First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced that the 2020 edition of its annual FinTech Summit is scheduled to hold tomorrow, Thursday, 6 August 2020 by 12.00 noon. The event will be virtually held via Zoom Meetings.
The 2020 edition of the summit, which is the fourth in its series is themed; “How Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence will Disrupt FinTech in Nigeria” and will be discussed by experts, key and leading players, policy influencers and regulatory officials in the Nigerian financial, banking and technological climate. To participate in the event, participants are expected to click the designated link to register.
Chinedu Echeruo, Founder of HopStop which was sold to Apple for $1bn will be leading the discussion as the Keynote speaker alongside other panelists; Musa Itopa Jimoh, Director, Payments System Management Department and Aminu Maida, Executive Director, Technology & Operations, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
Representing FirstBank in the panel of discussants are Callistus Obetta, Group Executive, Technology & Services and Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products
Speaking on the event, Mr. Gbenga Shobo, Deputy Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said; “at FirstBank, we have been at the forefront of employing technology in the delivery of financial services in the country exemplified by our various products and services such as FirstMobile, USSD Banking services, FirstMonie Wallet, FirstMonie Agent Banking, FirstAdvance loans provisions
The 2020 edition of our FINTECH summit will build on the successes achieved in the last three editions. We welcome the panelists as we look forward to the shared knowledge which will be integral to deepening the continued growth of banking technology, especially its impact on the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria and the continent at large.
Technology continues to play a fundamental role in driving financial inclusion and strengthening the growth of SMEs that contribute significantly to the development of the country.
We encourage members of the public, players in the fintech and financial climate to register, as there is knowledge for everyone,” he concluded.
COVID 19: COCA-COLA empowers 5000 women for economic recovery
In a bid to upskill and empower women through recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, The Coca-Cola Company through its philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation, has partnered with Nigeria-based NGO, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, to help equip 5000 women with relevant vocational skills and business training.
The grant, awarded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, represents efforts to continually make a difference in the lives of women who remain pillars of the society; by providing business-focused trainings through its local implementing partner, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, with the purpose of enhancing business acumen and scaling up micro enterprises to guarantee sustenance for themselves and their families.
The capacity building program tagged “Catalyst for Change” will be implemented by Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation across five communities in Lagos state and will directly impact the lives of 5000 women across Iwaya, Oworonshoki, Sangotedo, Magboro and Ogijo communities with 1000 of these women receiving funding and support to set up their small-scale enterprises.
Business training modules to be delivered by experienced facilitators will focus on personal & product branding, business foundations and basic accounting while artisanry trainings will cover courses in wig making, make-up, fashion and designing, household essentials, shoe making, amongst others, over the course of a five-month period with the program kicking off this August. Other partners providing support to the program include The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Speaking on this program, Bukola Bamiduro, Founder of Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, expressed her gratitude for the grant saying, “Poverty is the greatest threat to our existence as it fuels crime, despair and vices. The impact of COVID-19 has further escalated poverty in Nigeria and so we are delighted with this partnership and the execution of the program as these women will become catalysts in their communities, pulling their families out of poverty”.
Also commenting on the program, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, remarked, “This is yet another way through which our Company is passionately contributing to the recovery of our economy following this devastating pandemic. Our desire is to continue to economically uplift as many women as possible in Nigeria as we recognise their critical roles in society. We are confident that this new partnership will go a long way in supporting women and providing them a means of livelihood through the recovery phase”.
Be fraud smart, Access Bank urges customers
As the Nigerian banking industry witnesses increased regulatory scrutiny due to the impact of COVID-19, bank customers have not been spared from the whims of fraudsters.
To this end, Access Bank has once again urged customers to remain vigilant and beware of the common tricks used by fraudsters to rob them of their monies.
Commenting on the issue, Mr. Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director of Retail Banking, Access Bank Plc, expressed concern about the growing number of fraud cases being reported. He implored customers to take more responsibility in safeguarding their funds and offered reassurance of the Bank’s commitment to providing information relevant to identifying and fending off fraudsters.
“Over the last few months, the number of reported fraud cases has spiked considerably. This is not unexpected as the current economic hardships experienced due to COVID-19 has caused many to be vulnerable. However, this trend has become very disturbing, while we urge customers to become more aware of the tactics employed by fraudsters. Access Bank will continue to educate customers on how to avoid falling victims as well as deploy resources to ensure the security of customers funds.” Etuokwu said
“The Bank has identified smishing, phishing, social engineering, and identity theft as the most common methods used by fraudsters. To aid the fight against this common enemy, we have put more power in the hands of our customers, through a designated USSD code. We have provided a platform through which customers can immediately deactivate their USSD profile by dialling a designated code from any phone in the event their mobile devices get lost or stolen,” he continued.
Through the years, Access Bank has remained committed to educating its customers, informing and protecting them from fraudsters. The Bank has created dedicated pages on its official website that constantly educate customers on the schemes and tricks employed by fraudsters.
Responding to queries made by customers saying the fraudsters approached them disguising as the Bank’s staff, Etuokwu added that, “Customers should be on alert as the Bank will never ask for personal information such PIN, BVN, 16-digit card number, CVV, password, OTP or Authentication Code for the mobile banking app. We urge our customers to ignore such calls, text messages or emails”.
Why GBfoods reinvented its Bama product with state-of-the-art factory in Nigeria
Bama Mayonnaise, leading mayonnaise brand from the portfolio of GBfoods Nigeria, recently completed its state-of-the-art production factory in Sango, Ogun State. The factory which is the largest in Sub Saharan Africa, will support the manufacturing of the original recipe Bama mayonnaise for Nigeria and West Africa. The factory successfully rolled out its first batch of products to the Nigerian market recently. GBfoods Nigeria is a subsidiary of GBfoods Africa, a partnership between GBfoods and Helios Investment Partners.
This investment is an added assurance of GBfoods’ commitment to continually contribute to Nigeria’s economic and social development through the localization of its products. The factory draws from a blend of GBfoods rich global practices and regional experiences to support consumers growing needs, whilst highlighting the opportunity for their communities to be a part of the long-standing heritage. This will, in turn, make Nigeria a key export hub for Africa and will further lead to the creation of jobs and the development of human capital in the country.
Mr. Vicenç Bosch, Chief Executive Officer, GBfoods Africa reiterated Bama’s commitment to maintaining its original recipe developed over 80 years ago in the United States of America while being produced in Nigeria. He said, “The tradition and origin of American recipes is what makes Bama unique and superior in comparison with our competitors”.
Bosch further went to state “Our priority when building this international standard production facility in Nigeria was to make sure we were able to meet the demands of our customers, not only in Nigeria but also in other African countries”.
In addition to the new factory, the company has also unveiled a new packaging design, featuring a quality stamp to reiterate the product’s category-leading position, and to emphasize its superior quality and taste to consumers. With the quality stamp feature, customers are now able to identify and purchase original Bama products. The new design stays true to the corporate colours, brand characters, and label art that is synonymous with Bama Mayonnaise while making the shelf presence and overall impact much stronger. Bama’s superior formula and product have been uniquely put to the test, delivering a smooth texture and mouthwatering creamy experience to deliver the taste which spreads moments of love to all its consumers.
Speaking on the commissioning of the factory, Mr. Vincent Egbe, the Managing Director, GBfoods Africa, Nigeria Business Unit said, “Our growth and expansion plans for Nigeria are long-term and this investment is a testament to the industrial and infrastructural advancement that GBfoods is bringing not only to Nigeria but to Africa as a whole, we aim to make Nigeria an archetype in food security and also to become the food basket of Africa”.
“Over the last couple of years, one of the things that we have ensured is to establish Bama as the gold standard of Mayonnaise, not just in Nigeria but across Africa. Our quality commitment to our product means that our customers and our consumers know that they are getting the very best mayonnaise product developed in the USA, designed and produced in Nigeria”, Egbe added.