Author: Gift Ifeanyi

As Nigerian companies face escalating cyber threats, global tech leader HP is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to empower businesses of all sizes with advanced cybersecurity tools. Yesh Surjoodeen, HP’s Managing Director for Southern Africa, revealed that cyberattacks, once considered the burden of global corporations, are now hitting small and medium-sized Nigerian enterprises—ranging from banks and government agencies to manufacturers. These breaches, he noted, can cost millions, not just in IT repairs but also in legal disputes, reputational damage, and crisis communications. “Containment alone is expensive, but additional costs like PR management, overtime for IT teams, legal consultations, and security…

Bature Brewery, Nigeria’s largest craft beer producer, is embarking on an ambitious growth mission, aiming to expand its footprint to 500 retail locations nationwide within the next 18 months. Co-founder Kevin Conroy, speaking to Reuters, revealed that the brewery—which launched operations in Abuja in 2017—has already secured 70 locations and currently produces 22,000 litres of beer each month. The target, he said, is to scale production up to 100,000 litres monthly by next year. This aggressive expansion aligns with global trends. According to Business Research Insights, the global craft beer market is forecast to more than triple, reaching over US$250…

A new Afrobarometer survey has revealed overwhelming support among Nigerians for freer international trade and easier movement across West African borders—despite the significant challenges citizens face when crossing them. According to the findings, eight in 10 Nigerians (80%) believe the country would benefit if the government made it easier to trade with other nations. In contrast, only 18% think trade should be restricted to protect local businesses. When asked how Nigeria should approach trade relationships, a strong 68% favour open trade with all countries globally, while 23% would prioritize trade with African nations, and just 5% prefer a focus on…

A groundbreaking digital platform, WAWUAfrica, has officially launched, aiming to empower African women professionals, artisans, and entrepreneurs by providing them with the tools, resources, and support needed to thrive. Designed as a safe and inclusive space, WAWUAfrica functions as a full-fledged ecosystem where women can learn, earn, grow, collaborate, and scale their ventures with confidence. It addresses long-standing barriers African women face—particularly in accessing capital, mentorship, and business development support. At the heart of WAWUAfrica’s mission is a unique blend of faith, innovation, and community. With a Christ-centered approach, the platform is redefining what empowerment looks like by aligning business…

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) is enjoying a banner year in 2025, emerging as one of Africa’s top-performing markets with a 37.25% surge in its All-Share Index by August 1. This rally has unlocked N26.61 trillion in capital gains, boosting total market capitalization from N62.76 trillion to N89.37 trillion since January. In dollar terms, the exchange has appreciated by $17.4 billion, growing from $41.84 billion at the start of the year to $58.4 billion — based on an exchange rate of N1,530/$ as of August 1. A key highlight of this bullish run is the sharp rise in billion-dollar companies listed…

Nigerian entrepreneur Aisha Maina has secured a $40 million investment, backed by Afreximbank, to develop a major deep-water port and economic zone in St Kitts — a bold move that could redefine trade between Africa and the Caribbean. Maina, who is the Managing Director of Aquarian Consult and founder of Gemini Integrated Commodities, is spearheading a vision that directly connects African producers to Caribbean markets, trimming freight costs and bypassing Europe entirely. The project, anchored in Basseterre, will feature a Panamax berth and a 10-square-kilometre special economic zone dedicated to agro-processing, assembly, and bonded warehousing. Feasibility studies begin August 2025,…

In a bold effort to empower professionals with real-world negotiation skills, the “Empower-to-Prosper” masterclass recently held in Lagos brought together over 100 participants eager to learn how to secure their true value in the marketplace. Hosted under the theme “Negotiate with Power: How to Charge Appropriately for Your Value,” the session is part of IVLPAAN’s ongoing initiative to promote economic advancement through practical knowledge and mindset transformation. Addressing the gathering, IVLPAAN President Oketola emphasized the urgent need for Nigerians to stop undervaluing their services, citing that many talented individuals remain poorly compensated — not due to a lack of skill,…

In a bold move to reshape Nigerian higher education, Ekiti State University and Babcock University have been selected for a transformative project funded by the British Council. The initiative aims to modernise university curricula with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, circular economy principles, and peacebuilding. Spearheaded by Dr. Olushola Kolawole, a Business Data Analytics and Entrepreneurship expert at the University of Bradford, the project convened curriculum experts, scholars, and education stakeholders in Lagos to brainstorm strategies for embedding sustainability and peace education into academic frameworks. Dr. Kolawole stressed the importance of aligning Africa’s education with global trends. “We must equip…

InnovationHub Africa, the organizers of the prestigious Nigeria Innovation Summit (NIS), have announced the top agenda for the 10th edition of its annual event. The summit is an annual event that brings together critical stakeholders from different sectors of the economy to discuss ground-breaking ideas, trends, opportunities, and numerous verticals to accelerate innovation and solutions that solve unique challenges within Nigeria and the African continent at large. Disclosing the event’s agenda, Mr. Tony Ajah, the Programme Director of the summit says, “The theme for this year’s event is “Sustainable Innovation”. As the world grapples with pressing challenges from climate change…

Lagos, Nigeria – Two years after Nigeria’s historic naira float sent shockwaves through corporate earnings, a remarkable turnaround is underway. Companies that suffered N867 billion in consumer sector losses and N1.67 trillion in telecoms FX losses are now posting record profits, with MTN Nigeria leading the charge as the NGX’s first N10 trillion market cap firm. The Crisis Years (2023-2024) ▸ Naira’s Collapse: Depreciated 234% from N460/$ (June 2023) to N1,535/$ (Dec 2024) ▸ Consumer Sector Carnage: 7 major firms lost N867 billion over two years FX losses hit N1 trillion in 2024 alone (+56% YoY) Interest expenses surged 131% to N365 billion…

Lagos, Nigeria – Three groundbreaking Nigerian businesses have emerged winners of the 2025 Cascador Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Prize for Innovation, receiving $15,000 each for their scalable solutions in agriculture, healthcare and renewable energy. The Winning Ventures  PromisePoint Sector: Agri-tech Achievement: Trained 10,000+ smallholder farmers (70% women) Milestone: Secured ₦1 billion contract with Nestlé Nigeria Founder Quote: “This validates rural women as drivers of food security” – Bukola Joy Farinde  FriendnPal Sector: Mental Health Tech Innovation: AI-powered multilingual therapy platform Impact: Affordable care for underserved Africans Founder Quote: “Built for people like my mother who deserve dignified care” – Esther Eruchie  D-Olivette Sector: Clean…

Lagos, Nigeria – The Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) will host its landmark 10th annual conference in September 2025, focusing on how optimized pension and insurance systems can drive national economic growth. Conference Highlights  Theme: “Strengthening Pension and Insurance Framework for a Better Economy” Date: September 2025 Venue: Lagos, Nigeria Chairman: Sunday Thomas (Former Commissioner for Insurance) Keynote Speaker: Olatunde Amolegbe (Ex-CIS President/Asset Management Expert) Why This Matters Nigeria’s insurance penetration (<1% of GDP) and pension assets (₦20+ trillion) remain underutilized economic levers. The conference will address: ✔ Policy Gaps: Regulatory hurdles limiting sector growth ✔ Investment Channels: Deploying pension funds…

Lagos, Nigeria – The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has called for immediate action to achieve Nigeria’s ambitious crude oil production target of 2.7 million barrels per day (mbpd) by 2030, stressing that current output of 1.75mbpd (including condensates) remains insufficient. 4 Critical Focus Areas Identified  Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Implement advanced extraction technologies for aging fields Optimize existing assets before new explorations  Pipeline Security Combat crude theft sabotaging production Deploy tech-driven surveillance systems  Gas Monetization Leverage 209TCF gas reserves as transition fuel Accelerate NLNG Train 7+ projects  Infrastructure Reliability Upgrade decaying pipelines and export terminals Address refining bottlenecks SPE Nigeria’s…

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed as “pure fiction” a report by Peoples Gazette alleging that Group Managing Director Bayo Ojulari was forcibly removed from office, describing the publication as “reckless sensationalism better suited for Nollywood scripts than journalism.” Key Facts of the Matter  Voluntary Resignation Mr. Ojulari submitted his resignation after consultations with authorities Decision followed legitimate official trip to Kigali oil/gas conference “The only pressure was my own commitment to accountability,” Ojulari stated  Debunked Claims No “midnight abduction” by security agencies No involvement of EFCC/DSS in resignation process No connection to British-Nigerian businesswoman…

Lagos, Nigeria – Just five companies – MTN Nigeria, Dangote Cement, Airtel Africa, BUA Foods, and BUA Cement – now command a staggering 46.3% of the Nigerian Exchange’s total market capitalization, with their combined value hitting ₦41.385 trillion as of July 2025. The Top 10 Market Movers MTN Nigeria – ₦10.077 trillion (Telecom) Dangote Cement – ₦8.914 trillion (Industrial) BUA Foods – ₦8.701 trillion (Consumer) Airtel Africa – ₦8.683 trillion (Telecom) BUA Cement – ₦5.01 trillion (Industrial) GTCO – ₦3.624 trillion (Banking) Zenith Bank – ₦3.141 trillion (Banking) Geregu Power – ₦2.853 trillion (Power) Lafarge Africa – ₦2.4 trillion (Industrial) Transcorp Power – ₦2.4 trillion (Power) Notably, the top 20 companies account for 81% of the entire NGX market…

Lagos, Nigeria – Nigerian businesses are demonstrating remarkable resilience as the Business Performance Index climbed for the sixth consecutive month to 113.6 points in June 2025, according to the latest NESG-Stanbic IBTC Business Confidence Monitor (BCM). The sustained expansion comes despite ongoing macroeconomic pressures, signaling corporate Nigeria’s growing adaptability. Key Highlights from the Report  Record Optimism Business Confidence Measure surged to 134.5 points (June 2025) – the highest this year Manufacturing sector leads at 123.6 points, up from 114.4 in May Non-manufacturing sector maintains expansion at 120.7 points, though momentum slows  Growth Drivers Early benefits of government reforms Modest oil output recovery Improved supply chain…

Abuja, Nigeria – In a major push to position Nigerian businesses for continental trade dominance, the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has partnered with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to train three million enterprises on critical export rules under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The massive capacity-building initiative, announced during a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja, forms part of Nigeria’s strategic preparations to harness the $3.4 trillion market opportunity created by the landmark trade pact. Why This Training Matters At the heart of the program is mastering the Rules of Origin – the technical criteria that determine whether products qualify for preferential…

Accra, Ghana – Former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Joe Keshi, has issued a stern warning to Nigerians living in Ghana, urging them to obey local laws and stop business practices that are fueling anti-Nigerian sentiments in the West African nation. The diplomat’s comments come after violent “Nigeria Must Go” protests erupted in Accra and Kumasi last month, with Ghanaian traders demanding the expulsion of Nigerian-owned businesses from the retail sector. The demonstrations saw hundreds of locals storming the streets, accusing Nigerian traders of violating investment laws, monopolizing markets, and engaging in illicit activities. “If You’re in Rome, Behave Like…

Lagos, Nigeria – FirstBank has reinforced its position as Nigeria’s sustainability trailblazer, securing the Best Bank for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) award at the 2025 Euromoney Awards for Excellence in London. This marks the second consecutive year the bank has earned this prestigious global recognition. Award-Winning Sustainability Initiatives The bank’s ESG excellence stems from tangible, large-scale projects:  Climate Action Partnered with Nigeria Conservation Foundation to plant 30,000+ trees (target: 50,000 by 2025) Expected to offset 720 tonnes of CO₂ – equivalent to removing 156 fuel-powered cars from roads annually  Inclusive Finance Disbursed ₦43 billion to women entrepreneurs via FirstGem initiative Processed ₦9 trillion through FirstMonie agent network, expanding financial access  Responsible Banking Screened 237 transactions worth ₦3 trillion for ESG…

Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, Chairman/CEO of Stanel Group and The Delborough Lagos, has marked his birthday with extraordinary philanthropy – donating his personal residence as an orphanage and commissioning a state-of-the-art school in Jos, Plateau State. The business mogul’s Stanley Uzochukwu Foundation (SUF) executed multiple humanitarian projects worth over N1 billion, including: Transformational Projects:  Orphanage Donation: Personal residence converted to shelter orphans WAEC/NECO-Approved School: Fully equipped with: Modern science labs Computer center Free education + feeding for all students Salaries for staff and caregivers Mass Empowerment:  3,500 sewing/grinding machines for widows Wheelchairs for disabled beneficiaries Food items for vulnerable communities The initiative comes after Uzochukwu’s intervention…