Promo: UBA rewards 20 customers with N30m

Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has again rewarded another 20 customers, who emerged winners in the third quarterly draw of the UBA Wise Savers Promo. They won N1.5 million each, bringing the total amount won by 60 customers so far to N90 million. The electronic raffle draw, which was held at the bank’s head office in Lagos yesterday was witnessed by relevant regulatory bodies including the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lagos State Lottery Board and Consumer Protection Council. Lucky customers, who emerged winners in the…

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Firms optimistic on macro-economic conditions

The latest Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) monthly Business Expectations Survey (BES)  report  has shown  that majority of  respondent firms expressed optimism on macro economy in July 2019. According to the BES report, which was posted on the apex bank’s website yesterday, majority of  businesses in the country  expect the naira to appreciate in the coming months. Furthermore,  the report said: “Level of inflation is expected to increase slightly in both the next six months and the next twelve months; borrowing rate is expected to rise in the current month,…

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CBN: Manufacturing PMI edges to 57.6

Nigeria’s official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reached 57.6 index points in July compared to previous month’s reading of 57.4, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) PMI July 2019 report, released yesterday, shows. According to CBN, “a composite PMI above 50 points indicates that the manufacturing/non-manufacturing economy is generally expanding, 50 points indicates no change and below 50 points indicates that it is generally contracting.” The apex bank, thus stated in the report that: “Manufacturing PMI in the month of July stood at 57.6 index points, indicating expansion in the…

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JPMorgan, HSBC, others face $1bn FX-rigging suit

JPMorgan Chase & Co. HSBC,  and UBS Group AG are among five banks being sued over allegations of foreign-exchange rigging in a class-action lawsuit seeking more than £1bn ($1.2bn or just over R17bn), Bloomberg reported yesterday. Barclays, Citigroup and Royal Bank of Scotland Group are also among the targets of the United Kingdom suit that will say pension funds, asset managers, hedge funds and corporations lost out because of market manipulation between 2007 and 2013 and should be compensated. The lawsuit centers on collusion on foreign-exchange trading strategies, for which the…

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Group raises concern over N58bn empowerment projects

  Tracka, the  organisation  founded by BudgIT for  tracking the implementation of government projects in communities,  has raised alarm over what it describes as,  “wasteful empowerment projects” in the 2019 Zonal Intervention Projects, nominated by members of the National Assembly.   In a press release, the organsisation  noted that the Zonal Intervention Projects accounted for N58 billion of the N100 billion constituency projects, which, it said,  “are practically used as political benefits.”   According to the organisation, “the lack of citizen inclusion in the nomination of zonal intervention projects has led to an escalating number of abandoned projects…

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Heritage Bank, Afreximbank, Zamfara sign $1bn MoU

Two banks, Heritage Bank Plc and African Export Import Bank  (Afreximbank), have signed $1billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zamfara State Government  in the areas of mining, agriculture and water resources.  In addition to Heritage Bank, which is  the banker to the project, another financial institution involved in the transaction is PAC Capital Limited, the investment banking arm of PanAfrican Capital Holdings. Speaking with journalists at the signing of the MoU in Abuja, the MD/CEO of Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, stated that the win-win collaboration amongst the institutions would promote and fast track support that…

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Rewane: Telco PSBs to boost FG’s financial inclusion agenda

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) commitment towards achieving 95 per cent  financial inclusion rate by 2024 would be enhanced if the apex bank licenses mobile network operators (telcos), as Payment Service Banks (PSBs), Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited’s (FDC), Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has said. According to the financial expert, telco PSBs have some key advantages over deposit money banks, which will make them more effective agents in promoting financial inclusion in the country. Rewane, who stated this in the FDC’ s latest Monthly Economic Update, obtained by New Telegraph…

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CBN’s decision on securities to hurt banks

  There are indications that deposit money banks in the country may find it difficult maintaining current levels of profitability due to new measures introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which aim to compel lenders to increase lending to the real sector by restricting their investment in government securities.   As part of such measures, the CBN had barred DMBs from buying Treasury bills for their own accounts at an open market auction held on July 18. According to traders, the apex bank told lenders that their bids…

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Wema Bank supports Bet9ja retreat

Wema Bank Plc., the pioneer of Nigeria’s first fully digital bank ALAT, has sponsored the 2019 retreat of the Super Agents for Bet9ja, an online bookmaker company that offers betting on major sporting events operating in Nigeria. The retreat is an annual event organized by the Super Agents of KC Gaming Networks Limited (Bet9ja) spread across the country. This year’s edition held at Orchid Hotels, Lekki, Lagos from July 23 to July 26, 2019.  Addressing participants at the event, Kunle Alarapon, Head, Gaming, Wema Bank Plc, commended the Super Agents…

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UBA reinforces commitment to SMEs financing with N50bn

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has set aside N50 billion for financing of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. At the level of the Africa continent, the lender said it was  devoting premium attention to funding, development and  growth  of SMEs in Africa, a sector, the bank believes holds the key to stimulating the continent’s economy.  Group Managing Director, UBA, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, confirmed the bank’s renewed commitment to SMEs over the weekend in Abuja at the opening of the UBA Market Place. The UBA Market…

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