THE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and stakeholders have lamented persistence of gender inequality in the financial sector.

HERITAGE Bank Plc said it will partner with    the    Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to provide financing for building critical maritime infrastructures and other aspects of transport sector projects once policies driving the projects are well structured.

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has concluded plans to commence a certification programme on SME financing starting from April 2019.

Opportunities abound in technology which Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) can explore to meet customers’ needs and grow their businesses, John Obaro, Managing Director of SystemSpecs, has said.

Wema Bank Plc said it has entered into partnerships with Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to improve access to cheaper funds for small businesses in Nigeria, recently.

Former Director General of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, CIIN, and Managing Director of Krabond Insurance Brokers Limited, Mr. Kola Ahmed, in this interview talks on issues in the insurance industry. Excerpts:

The plan by the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, to kick off the Tier Based Minimum Solvency Capital, TBMSC, structure from October 01, 2018 has been disrupted as a Federal High Court in Lagos has put it on hold.

Diamond Bank Plc has expressed its commitment to continue to support and reward its customers that have shown loyalty with Gempoints in the GemZone programme.

The insurance industry total liabilities for the first half of 2018, H1’18, outpaced total assets compelling stakeholders to call for rebalancing and caution.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Trustfund Microfinance Bank, MfB, Limited, Mr. Victor Ohuoba, in this interview said that the idea of pledging treasury bill to access intervention funds should be revisited while highlighting other issues that affect the sub sector.
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The interbank money market is enveloped by apprehension over direction of cost of funds this week following the resurgence of liquidity mop by the CBN last week which occasioned the first weekly decline in cost of funds in four weeks.

The value of mobile money transactions  through licensed mobile payment operators (interscheme)  fell by 23 percent, year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2018 (H1’18). The volume of transactions however rose 53 percent within the same period.

Wells Hosa Green House Farms Limited in Benin City recently inaugurated its farm. In this interview, Managing Director, Bright Okunbor, told journalists that while intending to export its produce in future, the immediate plan is to satisfy the Nigerian market.Excerpts

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, is responsible for the management of pensions under the old pension scheme, the Defined Benefit Scheme, DBS, for pensioners who did not transit to the new Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS. Executive Secretary of PTAD, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, in this interview talks on efforts to eradicate fraud in the pension scheme. Excerpts:

National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association, ISAN, Mr. Adeniyi Adebisi, in this interview with Financial Vanguard spoke on audit committee membership and the provision of CAMA as well as government policy that affects the petroleum marketing companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE. Excerpts: