GROUP Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Transnational Incorporation (ETI), Mr. Ade Ayeyemi, has said that Nigeria can create more jobs for its population by utilising available opportunities to increase its export revenue.

IN order to ensure that more Nigerians enjoy the benefits of a digital eco-system that is mobile centric, Sterling Bank has partnered with telecommunications giants 9Mobile and Solo Phones to introduce a contract smartphone pre-bundled with mobile plans to new and existing customers of the Bank.

As a strategic move to boost our working capital and sustain competitive edge we secured a four-year N2 billion soft loan from the Bank of Industry (BOI) at concessionary interest rate. We could not go to the capital market because the market lacked liquidity due to the economic recession in the country then. Mind you, the market does not work in isolation. The economic situation affects the market. The option we had was to approach BOI as we could no longer cope with banks’ loans

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate,  PTAD, recently commenced the first phase of verification exercise of defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and its mobile subsidiary, MTEL. At the Ketu, Lagos centre, Leader of NITEL/MTEL Pensioners Union, Comrade Austin Onokpise told Vanguard that the decision by the federal government to start paying them pensions have brought relieve to them. Excerpts:

THE Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has commenced verification of about 6000 pensioners of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, (NITEL) and its mobile subsidiary, MTEL in the Ketu centre of    Lagos state. 

THE total value of shares on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, NSE, rose to N16.15 trillion last week, the highest in the 57 years of the Exchange, with  investors gaining N2.6 trillion in a  three-week  boom dominated curiously by lowly priced Tier-2 and Tier-3 banks.

There is an adage that says: “There are no bad followers but bad leaders.” So you need to do your assignment before you pass your money to your customers. We talk about policies relating to risk and the types of policy we have are policies that tell us to begin and end a loan. There are businesses we can do and not do. The things we look out for are cash flow of the person, integrity of the person and sustainability. Once the customer has met all the conditions, we disburse the money.

THE Debt Management Office (DMO) will, this week, offer N110 billion worth of FGN bonds in commencement of  its 2018 bond issuance programme, prompting expectations of reduced liquidity mop-up operations by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Last week, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, held a session with stakeholders in the capital market where it reviewed activities in the stock market for the past year and also made projections into the new year. Some of the issues discussed  at the event, which was presided over by Oscar Onyema, the Chief Executive, NSE, included the need to increase level of activities  in the market via active participation of the domestic retail investors, revival of Initial Public Offers, IPOs, and the need to do more with regards to the protection of minority investors’ interest, especially as it relates to recent  delisting of some companies among others. PETER EGWUATU & NKIRUKA NNOROM were there and captured the interaction for Financial Vanguard.

THE National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, has said that prospective microinsurers must maintain a statutory deposit of 10 percent of the minimum capital requirement with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.