Author: starconnect
Admin I Saturday, May 09.2025 LAGOS, Nigeria – The Emirates Group has announced record-breaking financial results for the 2025-26 fiscal year, with Emirates retaining its position as the world’s most profitable airline despite major regional disruptions late in the reporting period. The Group posted a record profit before tax of AED 24.4 billion (US$6.6 billion), up 7% year-over-year, alongside record revenue of AED 150.5 billion (US$41 billion) and record cash assets of AED 59.6 billion (US$16.2 billion). His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group said: “These outstanding results,…
Admin I Saturday, May 09.26 LAGOS, Nigeria – Access Holdings Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to long-term shareholder value and sustainable returns, following a strong performance in the 2025 financial year, while providing clarity on the rationale for the non-payment of dividends for the year ended December 31, 2025. The clarification was provided during the Group’s Full Year 2025 Investors and Earnings Call, where management addressed shareholder concerns regarding the absence of a dividend declaration despite the Group’s robust earnings growth and balance-sheet expansion. Access Holdings emphasised that the non-payment of dividend for the 2025 financial year was not…
Admin I Saturday, May 09.26 LAGOS, Nigeria – Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings and a member of Standard Bank Group, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing trade and economic growth in West Africa following the successful conclusion of GTR West Africa 2026, where the Bank served as lead sponsor. The two-day conference, which was held on 22 and 23 April 2026 at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos, brought together policymakers, financial institutions, corporates and fintech players to discuss the evolving landscape of regional and global trade. The event attracted over 400 delegates from more than…
Admin I Saturday, May 09.26 KANO — The Kwankwasiyya Movement has broken its silence regarding the brewing political alliance between its national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, under the banner of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, the movement claimed that the prospect of a strategic partnership between the two political heavyweights has sent shockwaves through certain political quarters, particularly within the “Northern political establishment.” According to the movement, the growing public discussion surrounding the Kwankwaso-Obi cooperation has been met with “selective…
By abiodun KOMOLAFE I Saturday, May 09.2027 IJEBU-JESA, Osun – The key failure of the post-colonial state in Africa – transcending both ideology and individual personality – is a refusal to grasp the importance of succession planning. This failure haunts every sector, from politics to the economy, to the very way our society is held together. Governments, of course, will choose areas of priority and focus, but the general agreement remains the key focus and the engine room of decisions. Succession planning also involves the consensus to develop a consistent cadre of proven quality and promise to…
By Esther Pius Ekong I Saturday, May 09.26 LAGOS, Nigeria – From the year of our Lord, the societal myth that, “a man is never impotent and is polygamous in nature”, has ruined many men and homes. It has led to an increase in sexual immorality, which results in paternity fraud because it is often associated with married couples. Paternity fraud is a marital fraud because of Pater est quem nuptiae demonstrant. The joy of every married couple is to bear children without experiencing delay, except based on mutual understanding or factors beyond their control. If not so,…
Admin I Saturday, May 09, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, through the Fidelity Helping Hands Programme (FHHP), has funded critical support for the JKS Special Needs Academy in Abuja to ensure continued shelter and care for vulnerable children. The intervention was facilitated by a group of the bank’s newly recruited employees known as Team Valorem, as part of their induction activities. Through the FHHP, employees are empowered to actively contribute to social development by dedicating their time, resources and skills to impactful projects. Projects executed under the initiative are employee-driven, with teams encouraged to…
By SCM REPORTER I Published: May 9, 2026 ABUJA — In a move set to reshape the digital landscape of West and Central Africa, telecommunications chiefs from Nigeria and Cameroon have met for a high-stakes “benchmarking exercise” aimed at synchronizing the continent’s rapidly growing tech sectors. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), played host to his Cameroonian counterpart, Philemon Zoo Zame, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART), at the NCC’s headquarters in Abuja this week. The meeting which took place on May 6, signals a deepening of diplomatic and economic…
Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, May 08.26 LAGOS — First HoldCo Plc, one of Nigeria’s most systemically important financial institutions, has reported a significant contraction in its bottom line for the 2025 financial year, as the Group undertook a “comprehensive reset” of its balance sheet. Despite a record expansion in top-line revenue, the Group’s audited results reveal a deliberate strategy to aggressively provide for impaired loans, resulting in a 79.4% drop in post-tax profit. The Top Line: Robust Growth Amidst Volatility For the full year ended December 31, 2025, FirstHoldCo demonstrated the resilience of its core franchise, growing gross earnings by…
Titus Eleweke, Editor, South East AWKA ANAMBRA- Traditional rulers council of Anaocha Local Government Area have unanimously endorsed Chief Barr. Prince Chukwudi Oli, popularly known as Oba Ezeafia, as their preferred aspirant for the Dunukofia, Njikoka and Anaocha (DNA) Federal Constituency seat ahead of the forthcoming elections. The royal fathers reached the decision after a series of consultations, describing Oli (Oba Ezeafia) as a visionary leader with the capacity, experience, and grassroots connection needed to effectively represent the people of the constituency at the National Assembly. They noted that his contributions to community development and youth empowerment have continued…