The National Chairman, Constance  Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Shehu Mallam Mikail, in an interview with Financial Vanguard spoke on the merger between Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, CCNN Plc and BUA Cement, saying that shareholders will benefit more from the combined entity. He also said that the merger will also enhance the output of cement production in the country. Excerpts:

FOLLOWING the low participation by retail investors in the first Sovereign Sukuk Public Offer issued last year by the federal government, the Debt Management Office, DMO, weekend, said more arrangement has been put in place in the second N100 billion Sukuk Public Offer to attract this segment of investors.

Michael Larbie is the Chief Executive Officer of Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria, a subsidiary of the South Africa based FirstRand Group. In this interview Labie speaks on the bank’s effort to distinguish itself in the intensely competitive Nigerian banking industry. He also spoke on the forthcoming general election and its impact on the economy.

In this interview, Head, Agric & Micro Insurance at Leadway Assurance, Mr Ayoola Fatona suggests ways to deepen micro insurance acceptance among SMEs

STAKEHOLDERS and regulators in the microfinance subsector have harped on the need to use digitization as a tool for deepening financial inclusion in order to achieve the goal of empowering Nigerians. They stated this at the second Financial Inclusion Seminar of Accion Microfinance Bank (AMfB), with the theme: “Digitization as a Tool for Deepening Financial Inclusion and the Role of Regulation.”

Provoked  by Tuesday’s protest by National Assembly workers over non-payment of allowances and benefits, the House of Representatives, yesterday, resolved to invite the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, to appear before its Finance Committee to explain the reasons for the non-release of 2018 budgetary allocations to the legislature and the judiciary.

The revenue of the states in the country will be further strained in the coming months owing to their rising debt portfolio and cost of servicing those debts.

THE Lagos State Government Service Commission, LGSC, has approved the programmers’ and Certification of Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria, CILGPAN, for council Employees of Lagos state of curricular appreciation.

The Federal  Government has begun moves to dialogue with oil marketers over debts owed them, to avert a fuel crisis in the forthcoming festive season.

THE Bank of Industry (BoI), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) are among corporate giants that have shown interest in participating in the Second Northern Nigeria Solid Minerals Fair and Workshop holding from 13 to 15 December at the Legbo Kutigi International Conference Center, Minna, Niger State.