Business Archives - Page 70 of 84

LASEPA Changes Tune; Reopens Jumia Warehouse

Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) only Thursday reopened Jumia’s warehouse situated at Surulere industrial road, off Allen, Ikeja, which was sealed on Wednesday for contravening the lockdown order by the Federal government in the state.

Putting up the update on its Twitter handle, @LasepaInfo, the agency said the warehouse was opened “having established that Jumia can be classified as an ‘Essential supplier’ as contained in the Infectious Disease Regulation signed by the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the 27th March 2020.”

The initial sealing of the popular online retail store had elicited condemnation from social media users, who lamented why the Jumia outlet should be closed down at a time Lagos residents have been asked to stay at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

In response to LASEPA’s tweet and action, Nigerians on twitter blamed the agency for not doing proper fact finding before sealing the warehouse, and asked LASEPA to tender an apology to Jumia.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Jumia Nigeria has demonstrated responsible corporate citizenship. The company on Wednesday announced its partnership with Lagos State Government on MyHandsAreSafe campaign, as an information tool to curb further spread of COVID-19.

Recently, Jumia announced the implementation of Contactless Delivery as a safety measure for customers to further enhance social distancing measures. In response to the pandemic, Jumia announced a partnership deal with Reckitt Benckiser to enable customers to have access to hygiene products at affordable prices during the lockdown.

Prudential Zenith Life Protecting its Customers during the Coronavirus (COVID – 19) Pandemic.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown, Prudential Zenith Life Insurance is rolling out a range of services to help customers cope with the lockdown.

The new services include a range of additional COVID-19 insurance cover enhancements, without additional premium charges, and a waiver for ‘pandemic’ exclusions as contained in its policy language.

In line with the recent pronouncement of the federal government, the company will be temporarily locked down and has therefore set up a dedicated claims team with remote working capabilities, to enable customers make and receive claims virtually.

According to the statement from the insurance company, the claims procedure will be simplified to allow customers make claims through the WhatsApp channel.

This development makes it possible for customers to buy insurance products without any physical interface with sales personnel or visit to a physical branch.

Commenting on the changes, Prudential Africa CEO Matt Lilley said, “we realise this is a worrying time for everyone and we want to reassure you that protecting the health and wellness of our customers, employees and partners is our primary concern.

“At Prudential, we have been delivering promises for over 170 years and this time will be no different. I am proud of the measures we are announcing today and I know that they will provide our customers additional peace of mind.”

He added that the waiting periods for new cover have been reduced, and the company is providing additional training and incentives to sales personnel to continue providing advice and access to insurance, even as they work remotely.

He encouraged Nigerians to stay safe and adhere to the directives from the Ministry of health, Nigerian centre for disease control (NCDC) and other relevant authorities.

“We are going to get through these trying times together” he assured.

COVID-19: Heritage Bank offers Seamless Service to Stakeholders, Curbs Impact of Virus

As the world grapple with the impact of the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic, which has continued to cause worldwide challenges for healthcare systems, economies and corporate organisations, Heritage Bank Plc has taken practicable steps to offer seamless services to customers, whilst ensuring the health and safety of their workers and others at the workplace.

The bank, however, adopted a crisis response measures in place to minimise and manage the risk arising from the disease known as COVID-19 and ensure that the payment infrastructure and logistics to maintain operations going as various State governments brace up for lockdown to contain the pandemic.

The bank’s Management in a statement explained that part of its business continuity management emanating from Heritage Bank’s corporate strategy was to guarantee seamless service delivery to the various stakeholders, adopt measures to tackle significant business risk that might have growth impact on economy, whilst taken reasonably practicable steps to minimize the risk.

According to Heritage Bank, incognizant with the protocols proffered by the World Health Organisation, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other health agencies, Heritage Bank provided a work environment that is without risk to health and safety and adequate facilities for workers in carrying out their work, so far as is reasonably practicable.

The statement noted that the Bank has maintained a maximum of 10% of staff who constitute mainly Units heads and “must have” working from its premises during these times of uncertainties, whilst others work remotely from home to adhere to the social distancing directive.

The bank further noted that efforts have been ongoing via its intranet and other channels to keep staff and customers up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 information and provide clear direction and guidance expected of workers and customers.

“We have enforced and continued to monitor the need for workers to practice good hygiene, including: frequent hand washing, use of sanitizer, limiting contact with others, including through shaking hands covering their mouths while coughing or sneezing require workers to stay away from the workplace if they are unwell and not fit for work, and encourage them to seek medical advice as appropriate seek advice from health authorities immediately if there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 and for staff who are arriving from affected countries to self-quarantine for 14days,” the financial institution stated.

To ensure seamless banking transactions, the bank explained that customers are constantly communicated to, to adopt its available 24/7 alternate electronic channels.

“We have encouraged our customers to adopt the self-service platforms like *745*0# for balance enquiry, Funds Transfer (Within Heritage Bank): *745*1*Amount*Account Number#, self-airtime recharge: *745*Amount#, third party airtime recharge: *745*Amount*Mobile Number# and change pin: *745*00#.

“We are available via email info@hbng.com and social media (insert social media icons) to render the following services: Debit Card Hotlist, Post No Debit Request (PND Placement), HB Padie unlock/ username request/ Password reset, Statement of Account (individual accounts) and general inquiries on products and services

“We have setup a COVID-19 Support Centre to offer COVID-19 safety tips to all our customers during this period, in support of the efforts of the Government and relevant bodies. Please send any information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic via these channels: E-mail: HeritageBankCovid19Support@hbng.com and contact number: 01-2369099,” the bank explained.

OUR BRANCHES ARE OPEN NATIONWIDE

Following the directives for partial lockdown in several States across the country, we will be offering skeletal services in some of our branches across the nation.

These branches will be open from 9:00am to 2:00pm, Monday to Friday. We have implemented all necessary health and safety measures across these branches to keep you safe at all our locations.

For the list of branches, please go to https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/list-of-open-branches-nationwide/

Our alternative channels are available for you 24/7 during this period.

Thank you for your understanding at this period as we continue to work to put You First.

#FlattenTheCurve

Signed:

Folake Ani-Mumuney

Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications

First Bank of Nigeria Limited

COVID 19: FIRSTBANK CHOOSES TO SOLVE EDUCATION CHALLENGES FACING PARENTS

The CEO of FirstBank Dr. Adesola Adeduntan has announced that the Bank in partnership with government and other stakeholders is extending its attention to immediate needs in our society in the face of the widespread COVID-19 by putting in place complementary efforts in education to support students and minimize the disruption to education resulting from schools’ closure. This is following the activation of the Bank’s Business Continuity Process and subsequent deployment of safety initiatives and measures implemented across its business outlets nationwide, to help flatten the curve and ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff customers and other stakeholders.

Dr Adeduntan explained that many parents are concerned about children and wards whose education is truncated by the current crisis and are particularly worried about keeping children at home idle as all schools from primary through to tertiary institutions are closed across the nation. Emphasising the urgent need to ensure that our children are not disadvantaged, remain engaged and stay safe during this period, he announced the Bank has concluded plans with the necessary authorities to enable as many children as possible access e-learning.

Speaking on the initiative to enable as many children move on to safe e-learning, Dr Adeduntan said “we are warmed by the fact that different organizations have risen to the various challenges and are supporting in areas such as health and welfare, and we feel the peculiar needs of our children and youth must not be left out and have therefore elected to focus on contributing to solving the current education challenge. Education remains the bedrock of any society and we believe that when we educate our children we enable our nation and produce global citizens who provide ground breaking solutions for the continent and the world at large. So, building educational partnerships is an avenue to support our children to remain resourceful and fully engaged at this time so they can compete favorably with their peers internationally. It’s a responsible approach to empower them given that they are our future and the foundation to build our country to greatness. By partnering on this we are solving a problem for families and for our future.”

To this end, we are working with the States; United Nations Global Compact; innovative technology firms such as Robert & John to provide e-learning solution with the Government approved curriculum for students across the country. The roll out begins first week in April starting with Lagos State where FirstBank will support the roll out of Roducate which has been adjudged a best fit solution by educators, teachers and all necessary authorities. This solution has the full curriculum on both the online and offline versions with the offline version of particular interest as it eliminates the challenge posed by data affordability.

We call on well-meaning organisations and individuals to join us and collectively rise to address the challenges this current pandemic presents to our children and youth and are reaching out to other organisations with complementary solutions to also partner on this initiative for the youth who are our future. They must not be lost in this pandemic’.

For more information on how you can partner, please click on the link below

https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/corporate-responsibility-sustainability/education-health-welfare/drive-to-move-one-million-students-to-e-learning/

Heritage Bank stimulates CBN’s financial inclusion on 2020 target

As part of efforts to consummate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiated policy aimed at reducing the figure of the unbanked populace by 20 percent by 2020 and to ensure greater participation in the nation’s financial sector, Heritage Bank Plc has keyed into this initiative to drive financial inclusion and promote economic growth.

CBN has mandated all banks in line with the 2020 financial inclusion target, to have a nationwide Account Opening Week.

The Account Opening Week is an initiative of the CBN, Bankers’ Committee and other Stakeholders to provide opportunities for financially excluded Nigerians and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises to open accounts with formal financial institutions, with the overall aim to access financial services to reduce the current 36.8per cent financially excluded to 20per cent and stimulate economic growth.

Towards this developments, Heritage Bank strategically deployed its technology and large number of staff to reach the large populace who do not have bank accounts in selected states were sensitised and mobilised to designated centres in rural areas, where they opened their personal accounts.

Speaking on this exercise, the MD/CEO of the bank, Ifie Sekibo stated that Heritage Bank has been at the fore front and continued to give its unreserved backing towards reducing the exclusion rate to 20per cent by 2020, create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the welfare of the people.

According to him, the bank succeeded in opening more than 2, 000 bank accounts in designated centres of the following six (6) states; Kano, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Gombe, Bayelsa and Ondo.

Meanwhile, Sekibo made recourse to Heritage Bank’s supports so far, thereby noting that the bank have been taking aggressive approach with the introduction of agent banking partners.

He pinpointed that the bank has brought on board over 10,000 agent partners since the commencement and launching of ‘corner shop’, which lends credibility to the consistency of the service and how it is changing lives and empowering Nigerians across the country.

At this steady growth rate of approximately 17.5 percent new agent per month, one can say that hitting the long term vision of 100,000 active agents in five years is well within reach.

However, Sekibo explained that financially excluded persons constitute a gap in the financial system and there is no way to create a perfect economy except all these people are brought on board.

“Another issue is that the older generation seem to be averse to technology because they have not been exposed to it and the fear of fraud,” he also said, but assured that the CBN and the banks will continue to improve its technology space.

UBA Empowers 400 Entrepreneurs In Onitsha

Pan African financial Institution, United Bank for Africa during the weekend held a Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) capacity training in Onitsha where about 400 small and medium scale business entrepreneurs in Onitsha, Anambra State, benefitted immensely from the impactful training.

The beneficiaries were trained in record keeping, cost reduction, stock compiling, financial and taxation planning, maximising opportunities, financial planning and projections.

UBA’s Regional Head of Anambra II Anyanuno Ozioma, who flagged of the MSME training said the capacity development workshop is intended to add value to customers’ businesses through improving their knowledge and skills. It was also conceptualised to fill the existing gaps observed in business and allay beneficiaries’ hitherto fears of expanding their businesses.

He said: “Modern day business requires that an average businessman regularly updates his knowledge to cope with the changing economy. Besides, this is an internet/ technology driven age and our customers need to learn new ways of doing business and how to package their businesses for increased patronage.”

Anyanuno said the turnout was a demonstration of the bank’s acceptance by the traders and the importance they attached to the workshop. He promised a repeat of the exercise to accommodate more people.

Head of E-banking Babatunde Ajayi said the programme was part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in furtherance of its responsiveness to customers’ needs while also assuring that the bank is 100 percent committed to the overall growth and success of its customers.

Entrepreneurs who spoke after the training commended and appreciated UBA for such a novel initiative which they noted is what their businesses truly needs to succeed.

CORONAVIRUS: FIRSTBANK DEPLOYS MEASURES TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has announced proactive measures it has taken to control the spread of the COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

The Bank’s Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, said “embedded in our corporate strategy is business continuity management that ensures the delivery of products, services and initiatives to our stakeholders and enabling the economy in the long-term with minimal impact.

Therefore, we have employed necessary measures to keep our employees, customers and the general public safe-guarded and sensitised on preventive steps to flatten the curve at the fastest possible rate. These include the deployment of temperature measuring tools; hand sanitisers; face masks and adopting social distancing including utilizing virtual meetings. We have also cancelled owned and partnered planned events in the interim; suspended staff travels and have put measures in place to identify and communicate to staff who are arriving from affected countries to self-quarantine following the established protocols by the World Health Organisation and the government.

In addition, we have been amplifying all necessary official information from relevant health bodies and partners such as encouraging everyone to adhere to good hygiene practices which comprise regular cleaning of all surface areas – for example, tables, door handles – with disinfectants, consistent washing of hands as well as avoiding close contact with people and staying away from crowded environment”.

Encouraging the use of cashless transactions, Mrs. Ani-Mumuney said; “we implore all our customers to embrace cashless transactions across our self-service platforms like *894# USSD banking services, FirstMobile, WhatsApp Banking, First Online for their needs like funds transfers, various bill payments, credit and internet data recharge and much more. In need of quick loans, these self-service platforms are also designed to meet their immediate needs through our FirstAdvance service”.

For enquiries and complaints, customers are encouraged to contact the Bank’s 24 hours multi-lingual customer care centre, FirstContact, on 01-4485500 or email, firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com.

She noted that the Bank is committed to protecting the health and safety of all its staff, customers and host communities as together the fight against Coronavirus would be won.

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) should be reached on its Toll-Free Number: 0800 9700 001 for immediate medical attention and advise.

Gas Explosion: Zenith Bank Commiserate with LASG, Donates N100m to Emergency Relief Fund

Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading financial institution, has donated N100 million to the Emergency Relief Fund set up by the Lagos State Government for the victims of the Abulo-Edo explosion.

The Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu made the pledge on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, when the Management of the Bank visited the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the State House, Marina, Lagos to condone with him and the good people of Lagos State on the unfortunate incident of March 15, 2020 which led to the loss of lives and properties at the Abule-Ado area in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking during the visit, Mr. Onyeagwu said: “For us in Zenith, we share in the concerns and the very traumatic experience that Lagos state is passing through. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, those who lost their lives and those who are still in the hospitals, recovering. We can only but pray that God will comfort the families. We are also very impressed with the fact that the response from the Lagos State Government was quick, rapid and immediate. There is nothing you can do to quantify the loss of lives. The only thing one can do is to ameliorate the sufferings, the pains and the discomfort of those who have been terribly impacted. So, we would like to let Mr. Governor know that we share with him at this moment. We are aware that you’ve also set up a relief fund account and we are willing to make an immediate contribution of N100 million”.

On his part, the Lagos State Governor expressed his sincere appreciation to the Management of the Bank for taking time out of their busy schedule to embark on the sober visit and stand with the State Government in this trying moment. While thanking the bank for the N100 million donation to the emergency relief fund set up by the State Government for victims of the explosion, he also expressed his delight at the bank’s acceptance of the offer to co-house the fund.

Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on Monday while speaking with stakeholders and journalists at the explosion site, disclosed that a N2 billion Abule Ado/Soba Emergency Relief Fund had been set up for the victims. He said the state government have donated N250 million to the fund and solicited for support from all Nigerians including the private sector.

PRUDENTIAL ZENITH LIFE INSURANCE LAUNCHES MOBILE PAYMENTS FOR PROTECTION WITH *5966# USSD CODE

Prudential Zenith Life Insurance has launched a payment service which allows mobile phone customers in Nigeria to buy protection policies wherever they are.

Customers who dial *5966# on their mobile phones will be able to purchase a life insurance or hospital cash plan policy in a matter of minutes.

Speaking at the launch of the product at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the Chairman of Prudential Zenith Life, Mr. Jim Ovia (CON), said “We are pleased to announce this exciting and innovative initiative that will democratize access to insurance for all Nigerians. We are strongly committed to deepening financial inclusion”.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Africa, Matt Lilley said: “We launched Prudential Zenith Life in 2017 to help minimize uncertainty from the lives of Nigerians. I believe that this service will make it easier for people to access life insurance cover that gives them and their families financial peace of mind, if an accident or the worst were to happen.”

Research shows that Nigerians are significantly underinsured despite the adoption of mobile phones for insurance purchase in several parts of the world. Only one per cent of Nigerians have insurance whilst more than 95 per cent of the population have mobile phones. Prudential Zenith Life seeks to increase the number of families that have financial protection by making it convenient to purchase insurance on their mobile phones.

Prudential Zenith Life Insurance Limited is part of Prudential Plc, one of the oldest and most strongly capitalised life insurance companies in the world. It provides a range of insurance and investment-linked savings products designed to suit corporate and individual customers’ budgets.

Prudential Zenith Life seeks to remove uncertainty from life’s big events, providing customers with the freedom to confront the future with greater confidence. It is equally committed to meeting the long-term savings and protection needs of families and businesses in Nigeria. Whether someone is starting a family, saving for a child’s education or planning for old age, Prudential Zenith Life provides customers with financial peace of mind.