NOVA Merchant Bank Supports Blind, Partially Sighted Kids from Pacelli School
As part of its efforts towards commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, NOVA Merchant Bank visited the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Surulere, Lagos, last Thursday, donating valuable goods and materials worth millions of naira.
The International Day of Persons Living with Disabilities is a day set-aside by the United Nations to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, well-being, and inclusion of persons living with disabilities.
Led by its Executive Director, Mrs. Funke Okoya, NOVA presented gifts and other supports to the students, as part of its NOVA UPLIFT initiative, while assuring the school’s management of its continued assistance.
Okoya who told the Pacelli management that the acronym UPLIFT stands for Uniqueness, Passion, Leadership, Integrity, Fairness, and Teamwork, represents the Bank’s core value which has the specific objective of offering “Today’s solution for Tomorrow’s sustainability,” in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 2 “Zero Hunger.”
She said, “At NOVA, we are committed towards impacting various facets of the communities where we operate. These values are success tenets and should be embraced and demonstrated daily. We believe that everyone has unique abilities, and as a Bank, we are joining the conversation of creating innovative tools that are disability inclusive to help them function optimally in any workplace.”
The School’s Counsellor, Rev. Sister Christiana Ekechukwu, who commended the team for the kind and timely gesture, said, “These gifts could not have come at a better time especially as the Christmas celebration is fast approaching. We are very grateful to NOVA Merchant Bank for their generosity.”
NOVA Merchant Bank Limited is an investment grade rated merchant bank in Nigeria that offers an integrated suite of financial solutions covering Financial Intermediation, Wholesale and Investment Banking, Asset and Securities Management, Trade Services, Cash Management, Transaction and Digital Banking.
SPECTACLE AS ZENITH BANK LIGHTS UP AJOSE ADEOGUN STREET FOR THE YULETIDE SEASON
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.
With the theme “Let There Be Light”, this year marks the 16th edition of the Light-up Ceremony at the Ajose Adeogun Roundabout. The Light-Up event is an annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by the bank to herald the yuletide season through the beautification of Ajose Adeogun Street – home to Zenith Bank’s Corporate Headquarters – which has come to be recognised as an iconic place, attracting people from all walks of life who visit with their families and friends to take pictures and make videos of the wonderful spectacle, especially at night and enjoy the ambience of the street and season.
Speaking during the ceremony, Onyeagwu expressed his delight in heralding the yuletide season of 2022 through the iconic Ajose Adeogun Street lighting up. In his words, “today is a unique day. It is unique in the sense that we are going to turn on the Christmas light and activate the spirit of Christmas, which we usually have annually. It is also unique in the sense that we are honoured and delighted to have in our midst the wife of our Founder and Chairman, Mrs. Kay Ovia”.
He praised Quantum Markets, the company responsible for the annual decorations, for the outstanding, very creative and extremely beautiful work that they have done. According to him, “when you look at the Christmas set-up we have every year, it looks completely different, and there is no repetition of themes. And when we think we have seen it all, by the time a new one comes, it is something completely different and massively so. The one for this year, as I entered here, I was wondering if this is a theme park”.
Whilst urging everyone to imbibe the message and spirit of Christmas, which is about peace, love, forgiveness and above all, respect for humanity, Onyeagwu prayed for peace in every home, business and in the country and that this year’s celebration would be like no other that we have seen.
Zenith Bank has clearly distinguished itself in the Nigerian financial services industry as an institution committed to building a more sustainable and inclusive economy and promoting responsible business practices in Nigeria through integrating sustainability principles in its business operations.
The bank’s sustainability and CSR initiatives are hinged on the belief that today’s business performance is not all about the financial numbers – the bank believes that an institution’s social investments, contributions to inclusive economic growth and development as well as improvements in the condition of the physical environment, all constitute a balanced scorecard.
Through its CSR initiatives, Zenith Bank has embodied the overarching objective of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide a framework for addressing the major challenges confronting society. Its social investments are targeted at health, education, women and youth empowerment, sports development and public infrastructure enhancement. Overall, Zenith Bank’s total CSR investment in 2021 was NGN4.37 billion, representing 1.79% of its Profit After Tax (PAT) and 33.1% increase from 2020.
The bank remains committed to furthering the economic, cultural and social development of host communities, particularly through community-based initiatives and philanthropy. As a good corporate citizen, it continues to deliver projects that have long-term social and economic benefits for the communities because it believes that its business is only as strong as the communities in which it operates.
To demonstrate its commitment to creating and expanding opportunities, the bank regularly makes donations towards setting up ultramodern ICT centres in several educational institutions and cities across the country. It also supports various developmental projects, and healthcare delivery causes in Nigeria and contributes to the development of sports in Nigeria through its sponsorship of the Zenith Women Basketball League and the Zenith Bank Delta State Principal’s and Headmaster’s Football Competitions, amongst others.
In recognition of its contributions and social investments to its host communities and the society at large, the bank was recognised at the Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2021 as the “Most Responsible Organisation in Africa”.
Prince Fuhad Oloto Gives Out Education Accessories To Indigent Students
Born in royalty and one of the most successful businessmen of Nigeria’s younger generation, Prince Fuhad Oloto, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Futol Group of Companies comprising Futol Homes, Futol Environmental Services, Futol Hotels, Futol Guards Ltd. and Futol Logistics is set to empower indigent students with educational accessories. While briefing High Celebrity Squard Magazine on this noble step, the imperial prince affirmed that he has been doing this for many years and he is never inspired by anything to venture into it.
Prince Oloto added that he is of the opinion that the Almighty God that blesses humanity expects reciprocal approach in return. This implies that privileged ones should imbibe the culture of giving back to the underprivileged.
The real estate giant will give out large numbers of note books and GCE Forms to indigent primary and secondary school students and this will go a long way in relieving the heavy burden of parents, many of whom are currently at crossroads over payments of school fees and purchase of these academic essentials. However, lucky beneficiaries of these materials will appreciate the kind gestures of Prince Fuhad Oloto. Additionally, this humanitarian move by the successful business tycoon is a pointer for other privileged Nigerians to take a cure from him and take critical look into the plight of the poor masses, help in alleviating poverty from the country and exterminating illiteracy from the larger society. Remarkable kudos to this indefatigable, indomitable, committed philanthropist and a man of the people, Prince Fuhad Oloto.
Princess Aminat Elegushi offers free medical outreach to Eti-osa indigenes
Princess Aminat Elegushi with some recipients
In an effort to make healthcare accessible to Nigerians and improve health conditions of her immediate communities, Princess Aminat Elegushi through her non-governmental organization; PAE Foundation recently concluded a three-day free medical outreach to people living in Eti-Osa and its environs.
The medical outreach which Princess Aminat Elegushi foundation is holding in collaboration with Eti-Osa Indigenous Students Association, commenced on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at Gbara Junior Secondary School in Gbara, Eli-Osa LGA which afford residents of Eti-Osa free medical consultancy services.
At the Gbara Community School, scores of indegenes and residents were tested and checked in different areas like cancer Screening, HIV Screening/Counseling, HIV Test, Malaria Test, Hypertension Test, Hepatitis Test, Tuberculosis Test, Drugs, Covid-19 vaccines and refractive errors in the eyes.
According to the founder of the foundation and convener, Princess Aminat Elegushi who is the chief executive officer and publisher of the Eti-Osa Newspaper, a bi-monthly community magazine published solely dedicated to projecting the beauty, culture, heritage and anesthetics of the community Eti-Osa, said the aim of the medical outreach is to allow the teeming residents and indigenes receive free medical consultancies in the local government area which according to her, accounts for forty percent of revenue of entire Lagos.
Princess Elegushi said, “As a proud Indigene of this community, it pleases me to hold this medical outreach here where I am from. I salute the royal fathers, dignitaries and local government Chairman. We are rendering these medical services because health is wealth and our people deserve the best.
She announced that in addition to the free medical services available during the three-day program, a hundred persons will have the opportunity of receiving a year medical consultancy from the state clinics.
Dr. Tunde Ajayi, the Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health commended Elegushi for the initiative, saying that it would in no small way make people conscious of their health, particularly the insurance aspect of the mission.
“You see, insurance is paramount on the list of services you must subscribe to in any environment at all and bringing insurance here is an amazing thing, it’s super amazing.
“So, I would like to commend her again, more grease to her elbow, and obviously encourage more people who are able to bring innovative and key interventions like this to the community they came from,” he said.
Olasupo Adedimeji, the National President of Eti-Osa Indigenous Students’ Association, also a partner of the medical outreach, urged the people to keep their environment clean to prevent getting infected with diseases.
A beneficiary, Mr Hakeem Aribidesi commended the initiative, saying it had always been part of what the indigenes wanted. Another beneficiary, Taibat Ariyo, a petty trader, also commended the foundation and the health personnel for the free health services rendered.
Other destinations for the medical outreach are Baale of Badoore Palace and the Iru/Victoria Island LCDA, EtiOsa, Lagos.
BREAKING! UNILORIN Graduate Emerges Eva Wine Nigeria Brand Ambassador
A University of Ilorin graduate, Miss Ebun Dosunmu has become the Brand Ambassador for Nigeria’s Premium non-alcoholic drink, Eva Wine.
Dosunmu emerged the winner following “The Search for Miss Eva”, a keenly contested competition, which lasted for 5 weeks and saw no fewer than 600 video entries from young women across Nigeria.
She is now the first ever brand ambassador for the popular non-alcoholic wine drink.
Ebun, a TV/Red carpet host/producer, brand strategist, and content creator, outshined nine other finalists to win the title in a keenly contested grand finale which held at the 5-star Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja on Sunday, August 7, 2022.
The glamorous event brings to climax the high-energy online competition which received hundreds of video entries from young ladies all across Nigeria, among which 30 were shortlisted and 10 finalists emerged.
During the final event, the contestants presented varying performances of their talents and creativity, from singing to poetry, painting and many more, to the delight of the audience.
Nollywood superstar and show host, Deyemi Okanlawon then engaged all the finalists in a fireside chat which gave the judges the opportunity to closely assess them on eloquence, intelligence, connection with the brand and general affairs.
After their review of the night’s performances as well as points garnered earlier in the competition, the judges presented the host with the result and he went on to announce the bubbly Ebunoluwa Dosumu as the winner, while Niki Amachree emerged as the first runner-up and Lilian Orakwe was named second runner-up. Pamela Ifejoku was named third runner-up.
Ebun, who is also a graduate of the University of Ilorin, Kwara state, goes home with the grand prize of 6 million naira, an all-expense paid vacation in Dubai courtesy of Africa’s leading full-service travel company, Voiaj Travels, a complete makeover, staycation, product supply and many more.
The first runner-up wins 500,000 naira, a complete makeover, staycation, product supply, while the second runner-up wins 300,000 naira, a complete makeover, staycation, product supply and other exciting prizes.
The Country Manager for Eva Group, Tope Akanni, expressed excitement at the success of the competition. He identified the high level of creativity displayed by Nigerian ladies in their entry videos as well as the “My Eva Story” videos as one of the highlights of the competition.
He said; “We already promised that our ideal Miss Eva would be a wise young woman who can represent Eva Wine, home and away, as a virtuous, warm, creative, fun, and friendly personality. Now that we have found her, Nigerians should look out for her in the next one year because she will be the face of the brand on TV, billboards, social media, events and everywhere, from chat rooms to boardrooms.”
Reiterating why the Eva Wine brand decided not to engage a top celebrity or influencer as its brand ambassador, Mr Sanni explained how fulfilling it has been for the brand watching exceptional young ladies grabbing the Eva Wine opportunity to become self-made celebrities.
He promised that the Search for Miss Eva is the beginning of a new era in which the Eva Wine brand would support and invest more in the Nigerian youth through the media and entertainment industry.
The Managing Director of Voiaj Travels, who was also one of the judges, Lanre Olaniyan, noted that the toughest task on the night was trying to arrive at the final decision due to the sparkling qualities displayed by all the finalists. He noted that all the contestants are indeed winners and they should be proud of themselves.
“It’s a huge congratulations to the Eva Wine Nigeria team and to the winner. We are indeed proud of this project and our partnership. As the official travel partner for Miss Eva, I’d like to say her celebrity travel lifestyle starts now and we cannot wait to welcome her to the beautiful city of Dubai,” he said.
For five weeks, Eva Wine Nigeria has deployed an exciting online activation engaging young ladies across Nigeria in a reality-type talent competition with intense activities to test their eligibility for its brand ambassadorial role.
Young ladies across Nigeria were required to record a short video celebrating creatively with a bottle of Eva Wine and vibing to the campaign theme song #happymisseva.
The grand finale was streamed live on Eva Wine’s YouTube channel, Eva TV.
…Television Crew, Other Press Men Storms Erukucity To Propagate, Bring New Innovations To Eruku Culture and Heritage
~By Oluwaseun Fabiyi
The annual yam festival of the Erukuans again witnessed mammoth crowd of young, old and dignitaries across the neighbourhood as EPA, EFON appeared to entertain the crowd for the three days celebrations, while ‘Agan’ would comes out at night after the grand finale. The event is fully back again after eight-year lull due to the reasons wouldn’t want to mention on the news circle.
The Eruku annual yam festival is an annual event that brings sons and daughters of the Erukuans together in unity to celebrate yam festival which dates back to the 19th century.
According to history, the festival had its origin from our forebears with the intention to bring peace and unity into the community and not an harmful things as many thoughts or beliefs. History has it that in the 19th century there are families within Eruku community who are the real originators, in advancement for the worshiping of Female EPA and Male EPA the reigning monarch then supported and gave freehand to practice without hindrance even till date.
It was in appreciation of this gesture by the Monarch who will always comes out during the event in his full regalia, and made it a point of duty to dance round through the market and to pay homage down to his sons and daughters
But today the festival has gone beyond what it used to be. All sons and daughters of Erukuland, home and in diaspora, irrespective of their religious differences look forward to the festival as we bring new innovations to this heritage.
“I remember when I was young and in primary/secondary school, I would leave my house in Odolomu compound at Balogun House as early as 5 pm and walk all way to Oke ogi just to join other children that will hold leaves and be singing and dancing. It was such fun for us then because it allowed us to join in the colorful festival and to learn more about our culture also meet old friends seeing our Kaabiesi Owa of Eruku in his full regalia with his chiefs and his mothers (Iye Oba) who will also appeared in full White attire”.
The major highlights and attractions of the Eruku annual yam festival are the parades of the Owa and his Chief with those agedwomen ( Age Grades) and the equestrian displays of the EPAs, Efon dancing along with the families couples with the traditional drums (Eku)
“The whole essence of the annual yam festival celebrations is to bring peace and lasting unit amongst Erukuans both home and in diaspora” says Akogun of Erukuland
Watch out for the grand finale today as major Television stations, other press men would be granted exclusive interview by the Owa of Erukuland for full and future documentary which would later be shown on DSTV & STARTIMES. The allotted date, time shall be communicated shortly
Fidelity Partners ImpactHER to Empower 1,052 Female Entrepreneurs with Sales Skills
Fidelity Bank, a leading financial institution in Nigeria, has collaborated with ImpactHER to support 1,052 female entrepreneurs across the 36 states of Nigeria in addressing the challenges they face in their small and medium-sized businesses. Through diverse training on digital skills and direct business support, beneficiaries from two cohorts have been able to improve visibility for their businesses and consequently, increase sales.
The training, which commenced in January 2022, has had two cohorts that lasted for four weeks each, covering a myriad of topics such as Digital marketing, building your brand and selling online, etc. The participants were also assisted in putting their businesses on Google Maps, thus allowing customers and the global market to easily find and transact business with them.
Commenting on the partnership, Osita Ede, Divisional Head, Product Development at Fidelity Bank Plc said, “It has become imperative that female entrepreneurs in Africa are empowered to overcome the lack of digital literacy which impedes them from fully reaping the benefits of the digital transformation underway across Africa, and the world. We believe providing them this access will help them to thrive in their different businesses.”
According to Efe Ukala, Founder of ImpactHER, “Statistically, women and girls are 25 per cent less likely to leverage digital technology for basic purposes, 4 times less likely to know how to programme computers and 13 times less likely to file for technology patents. This therefore highlights the importance of equipping African women with digital skills that could be leveraged to scale their businesses. Let’s not forget that data shows that Africa can add 180 billion Dollars to its GDP by 2025 if we close the e-commerce digital gap.”
This intervention is critical as the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for 2019/2020 highlighted that millions of women worldwide have started businesses over the last five years alone: the highest percentage of these women live in Africa, with approximately 26% of female adults engaged in entrepreneurial activity yet the World Bank confirms through data collected in ten African countries that on average, male-owned companies have six times more capital than female owned enterprises, resulting in monthly profits of female-owned enterprises that are, on average, 38% lower than male-owned businesses.
Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank operating in Nigeria with over 6.5 million customers serviced across its 250 business offices and digital banking channels. The bank was recently recognized as the Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking & Finance Awards. The bank has also won awards for the “Fastest Growing Bank” and “MSME & Entrepreneurship Financing Bank of the Year” at the 2021 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
The bank boasts of a robust bouquet of products designed to help female-led small businesses run successfully including digital loans and HerFidelity -a proposition comprising exciting features such as capacity development initiatives, access to finance, recognition and networking events, health and wellness programmes, etc, all designed to speak to the yearnings of women.
Clementina Uzogor, the Programs Director at ImpactHER, highlighted the importance of helping women with skills like this to take their businesses to the next level. “At ImpactHER, it is our mission to ensure that we equip these women with tools for their businesses to thrive”, she explained.
She also appreciated Fidelity Bank for working with them to ensure the programme was successful and impactful. “It is important to let you know that this is not the end of this training. We will be deepening our partnership with Fidelity to train and support 5,000 more women-led small and medium sized businesses in the country before the year runs out”, she divulged.
An excited participant from the second cohort, Ms Akinyemi Oluronke, a fashion designer from Lagos underscored the benefits of joining the training for her business, “I’ve been able to build an online presence, people now know my business exists and I get a lot of calls from people who found my business online. I am very grateful for this platform and the overall increase in sales I now enjoy.”
According to Carine Nneka Achokwu, another participant from the January 2022 cohort and CEO of Carine Bakery, a company that produces pastries and cakes in Lagos, Nigeria, “I have been able to increase sales by 40% after using the tools that was provided to me such as “Google My Business” and people have been calling to order from me and I’ve also been able to reach more customers. I am thankful that I can get people to patronize my business just by tapping my phone based on the knowledge I acquired at this training.”
ImpactHER is an impact-driven nonprofit organization that empowers African female entrepreneurs by bridging the gender business financing gap so as to assist them in realizing their full economic potential. ImpactHER has since its inception trained, directly supported with investor-readiness and business scalability skills & tools to over 44, 275 women across 53 countries in Africa.
This partnership also provides follow-up training and support for the participants and is one of the ways ImpactHER and Fidelity Bank help these women scale up their offerings.
The Product Odyssey: Oluwafunke Akingboye’s Leadership in Tech
Oluwafunke Kofoworade is a dynamic and passionate Product Manager with five years of experience in driving product innovation and delivering human-centered solutions. She is currently the Lead Product Manager at Regaleon, a Lagos-based technology and creative powerhouse revolutionizing how digital services are built and experienced in Africa. At Regaleon, Oluwafunke plays a central role in aligning digital product strategy with user needs, leading cross-functional teams, and crafting delightful user experiences across web, mobile, and enterprise platforms.
What inspired you to pursue a career in Product Management, and what keeps you passionate about it?
I’ve always been fascinated by how people interact with digital products. Initially, it started with analyzing mobile apps—figuring out what made some intuitive while others felt clunky. That curiosity evolved into a mission: to create experiences that solve real-world problems. As a Product Manager, I find immense joy in the impact we create. At Regaleon, we build products that help businesses operate more effectively while leaving a human touch—something we call “putting a smile” on the user’s face.
What challenges have you faced as a Gen Z building your Product career in Africa, and how did you overcome them?
One major challenge was access to mentorship and structured learning opportunities early in my career. I turned to online resources, communities, and side projects to gain experience. It also wasn’t easy to be taken seriously in executive conversations, but I learned how to lead with value, present data, and always let the product speak for itself. With time and consistent delivery, I earned the trust of stakeholders.
What makes a great Product Manager, and what advice do you have for aspiring young professionals?
A great Product Manager is empathetic, data-informed, and outcome-driven. Empathy lets you connect with your users, data helps you validate decisions, and a focus on outcomes keeps you aligned with business value. My advice? Start small—build things, break them, learn fast. Join communities, seek feedback, and never stop being curious. Your soft skills matter just as much as your technical abilities.At Regaleon, you work in a very dynamic and multi-disciplinary environment.
How do you align product strategies with such diverse verticals?
Regaleon is truly unique. Our entrepreneurial culture means we’re constantly innovating across IT, engineering, and digital media. It requires staying agile and deeply listening—to users, clients, and the market. I begin every product with discovery sessions that cut across departments and industries. The goal is always the same: identify pain points and solve them in a way that feels intuitive and impactful. Whether we’re designing an app interface or launching a video ad tech product, we ensure the solution creates a moment of delight—a smile.
What tools or trends have significantly influenced your product practice?
Tools like Jira, Figma, and Notion have become staples—they make collaboration seamless. I also stay tuned to trends like no-code/low-code platforms, AI-assisted product development, and accessibility-first design. These have enabled me to deliver faster and more inclusive solutions, particularly useful in an emerging market context.
How do you balance creativity and functionality in your role?
Balancing both starts with understanding the user’s core need. At Regaleon, we never create for the sake of aesthetics alone. My approach is “function-first, delight-second.” Once the backbone is solid, I work with our designers to inject beauty into usability. For example, in one recent logistics solution, we simplified the UI while retaining backend power—resulting in 40% faster onboarding for SMEs.Collaboration is crucial in product development.
How do you work with engineers, marketers, and designers?
Collaboration is where the magic happens. I make it a point to involve all stakeholders early. Engineers help validate technical feasibility, designers bring in empathy and creativity, while marketers ensure messaging is aligned. At Regaleon, we function more like a startup incubator—agile, quick to pivot, and driven by feedback loops. I facilitate cross-functional meetings, retrospectives, and design sprints that promote transparency and collective ownership.
What’s your next goal as a Product Manager?
My next goal is to lead Regaleon’s expansion into AI-driven digital products. I’m also passionate about mentoring the next generation of product leaders in Africa. There’s so much raw talent on the continent, and I want to help create the platforms and resources that empower them to thrive.
What’s your vision for the future of product leadership in Africa?
I envision Africa not just as a consumer of tech but as a creator of world-class digital solutions. The challenges we face here are unique, and solving them requires localized thinking and bold innovation. I see product leadership evolving into a strategic function, with PMs driving change not just in startups, but in government, education, and infrastructure too.
Lastly, any advice for young Nigerians looking to get into Product Management?
Learn by doing. Start with side projects, internships, or volunteering. Study products you love—reverse-engineer them. Build your communication and stakeholder management skills. And most importantly, believe that your ideas matter. Africa needs builders, and the time to start is now.
FIRSTBANK PARTNERS WITH ELOY FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF FEMALE OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES
In furtherance of the need to empower female business owners across the country, The ELOY Foundation, in partnership with FirstBank presents the ELOY Foundation Business Shower, created to support female entrepreneurs on their journey to building sustainable businesses. The support from FirstBank will be carried out through the FirstGem loan scheme designed for female-owned or partnered MSMEs and its SMEConnect initiative.
The partnership focuses on key sectors of the economy and designed to have female entrepreneurs exposed to essential business skills like training, networking and the ELOY Foundation Business Toolkit, a compilation of business survival skills nuggets. The business shower will avail businesses a platform to pitch their ideas to win seed grants and join the ELOY Foundation Sustainable Empowerment Programme 2022. Participants will also be able to access the FirstGem single digit loan, where eligible.
The ELOY Foundation Business Shower will hold in 5 locations across the country. Kicking off in Lagos on 23 June 2022, the train moves to Port Harcourt on 25 June 2022, then Abuja on 30 June 2022. In July, Kano and Abia will host female business owners on the 2nd and 7th, respectively.
The ELOY Awards Foundation Business Showers will offer an avenue to sustain women empowerment by providing entrepreneurial training and mentorship from experienced businessmen and women, arming participants with tools and information to help them grow their businesses.
According to Tewa Onasanya, Founder of the ELOY Awards Foundation, “it is not just enough to talk about empowering business owners, it is very important to sustain empowerment by providing guidance towards their business progress and giving them access to different resources to help them continue to thrive. MSMEs are the backbone of any nation and there is a great need to sustain this chain of the economy. It is on this common ground that FirstBank has partnered with the ELOY Team to contribute meaningfully in empowering women to achieve fulfilment in their chosen business endeavours.”
Speaking on the partnership, Folake An-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank said, “we commend ELOY Foundation for their efforts on this initiative as the continued strengthening and inclusiveness of female driven business endeavours is essential to the growth of the national economy. We are happy to partner with ELOY Foundation on its Business Shower. Together, we will drive the entrepreneurial viability of participants and expose them to business nuggets that will take their business to the next level.
Woven into the fabric of society for over 128 years, FirstBank plays a leading role in supporting women through strategic empowerment, capacity building and mentorship programs for women in MSME, leveraging its FirstGem and SMEConnect propositions to women across diverse sectors of the economy as well as strategic partnerships with women empowerment organisations like ELOY.
Registration is currently ongoing for the ELOY Business Shower via the link below.
Female business owners are encouraged to send in their business pitch video and business plan for a spot on the ELOY Foundation Sustainable Empowerment Program and a chance to win a grant for their business.
UBA Foundation Joins Rest of the World to Celebrate International Day of the African Child
….Donates Books, Reading Sessions Across Africa . In commemoration of the 2022 International Day of the African Child, the UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, on Thursday, joined the rest of the world to celebrate African children by holding reading sessions for school children across the African continent and donating thousands of books in a special ‘Read Africa’ initiative
UBA Foundation’s Read Africa initiative was birthed almost two decades ago with a purpose of ensuring that African school children continue to read as they further their education. Read Africa also supports African authors in different languages(English, French, Portuguese, Swahili) through the selection and purchase of books by African authors from different countries on the continent.
In celebration of the African child, the UBA Foundation visited schools and orphanages across Africa donating thousands of books, school bags, food and other gifts as they stressed the importance of education and the expansion of knowledge.
At one of the reading sessions which was held at the Joef Dynamic College, Obalende, Lagos, the Foundation, led by its Managing Director/CEO, Bola Atta talked to the school children about topics ranging from financial literacy and the importance of imbibing a good reading culture to developing business acumen and following through passionately.
During her interaction with the school children, Bola Atta emphasised that every child deserves the right to learn. She told them, “The pursuit of knowledge should be a lifelong activity that starts at a very young age. You should cultivate an interest in reading not just academic text books but different types of books that will allow you to explore cultures and worlds outside your immediate environment so that you can expand your knowledge and your mind’ Atta said.
Whilst answering questions from the students, the Foundation’s CEO highlighted that one of the main objectives of the UBA Foundation is uplifting lives and communities on the African continent by creating dynamic educational platforms for future generations and future leaders.
June 16 every year has been set aside by the United Nations as the International Day of the African Child to celebrate children in Africa and to recognise the courage of students who marched for their right to better education in Soweto, South Africa.
The Vice Principal of Joef Dynamic College, Danladi Ladan, in his appreciation of UBA Foundation’s visit to the school and donations of books and other educational items said “Our school will continue to inculcate the habit of reading amongst students as we believe a society of knowledge is a panacea towards development.” He called on other corporate organisations to emulate UBA Foundation’s initiatives especially in the area of educational development.
UBA Foundation remains committed to its three key pillars which are Education, Empowerment and Environment. The Foundation has been actively involved in facilitating educational projects and bridging the literacy-wide gap on an African wide scale for close to two decades.
