THE equities market will continue to trend up this week after recording a marginal increase of 0.30 percent.

LAFARGE Africa Plc has opened application for N89.12 billion rights issues to its existing shareholders.

THE African Securities Exchanges Association, ASEA’s working group has identified high cost of listing and poor corporate governance as part of the factors hindering Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, from listing on African Exchanges.

HERITAGE Bank Plc has announced a partnership with AFRICANMED and the Chinese community in Nigeria aimed at developing the country’s health sector and bringing down the rate of medical tourism by Nigerians. 

WAPIC Insurance Plc has launched an innovative travel insurance product specifically designed to cover individuals against unforeseen incidents during international travels.

AFRICA Reinsurance Corporation, Africa Re, has launched its stand alone firm to take care of its corporate social responsibility.  Called Africa Re, the foundation is to commence operation in January 2019.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah has welcomed the plans of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to collaborate with the ministry and its agencies on capacity building and support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

MICROFINANCE Bank, MfB, operators have condemned plans by Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to establish National Microfinance Bank, saying it is against one of the principles establishing the industry. Also, the operators challenged the CBN to make public, names of MfBs who secured the intervention funds and defaulted.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the 2019 budget presented to the national assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari is “fundamentally flawed”.

 Prof. Tamunopriye Agiobenebo, the President, Nigerian Economic Society (NES), says Nigerians have mixed feelings about the budget because of the poor implementation rate.

One of Nigeria’s oldest financial institutions, Union Bank, on Friday night admitted ownership of a large consignment of cash which anti-graft operatives said they intercepted at the international airport in Enugu.

YENAGOA—GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has presented an appropriation bill of over N275 billion to the state House of Assembly for approval and passage for the 2019 fiscal year.

The founder of African Food Network, an online platform that seeks to promote African food recipes, Mr. Kevin Eze, has said that the food sector can accelerate economic growth and revenue generation for the government.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, says the TraderMoni initiative under the Social Investment Programme was to uplift and boost the businesses of petty traders across the country.

LAGOS—Economic experts have disagreed over the decision of the federal government to retain $60 per barrel as its crude oil price benchmark for budget 2019 in spite of recent slide in crude oil price below $60 per barrel.