Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Providus Bank and Unity Bank are set to commence operations as a single unified institution following the successful completion of their business combination and the conclusion of all required regulatory, shareholder, and judicial processes. A statement from the bank on Sunday stated that the newly formed entity, ProvidusUnity Bank, represents a consolidated banking institution positioned to strengthen capitalisation, expand national coverage, deepen financial inclusion, and support Nigeria’s long-term economic ambitions. The merger brings together Providus Bank’s innovation-driven, customer-centric service model and digital capabilities with Unity Bank’s extensive geographic reach and established market presence, creating a broader platform for retail, SME,…

File photo: Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun.  Ogun, Lagos Police Set Up Operation Kosaye Joint Security Initiative. Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has commended the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, for initiating the joint Ogun-Lagos security operation, codenamed Operation Kosaye, describing it as a proactive, intelligence-driven initiative that has significantly strengthened security across the two neighbouring states. The governor said the operation had recorded remarkable successes through coordinated security operations that combed forests and criminal hideouts along the Ogun-Lagos corridor, neutralised armed bandits, arrested suspected criminals and rescued kidnapped victims. Abiodun made the commendation in a statement issued…

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria. Photo: SMEDAN The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria has achieved a $12m commitment from the South Korean Government to establish a world-class Skills Acquisition Centre in Abuja as part of efforts to deepen entrepreneurship, tackle unemployment and strengthen Nigeria’s small business ecosystem. The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday to mark the 2026 World MSME Day, themed “Empowering MSMEs through Innovation and Sustainable Industrial Development.” Odii said the proposed centre would provide vocational and entrepreneurial training to thousands of…

Management of BUA Cement led by Director Health, Community Safety, Eng Alli Gummel, handing over the items to community leaders BUA Cement Plc on Saturday donated agricultural inputs worth N108 million to 211 resettled farmers in its host communities in Sokoto State to support food production during the 2026 wet farming season. The beneficiaries are farmers whose homes and farmlands were affected by the company’s expansion projects and who were subsequently resettled. The presentation, held at the company’s premises in Sokoto, was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders and beneficiaries. Speaking at the event, the Director of Health,…

Elegbede Abiodun … local smartphone production is one of the solutions to Nigeria’s growing device affordability challenge. The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Idris Olorunnimbe, has pledged to secure presidential incentives for investors willing to establish smartphone factories in the country. This is as he promised in a statement released on Saturday that Nigeria could soon see a new wave of smartphone manufacturing investments. The statement was from his speech at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, China, on June 24. Olorunnimbe said local smartphone production remains the most sustainable solution to Nigeria’s…

The remains of renowned Nigerian actor and theatre scholar, Chief Dr Adekola Gabriel Oyewo, popularly known as Kola Oyewo, will be laid to rest on Friday, August 7, 2026, in Osun State according to a funeral programme released by his family. Oyewo, who died at the age of 80, was celebrated as one of Nigeria’s foremost theatre practitioners, with a career spanning several decades on stage, television and in academia. In a funeral announcement, the Bangbola Oyewo family of the Ese-Ola Royal House, Oba-Ile, described the deceased as “a beloved father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, colleague, esteemed traditional ruler, and…

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, employee wellbeing, and community development by mobilising thousands of employees across its operations in 20 African countries for the latest edition of its flagship wellness initiative, “Jogging to Bond.” This year’s event held special significance as it coincided with the 60th birthday of UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who chose to celebrate the milestone in the company of staff and colleagues. Held under the theme, “The Power Within U,” the quarterly initiative brought together employees from across the Group’s African network for…

The safety tools were unveiled during the Meta Nigeria Youth Safety Summit in Abuja. Meta has unveiled enhanced online safety tools aimed at better protecting teenagers on its platforms in Nigeria. The new safety tools introduce features that give parents greater oversight of their children’s digital activities while strengthening privacy and safety measures for young users. The summit, co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, showcased Meta’s ongoing investments in youth safety through built-in protections, parental supervision tools, and digital literacy resources designed to help teens navigate the digital world safely and confidently. It also reinforced the importance of…

LASTMA control room and hotline. Credit: LASTMA The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has presented a new toll-free short-code hotline, 3367, boosting emergency response, improve traffic management and promote accountability across Lagos State. The agency said the platform replaces its former long-service code with a more accessible communication channel that allows residents to report traffic-related incidents free of charge. In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA said the hotline is available to subscribers on MTN, 9mobile (Etisalat) and Glo networks. According to the agency, road users can use the…

Benue Celebrates 50, Leaders Honour With Messages Of Unity, Inclusiveness For Future Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon Rtd, has called on Benue people to make peace, unity and coexistence their top priorities as the state marks 50 years of existence. While speaking at the grand finale of the Benue@50 celebration at IBB Square, Makurdi, Gowon said the Golden Jubilee should be more than a look at the past. It should be a fresh commitment to build bridges across communities, ethnic groups, and political lines. He noted that with fairness, inclusiveness, mutual respect, and patriotism, Benue can overcome its…