Author: starconnect
By Blaise Udunze I Tuesday, August 04, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Do you know that history rarely produces leaders whose names become synonymous with development? In Nigeria’s post-independence political history, only a few governors have achieved that distinction. And, among them stands Dee Sam Mbakwe, whose tenure as Governor of the old Imo State between 1979 and 1983 permanently and to date altered public expectations of what purposeful leadership could accomplish. One of the enduring criticisms of many Nigerian states is their dependence on monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), with limited attention paid to…
By Emmanuel Thomas I Tuesday, August 04, 2026 ASABA, Delta, Nigeria — The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has partnered with private sector organisations across the Niger Delta region to train women on leveraging their skills, talents, and local resources for sustainable wealth creation and economic independence. The initiative was highlighted during an empowerment programme organized to commemorate the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) in Asaba, Delta State. Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Godwin Edozie, challenged women to take practical steps toward financial autonomy…
Admin I Tuesday, August 04, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Interswitch Group, Africa’s leading integrated digital payments and commerce company, together with global banking software provider Temenos, jointly paid a courtesy visit to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week, in a continued demonstration of their strategic partnership to advance the modernization of Nigeria’s financial services sector. It would be recalled that earlier in June 2026, Interswitch and Temenos officially announced a strategic partnership across Africa which will see Interswitch leverage Temenos solutions – across core banking, digital banking, payments, wealth management and financial crime mitigation – to provide cloud-hosted…
By SCM Foreign Desk I Monday, August 03,2026 A WILD scheme to surround a high-security prison with live crocodiles has been sensationally frozen by a top judge after animal rights campaigners stepped in. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wanted to unleash giant man-eating Nile crocodiles into a specially dug trench surrounding Ketziot Prison, where Palestinians are held. The high-security facility—sprawled across the sun-baked Negev desert—holds thousands of high-risk Palestinian prisoners. Heavy machinery had already begun carving out a massive 560ft (170m) moat around one of the prison’s most secure wings. Officials insisted the plan was…
Admin I Monday, August 03, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – First HoldCo is now worth more than ₦6 trillion, its chairman has become its largest shareholder with a 25.8% stake, and one of Nigeria’s most closely watched corporate turnarounds appears to be entering a defining new phase. Femi Otedola rarely grants interviews, making this conversation with Nairametrics particularly significant. It also comes at a pivotal moment for both the billionaire investor and First HoldCo. Having committed hundreds of billions of naira of his personal wealth to the institution, Otedola has said little publicly about why he made that bet,…
Admin I Monday, August 03, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN, has been urged to continuously evolve their skills, operating models and creative approaches to remain relevant in an industry being reshaped by artificial intelligence, changing consumer behaviour and emerging technologies. Speaking at the annual meeting of the AAAN in Lagos, Meksley Nwagboh, Divisional Head, Brand and Communications, Fidelity Bank Plc, described the transformation of advertising as an opportunity for practitioners to rethink how they create value, serve clients and connect brands with consumers. Addressing participants on the theme, “AdVolution: The End of…
Admin I Monday, August 03, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and the leading financial inclusion service provider, has reinforced its commitment to empowering women-owned businesses with the successful execution of the maiden edition of Spark A Gem Challenge. The initiative, a flagship Women-Preneur Pitch-a-Ton programme under the Bank’s FirstGem proposition, was designed to provide women entrepreneurs with access to business education, mentorship, ecosystem connections, and funding opportunities. It aligns with FirstBank’s vision of supporting women-led enterprises beyond access to finance, positioning the Bank as a long-term partner in growth. The programme attracted significant interest…
Admin I Monday, August 03, 2026 ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will, on Wednesday, 5th August 2026, host the Final Pitching Exercise of the NASENI Innovation Assessment & Awards Programme (NIAAP), bringing together some of Nigeria’s most promising innovators to compete for top honours in the Agency’s Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency Innovation Competitions. The Final Pitching Exercise marks the culmination of NASENI’s boldest innovation competition yet. From 180 applications submitted across NASENI Development Institutes and 81 applications received from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) nationwide, a rigorous assessment process has produced the…
THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA I Monday, August 02, 2026 CAPE TOWN; South Africa — THE PUSHBACKS against the proposed reforms by Federation of International Football, (FIFA) for its tournaments to include the private sector and for an expanded World Cup, are not really surprising. If football is truly, The People’s Game, it must empower all people and all nations. Football can never continue to be dominated by few nations and people on-and-off the pitch Since the beginning of time, human beings are known to have resisted any form of change, even if the change was to be beneficial to…
Admin I Monday, August 02, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Growth was maintained in the Nigerian private sector during July as firms again signalled a marked increase in new orders during the month. In turn, output and employment also rose, albeit modestly. Meanwhile, inflationary pressures softened. The headline figure derived from the survey is the Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI®). Readings above 50.0 signal an improvement in business conditions on the previous month, while readings below 50.0 show a deterioration. Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria PMI Index, sa, >50 = improvement m/m. Dots = long-run average since January 2014. 60 55…