapo explained that as the institution’s name implies, Heritage Bank has continued to make efforts in supporting creativity, ideologies and talents like these, where arts are used as a tool to promote cultural awareness and to help younger Nigerians form a strong sense of National identity.

“As a bank, we look for creativity, ideas and talents to support. We are called Heritage Bank for reasons, which involves putting our money where our mouth is, being that art and entertainment space are platforms where we considered being opportunity for us to leverage our supports.

“It is a privilege that we are here today to celebrate the movie and the success achieved thus far and to the winners” he stated.

He assured that the bank would always be driven by cultural heritage in delivering distinctive financial services to create, preserve and transfer wealth.

According to him the bank is proud of the entertainment industry and will continue to stand by operators in it by supporting them and watch them grow.

The Foremost Actress, Dominic thanked Heritage Bank Plc for believing in her dreams and for helping and recognizing the need to support young talents in Nigeria.

“I have been eager to make my dream a reality, luckily Heritage Bank came on board to partner with us this year. I consider this as a fantastic opportunity to get my lifelong dream to have actors,” she said.

According to her, the acting challenge is an opportunity to help young aspiring actors to find their feet in the industry because of how difficult it can be in the industry.

She noted that there were enormous aspiring talents to harness; as it was difficult to nominate the winners amongst participants in the Rita Dominic Acting Challenge.

She advised the winners to remain unwavering, focus their eyes on their visions and goals if they desire to succeed in the entertainment industry.

R-L: Fela Ibidapo, Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank Plc; Jasmine Howson-Wright, Winner of “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge” and Rita Dominic, Foremost Nigerian Actress/Co-Founder of the Audrey Silva Company, during the cheque presentation to the winners of the first “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge,” powered by Heritage Bank, held yesterday in Lagos.

L-R: Fela Ibidapo, Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank Plc Chioma Okafor, 1st runner-up of “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge” and Rita Dominic, Foremost Nigerian Actress/Co-Founder of the Audrey Silva Company, during the cheque presentation to the winners of the first “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge,” powered by Heritage Bank, held yesterday in Lagos.

R-L: Fela Ibidapo, Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank Plc; and Josh Anowi, 2nd runner-up of “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge” and Rita Dominic, Foremost Nigerian Actress/Co-Founder of the Audrey Silva Company, during the cheque presentation to the winners of the first “Rita Dominic Acting Challenge,” powered by Heritage Bank, held yesterday in Lagos.

Ogun Police Commissioner Applauds NAOSRE, Sues For Fairness

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edward Ajogun, on Tuesday, applauded the committed efforts of the National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE at bridging the gap of communication between citizens and security agents.

The Commissioner made the remarks in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital when Mr. Femi Oyewale, NAOSRE President, led the association’s team to pay him a courtesy visit at his Eleweran office.

He emphasized the importance of media as integral partners in nation building and urged for restraints in sensationalism.

“I feel happy to receive you today in my office. I know the importance of media in the security space.

“At the moment, insecurity is a big threat to us as a people and as a country. To solve it requires collective efforts. That is why I am particularly happy with your association that is doing so much to keep Nigerians informed about our activities,” the CP stated.

Despite his good impression about the media, Edward Ajogun however expressed reservations about over sensationalized news items for the purpose of attracting readership and called for more commitment to investigative journalism to achieve balanced reportage.

“There are false publications and lots of inaccurate reports. These are harmful to security. Try and be honest and build a reputation of honesty for the association.

“Always consider national interest in your reports so that your association can become the standards for measuring accuracy,” he advised.

Earlier, Femi Oyewale espoused the mission of NAOSRE which includes but not limited to setting a standard on security reportage for national harmony.

He explained that the loss of confidence by citizens on security agents needs co operative efforts to checkmate.

He therefore called on the CP and other heads of Nigerian security formations to be available for conversations so that journalists would de emphasize the reliance on third party narratives in writing reports.

“NAOSRE is unique in style and scope. Nigerians and security agents can always count on us for credible reportage,” he promised.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Command’s spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, and made available to NAOSRE stated that two suspected armed robbers who dispossessed one Nonso Nwibo, a rice merchant, of cash sum of #120,000 at Ipamesan area of Sango Otta have been arrested by men of Ogun State Police Command.

The suspects, according to Oyeyemi, were arrested following a distress call received by the DPO, Sango Otta Division, CSP Godwin Idehai that robbers have invaded the shop of the said Nonso and robbed him of N120, 000 as well as his Techno handset at gun point.

Upon the distress call, the DPO Idehai quickly led his men to the scene, but on sighting the policemen, the robbers took to flight, but they were hotly chased and one of them by name Sadiiq Hassan was arrested with a locally made pistol while the other one escaped.

Following diligent investigation, the second suspect, Kudus Rasak, was apprehended on the 19th of April 2021, in a hideout at Owode Ijako. A live cartridge was recovered from him.

The two suspects have confessed being the robbers that robbed Nonso of his valuables.
CP Edward Ajogun has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.

Nigeria needs Tinubu – Obasa, Lagos lawmakers eulogise ex-governor

– Congratulate Oba Elegushi at 45 for role in peaceful coexistence

… Celebrate ex-IGP, Musiliu Smith, who recently clocked 75

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday described the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a man for whom Nigeria as a country currently yearns.

Members of the House said this at plenary as they took time to eulogise the former governor of Lagos, who recently celebrated his 69th birthday.

Speaking after Hon. Victor Akande (Ojo 1) urged his colleagues to join him wish Tinubu a happy birthday, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, noted that it had always been customary of the House to celebrate the Jagaban of Borgu on his birthday, but that this year’s celebration happened at a time the House was on recess.

The Speaker who said Tinubu had earlier been honoured by attendees at a colloquium organised in his honour, added that the comments by the lawmakers during the day’s plenary showed how the APC National Leader had impacted in the lives of individuals.

He agreed with the members of the House that Tinubu remains one man that can effectively steer the Nigerian ship to make the country attain greater success in the coming years.

“We all congratulate him and wish him all the good things of life.

“We believe strongly in him and we have the conviction that he is a worthy man that can steer the ship of this nation. It is not about religion or ethnicity, but it is about wisdom, knowledge, experience and the capacity to lead,” Speaker Obasa said.

Earlier, Hon. Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu 1) described Tinubu as a man who understands the country and has the needed experience.

Olowo said Tinubu is a man that no one can love to hate because of his role in the advancement of the country.

For Hon. Tobun Abiodun (Epe 1), Asiwaju Tinubu is “a father figure to most of us and we will continue to celebrate him for a long time to come.

“He is adjudged one of the most active politicians. As a father to us, we appreciate him. He recognises those who are loyal and brilliant. He is the only man that can lead this country to meet its goals.”

Supporting his colleagues, Hon. Rasheed Makinde called Asiwaju Tinubu a man of the moment who believes in hunting talents and keeping them to prosper.

He said even though Tinubu has not held office for a long time, he still remains relevant because of his large heart and spirit of forgiveness.

He urged Asiwaju to help lead the country in 2023.

Hon. Richard Kasunmu (Ikeja 2), said he was delighted to share the same birthday with Tinubu who he called an inspirational figure.

“The Asiwaju that I know is a builder of people, a stabiliser and one who loves selflessly. He is a man who loves other people’s progress. I can only wish him many more fruitful years, first as father and the National Leader of the APC,” he said.

In a related development, the House also celebrated Oba Saheed Elegushi, who was described as a monarch that has brought advancement to his Ikate land while preserving the culture and traditions of his domain.

Hon. Temitope Adewale, while moving that the traditional ruler, who recently clocked 45, be celebrated, said Oba Elegushi had kept the state proud.

The lawmaker was supported by his colleague, Hon. Desmond Elliot, who described the monarch as a 21st century Oba.

In his contribution, Speaker Obasa said the young monarch had endeared himself to the people because he has shown a strong passion for the peace and progress of the state.

While praying for the traditional ruler, Obasa added that Oba Elegushi was being praised for ensuring peace in the state.

He said the commendation should be a challenge to other traditional rulers in the state to play positive roles for its growth and progress.

The House further eulogised Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a former Inspector-General of Police, IGP, who recently clocked 75.

The House affirmed Smith’s importance noting that he has continued to serve the country as the chairman of the Police Service Commission.

Speaker Obasa described him as a man of peace, a quintessential Lagosian and one who often expresses his views and suggestions about the effective running of the state.

He thereafter directed the acting Clerk of the House, Barrister Olalekan Onafeko, to write a letter congratulating each of the celebrants on behalf of the Assembly.

Unity Bank Posts Assets Growth of 67.90% to N492.02 Billion, As Gross Earnings Hit N42.71 Billion in FY 2020

Unity Bank Plc grew its assets base to N492.02billion representing a significant increase of 67.90% from the N293.05 billion of total assets value recorded in 2019. This is even as the agric-focused lender declared gross earnings of N42.71 billion within the period under review.

A review of the Bank’s audited results for full year ended 31 December 2020, released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, showed that the Bank improved its bottom line marginally as Profit After Tax, PAT stood at N2.09 billion. Profit Before Tax, PBT closed at N2.22 billion, in a year that was defined by the unmitigated impact of global pandemic characterized by disruptions in business activities and general downturn that resulted in revenue/returns dip in major leading sectors globally.

The lender substantially grew its customers’ deposit portfolio to N356.62 billion, up from N257.69 billion in the corresponding period of 2019, representing a 38.4% growth. This affirms positive market uptake of the Bank’s product offerings, as well as the lender’s growing customer base to its recent aggressive push with agile customer-centric products, which has played a role in deepening financial services penetration especially to a wider world, underserved spectrum of the retail market.

Other major highlight of the audited financial statement relates to growth in its net operating income which rose to N25.46 billion from N23.21 billion in the corresponding period of 2019, representing a 9.71% increase. This is even as the net interest income recorded a significant jump, as it rose by 7.60% to N17.75 billion from N16.49 billion in the corresponding period of 2019. Earnings per Share closed at 17.85 Kobo.

The Bank’s gross loans portfolio increased by 92.9% to N206.2 billion in December 2020 from N106.9 billion in December 2019. The Bank’s lending strategy was specially tailored to support the nation’s food agenda. This had the added advantage of improving food security across the country, providing employment to thousands of youths and entrepreneurs, contributing to the conservation of FX stocks and mitigating security challenges by ensuring adequate empowerment of citizens and deepening skills acquisition across the value chain.

Commenting on the result, Unity Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Tomi Somefun stated that the results showed the resilience of the Bank during unprecedented times of uncertainties and our ability to innovate and focus on key balance sheet items that will enable us maintain growth trajectory.

She further opined that: “Consequently, for the year under review, the opportunities to significantly create more quality assets for the business, thought to have sustainable impact, informed part of choices made and we have seen some encouraging market uptake in this regard, apart from the benefits to the enterprise bottom-line that have also started trickling in. Other key performance indicators especially on the liability side of the business was equally not left out. The Bank deployed new product features and augmentation supported by omni-channel, USSD promotions and other channels to enhance services delivery efficiency, drive income generation capacities and enhance steady balance sheet growth for the year”.

Looking ahead, Somefun stated: “we will latch on targeted strategies to deploy significant investment in technology in order to ride the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the back of this, the Bank focus on achieving major efficiency gains, deepening its retail footprints and penetrating identified cluster market segments, as bulwarks to tapping into various youth markets platforms, in addition to the mass market would get further boost”.

While laying outlook for the future, the Unity Bank’s Chief further stated: “The Bank is also looking to consolidate on the gains from its core business areas and niche in the agribusiness sector. The Bank has solidly financed over one million farmers over the past three years. These farmers cut across several primary crop production such as rice, maize, cotton, wheat, sorghum, etc coupled with their rich value chains, and we hope to continue to expand on this as we play our part in driving the country’s quest for self-sufficiency in food production.”

Analysts are of the view that having made appreciable impact in the agribusiness and its value chains consistently, the market is excited that the current year performance and different initiatives of the Bank show that the agribusiness is bankable not only as a differential positioning but also for sustainable business performance and profitability.

FirstBank Launches a New Corporate Website, Reiterates its Commitment to Service Delivery Excellence

FirstBank, Nigeria and indeed West Africa’s premier financial inclusion services provider has announced the launch of its newly designed website at https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/. The new website is upgraded with features that are streamlined to reinforce its role in delivering seamless banking and technology solutions to its customers across the world.

The website is configured with modern design and improved functionality that eases customer experience whilst carrying out various activities on the site, including electronic banking. Non-customers are also able to open an account, putting them at an edge in the industry as they establish a relationship with the Bank that puts YOU, its customers, First.

The new website seamlessly adopts a fresh, magazine-style look and feel for easy navigation in order to promote the access to essential information for its customers, FirstMonie agents, prospective agents and the public. This upgrade also guides one to make well-informed decisions about one’s personal, business and private financial needs.

Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO of FirstBank Group, while speaking on the launch of the New Corporate Website, said that “as one of the key contact points to existing and potential customers, the Bank’s website remains a gateway to our business, supporting our unique value propositions and financial services solutions. As such, we are committed to continuously improve the overall user experience through intriguing content quality, exciting features and ease of navigation”.

He further noted that “the Bank’s new website will be updated on a regular basis with exciting features that will continue to reinforce the Bank’s resolve to promote digital customer interactions and transactions across our virtual touchpoints and platforms”.

Concluding, he remarked that ”the website will also serve as a financial services library that will keep customers and the public abreast of various financial services solutions and offerings, thereby helping them to improve their economic and social wellbeing”. He encouraged everyone to explore the website and follow the Bank’s social media pages for updates.

FirstBank has continued to evolve over the years, successfully adopting the latest technology and embracing innovation in its quest to be African’s bank of first choice.

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Author: society_admin