WE begin a review of First Half 2017 (H1’17) corporate scorecards with some form of spotlights on some select companies.
Lafarge Africa Plc which announced a second quarter 2017 (Q2’17) result last week, has excited investors amidst its controversial recapitalisation program. Revenue grew by 33.8 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) while net profit was N14.57 billion, moving sharply from a loss of N28.37 billion same period of last year. Compared to Q1’17, however, revenue and profit before tax (PBT) were down 9.6 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively.

NATIONAL Insurance Commission (NAICOM) said that 12 insurance companies were acquired in the last three years.
Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, who made the disclosure in Abuja, said that there were three foreign acquisitions in 2014, two in 2015, five in 2016 while talks to acquire two companies are now in progress.

FIDELITY Bank Plc has again demonstrated its desire to continuously improve on customer service with the introduction of a personalized self-service feedback system on its flagship Instant Banking Product *770#. This pioneering initiative, which is the first of its kind in the Nigerian banking industry, will take customer service a notch higher.

STANBIC IBTC Bank has launched a fresh customer value proposition targeted at high net worth individuals who desire an exclusive and differentiated banking service experience.

DIAMOND Bank Plc has achieved asset base of N2 trillion in the first half, H1 of 2017, while its profitability rose by 2.8 per cent during the period.
The bank disclosed this in its H1 2017 financial results released on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos.

THE interbank money market will this week receive liquidity boost of N966 billion inflow from statutory allocation funds and payment of matured treasury bills (TBs). The expected inflow will revive market liquidity, which fell drastically last week by 92 per cent to N12 billion on Friday from N177.48 billion on Monday.

A 36 years old former News Agency of Nigeria’s correspondent, Ariyo Raphael Dare Atoye, has joined the Ekiti governorship race following the passage of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill by the Senate which has reduced the age bracket for people to contest governorship or presidential positions in Nigeria.

THREE persons including a 23 years old boy, were Saturday crushed to death by Dangote truck after it allegedly failed breake by the Army checkpoint at Ekrerhavwen junction, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State and rammed into over 12 cars.

Katsina State Commissioner of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf has on Sunday disclosed plans by the Governor Aminu Bello Masari’s led administration to establish a refinery in the state.

A doctor, Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese, has declared he would vie for Nigeria’s presidency come 2019, maintaining that his is a revolution by ballot to make Nigeria the promised land that it ought to be. Dr. Ikubese said he is coming to save Nigeria especially because countries in the same league of ‘developing nations’with Nigeria have all left us and turned to developed countries while Nigeria is still wallowing even backwards below ‘developing nations.’