Author: Gift Ifeanyi

LAGOS & EKET — Seplat Energy has officially triggered its 2026 talent acquisition and empowerment cycle. With two distinct programs now open for applications, the company is addressing the two biggest hurdles in the Nigerian power sector: Technical Skill Scarcity and Sustainable Energy Access. While the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (YEP) focuses on the “Green Frontier,” the Applied Technology Training Program (ATTP) reinforces the backbone of Nigeria’s current hydrocarbon production. 1. The 2026 Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (YEP): Solar & Mini-Grids Launched in 2024, this program has matured into a critical capacity-building engine for the renewable sector. The Goal: To turn young…

ABUJA — After 25 years of building infrastructure and managing technology in the United Kingdom, Odera Muoma has returned to Nigeria with a provocative thesis: Going abroad isn’t a weakness; it’s a strategic gathering of tools to build home. His newly formed Rheel Group is launching its first major offensive in March 2026 with Fyndr, a platform designed to kill the “Word-of-Mouth” inefficiency that plagues Nigerian service delivery. 1. The “Request, Connect, Deal” (RCD) Model Unlike existing classifieds (like Jiji) or social media groups where users have to sift through hundreds of unverified posts, Fyndr flips the script: The Pull…

LAGOS — While many billionaires are defined by their current net worth, Folorunsho Alakija is increasingly being studied for her Family Stewardship model. As the Executive Vice Chair of Famfa Oil Limited, Alakija has transitioned her brand from “fashion icon” to the cornerstone of a multi-sectoral empire that now serves as a benchmark for African generational wealth. 1. The Strategic Pivot: From “Supreme Stitches” to Deepwater Oil Alakija’s business history is a masterclass in Vertical and Horizontal Diversification: The 1980s (Fashion): She built Supreme Stitches, gaining the high-level social capital and “boardroom presence” necessary for her next move. The 1990s…

ABUJA & LAGOS — On the occasion of his birthday on Monday, March 23, 2026, Tony Elumelu, Chairman of UBA and Transcorp, released his annual letter detailing the exponential growth of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). What began in 2010 as a mission to fund 10,000 entrepreneurs has evolved into a continent-wide “Startup Machine” that has now surpassed $100 million in direct disbursements. 1. The Survival Rate Anomaly The most striking business statistic in Elumelu’s report isn’t the amount of money spent, but the Success Rate of the beneficiaries. Global Benchmark: Typically, only 1 out of 5 (20%) of global…

HOUSTON & ABUJA — Speaking at the CERAWeek 2026 conference in Houston, the Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has made a bold claim: Nigeria is ready to inject an additional 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) into the global market within the next few months. This comes at a critical time when the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has created a significant supply gap, putting pressure on non-Middle Eastern producers to step up. 1. The Production Target: Closing the “NUPRC Gap” While Nigeria has struggled with underperformance early this year (missing January/February targets by roughly 16.6 million barrels…

LAGOS — The “Lagos Floor” is bracing for a seismic shift. The Dangote Group has officially triggered the countdown for the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of its $20 billion refinery complex, appointing a “Triple-Threat” of financial advisors to lead a transaction that could permanently redraw the map of African equity markets. With a projected valuation of $40 billion to $50 billion, the listing of even 5% to 10% of the company would represent the largest equity offering in African history, potentially doubling the total value of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). 1. The Syndication Strategy: A Three-Pronged Attack The choice of…

ABA, ABIA STATE — While many multinational manufacturers are centralizing operations in Lagos to save costs, Ultimum Limited (an affiliate of the Kadji Group) is taking the opposite bet. By commissioning a massive new production hub for its Razzl beverage brand in Aba, the company is positioning itself to dominate the South-East and South-South markets through localized supply chain efficiency. This move marks the re-emergence of Aba—traditionally known for textiles and leather—as a competitive player in the high-tech beverage sector. 1. The Logistics Play: “Hyper-Local” Distribution In Nigeria’s current inflationary environment, the cost of transporting heavy liquids (bottled drinks) from…

LAGOS — While most 22-year-olds are just entering the corporate workforce, Adekoya Ezekiel is celebrating his eighth year as a CEO. His company, Adeze Footwear Ltd, has evolved from a secondary school curiosity into a fully operational leather-making outfit that is now competing for corporate and school contracts across Lagos. Ezekiel’s story is a case study in Bootstrapping and the Vocational-to-Industrial transition that is currently defining the “New Nigerian Economy.” 1. The Strategy of “Value and Quality” In a market flooded with cheap synthetic imports, Ezekiel has carved out a niche by doubling down on 100% genuine leather. The Competitive…

LAGOS & LONDON — The honeymoon period of President Tinubu’s historic UK state visit has officially ended. As the “diplomatic pageantry” at Windsor Castle fades, a fierce debate has ignited within Nigeria’s business and political circles: Did Nigeria secure a victory for its infrastructure, or did it merely sign a massive check for British industry? While the government celebrates $1.5 billion in commitments, high-ranking business leaders and opposition parties are sounding an alarm over the “asymmetrical” nature of the agreements. 1. The £746m “Tied-Aid” Controversy The centerpiece of the visit—the £746 million facility for Apapa and Tin Can Island ports—is…

LAGOS — In one of the most significant ecosystem moves of 2026, Moniepoint Inc. has acquired Orda Africa, a cloud-based restaurant management startup. The deal is a calculated land grab for the “food service” sector—an industry that is not only a cultural staple but a $50 billion pan-African behemoth that has historically operated in a digital vacuum. By folding Orda into its Moniebook platform, Moniepoint is moving from being a “payment guy” at the counter to being the “brain” in the kitchen. 1. Beyond the POS: The Shift to Vertical SaaS The traditional fintech model in Nigeria was: Give the…

LAGOS & EBONYI — In an era where many Nigerian businesses are struggling with foreign exchange (FX) volatility, Victor Nwokeji, the Executive Vice Chairman of Zotmann Mining Limited, has provided a blueprint for survival: Import Substitution and Asset Ownership. Nwokeji’s recent “Businessman of the Year” win at the Champion Newspaper Awards isn’t just a social milestone; it marks the successful transition of a Nigerian SME into a multi-sectoral industrial power. 1. The “Joint Venture” Entry Strategy The most significant business lesson in the Zotmann story is how they entered the mining sector in 2014 without owning a single mine. The…

LAGOS — In the world of African commerce, there is a haunting statistic: nearly 70% of family-owned businesses do not survive the transition to the second generation, and 90% fail before the third. On March 26, the Lagos Business School (LBS) is convening a high-stakes summit at the Ecobank Pan African Centre to rewrite this script. The mission of the 2026 International Family Business Conference (IFBC) is clear: move the African family business from a “survivalist” mindset to a “legacy” institution. 1. The 80% Reality Family businesses are not just “mom-and-pop” shops; they account for over 80% of private companies…

LAGOS — Imagine a job application with a 1-in-80 chance of success. That was the reality for over 265,000 young Africans who applied for the 2026 Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) flagship programme. This week, the “Final Cut” was revealed, signaling a massive injection of capital and high-level mentorship into 54 African nations. This isn’t just a donation; it is a meticulously audited transfer of wealth and knowledge designed to turn “solopreneurs” into industrial pillars. 1. The “Ernst & Young” Filter To ensure this wasn’t just a popularity contest, TEF brought in the heavy hitters. Global accounting firm Ernst & Young…

LAGOS — For the average Nigerian business owner, “Tax Day” usually involves a mountain of mismatched WhatsApp receipts, three different spreadsheets, and a panicked call to an expensive consultant. But a new heavyweight entry into the African RegTech space, TaxStreem, is betting that the future of compliance isn’t a person—it’s an API. Founded by an “Avengers-level” duo—a former Latham & Watkins tax lawyer (Kelechi Ibe) and a US-certified AI Fellow (Sam Ayo)—the platform is designed to sit quietly inside a company’s bank account and “whisper” exactly what is owed to the government in real-time. 1. The “Invisible” Compliance Layer The…

LAGOS & VILNIUS — The biggest bottleneck in the African tech explosion isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s the “Seniority Gap.” While the continent is swimming in junior developers, the path to global, high-stakes data roles has traditionally been a closed loop. Enter Joshua Ogbudu, the founder of Swiftree and a veteran of PalmPay, who is currently executing a “Product-Led Mentorship” strategy designed to turn African data analysts into global power players. 1. The “Ex-Google” Bridge Ogbudu’s latest move involved a tactical alliance with European industry titans, including Tomas Rimkus (former Google Global Data Analyst) and Egle Kiselevskaja (Baltic Amadeus). The…

ABUJA & MILAN — On March 5, 2026, the longest-running “cold war” in the global oil industry officially ended. President Bola Tinubu and Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi didn’t just shake hands; they signed a document that effectively incinerates years of international arbitration and clears a path through a legal jungle that spanned London, Paris, and the U.S. District Court of Delaware. The settlement of ICSID Case ARB/20/41 is more than a truce; it is a clinical restructuring of one of Africa’s most valuable—and most haunted—energy assets. 1. The BIT Strategy: Why the Netherlands Mattered To understand the business gravity here,…

WASHINGTON D.C. & ABUJA — In a major victory for the Nigerian Treasury, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has slammed the door on a multimillion-dollar attempt to force the Nigerian government to pay up. The ruling, delivered by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, effectively tells consultants that Nigeria’s domestic debt disputes cannot be “exported” to American courtrooms just because the currency involved is the U.S. dollar. At the heart of the battle is Ted Iseghohi Edwards, a businessman seeking to enforce $159 million in promissory notes issued during a controversial era of Paris Club fee settlements. 1. The…

LAGOS — For years, Nigerian businesses playing on the global stage have been haunted by a financial ghost known as the “Dual Liquidity Trap.” To buy goods from London or settle invoices in Europe, companies were forced to lock up massive amounts of capital in both Naira and Foreign Currencies (FX) simultaneously just to hedge against settlement delays. Nomba, the fintech formerly known as Kudi, has just launched a cross-border interface specifically designed to “smash” this trap, turning what used to be a multi-day logistical nightmare into a streamlined API call. 1. The Death of the “Wait-and-See” Settlement The new…

JOS & LAGOS — For decades, Nigeria’s massive army of artisans—plumbers, mechanics, and welders—has operated in a “gray market” of unverified skills. But the 2026 phase of the Skill Up Artisans (SUPA) initiative, led by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), is attempting a radical corporate makeover: transforming local handymen into internationally certified technicians. By partnering with the world-renowned City and Guilds, the Nigerian government is betting that a “stamp of approval” from London is the key to solving domestic unemployment and boosting foreign exchange remittances. 1. The “City and Guilds” Gold Standard The Director-General of ITF, Afiz Ogun, recently monitored…

LAGOS — A new demographic of business leaders is about to hit the Nigerian marketplace, and they aren’t coming from business schools. With the graduation of the Entrepreneurship and Management Course 17/2026, the Nigerian Armed Forces are officially pivoting from “defense” to “development,” rebranding retiring officers as high-stakes venture builders. The “Empretec” Edge: UN-Backed Business Warfare This isn’t just a basic retirement workshop. By partnering with the Empretec Nigeria Foundation, the Armed Forces have plugged their personnel into a global framework developed by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). The Methodology: The training focuses on “Psychological Competencies”—identifying opportunities,…