BrandArena : July 2019

Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Honeywell Flour Mills records improved earnings and profit in Q1 results

Honeywell Flour Mills Plc. (HFMP), a leading foods manufacturer in Nigeria, has announced the financial figures for the first quarter ended June 30, 2019. According to a statement from the company, the revenue moved up 7% to N19 billion, compared with N17.7 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

Enyo Retail and Supply, a customer-focused, technology-driven, fuels retailing company and THANKU Cash, a technology driven marketing, reward and loyalty company have announced their collaboration to rollout the first of its kind fuels loyalty and rewards scheme at all ENYO stations nationwide.

One of Nigeria’s foremost logistics providers, Red Star Express Plc, will be expanding its operations to Benin Republic today, August 2nd, 2019, as it bids to provide logistics solutions for businesses across West Africa.

NIKE and Jordan Brand Named as Exclusive Outfitter of the League

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has announced Cairo (Egypt), Dakar (Senegal), Lagos (Nigeria), Luanda (Angola), Rabat (Morocco) and either Monastir or Tunis (Tunisia) as the host cities where the inaugural BAL regular season will take place and Kigali (Rwanda) as the host city for the first-ever BAL Final Four and BAL Final.

In an attempt to reflect a more focused, progressive and agile organisation, the South Africa-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce has adopted a new name as South Africa-Nigeria Business Chamber, with a new strategy and look and feel, courtesy of branding and communications consultancy, HKLM.

Determined to break new frontiers in the Sport Betting Business and financial transactions generally, 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.

Uber Extends Brand Footprint to Benin City

Residence of the ancient city of Benin, Edo State can now enjoy the services of car hailing firm, Uber as it commenced operation in the State. Benin City is now the third city after Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria.

Econet Media Says Goodbye To Kwese Play... To Refund Customers with Airtime

Econet Media has officially confirmed plans to shut down Kwese Play service.

In a message to customers, Econet Media said customers will receive airtime equivalent to the purchase value of the Kwese Play Roku device. The airtime will be valid for 30 days, and usable according to customer’s preferences either data or voice.

San Francisco and Lagos-based fintech startup Flutterwave and Alipay, Alibaba's digital wallet, have announced a partnership that will enable digital payments between Africa and China. Through this pact, the more than 60,000 merchants on Flutterwave's platform will be able to more easily accept Chinese customer payments.

Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited (CCNL) has announced the appointment of Yebeltal Getachew as the company’s new Managing Director. Getachew is an international business professional with multi-industry and country experience in top management positions across Africa.

School Kits Limited Partners Casio to train 1,300 Math and Science teachers in Nigeria

In its drive to leverage on cutting edge technology to improve the quality mathematics and Science education in Nigeria, School Kits Limited, Nigeria’s Authorized Distributor of original CASIO Calculators, has announce its partnership agreement with Casio Middle East to enhance the skills of 1,300 Math and Science teachers. The training program is a bold move to boost the knowledge of math and Science in Nigeria.

Financial Derivatives Company hosts stakeholders to discuss the unification of foreign exchange in Nigeria

…As exchange rate misalignment impedes regional trade and economic growth

Following the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by the Nigerian Government on July 7, 2019, economic experts and business leaders have called for policy change to unify exchange rates between the Central Bank of Nigeria and the open market to provide a resolution to the problems associated with the country’s multiple exchange rates. The call was made at the Special Policy Dialogue Colloquium, entitled “Policy Change - The Enabler of Sustainable Growth” and organised by the Financial Derivatives Company.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has again, warned telecom consumers from patronising substandard, non-type approved phones, saying connecting such phones to mobile networks is capable of degrading the quality of service delivery on the network of service providers.

Heritage Bank’s Training Institute gets CIBN accredition as Refinery School

…classifies structure, curriculum equal to CBN’s training school

Heritage Bank Plc’s training school, known as “The Refinery” for new entrant staff has been accredited by the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

Enyo Retail and Supply has concluded a two-day customer activation event tagged “Vehicon&Grills” designed to provide customers with free car diagnostics and services. The event which is part of the company’s efforts in promoting car-consciousness and customer satisfaction took place at the Enyo Olowo Eko Station on 20th and 21st July.

Mouka, Nigeria’s leading mattress and other bedding products manufacturer, is running a promotion on Konga.com for one week only. The aim of this promotion is to offer its consumers the opportunity of purchasing Mouka products at more affordable prices with lots of exciting rewards in store.

May & Baker Nigeria Plc has appointed Senator Daisy Danjuma as a non-executive director of its board. Her appointment, which was approved by the board at its meeting held in May, was announced in a statement by the company.

P&G’s AKGIS Program Partners with Mercy Corps to Empowers Young Nigerian Girls

...Champions end of period poverty in Nigeria”

Procter and Gamble, makers of the leading Feminine Care brand, Always Sanitary Pads, recently held a close out ceremony for one of its Citizenship programs, the Always Keeping Girls in School (AKGIS) Program, aimed at providing Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) training for girls and by extension reducing absenteeism in schools.

Cement manufacturer, LaFarge Africa announced that it would be selling its South Africa operations for $317 million to Caricement B.V.

Apple and Intel have signed an agreement for Apple to acquire the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business. Approximately 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple, along with intellectual property, equipment and leases. The transaction, valued at $1 billion, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, including works council and other relevant consultations in certain jurisdictions

For the first time in the company's history, Coca-Cola is set to sell an alcoholic, lemon-flavored fizzy drink in Japan market.

Access Bank and GE Healthcare are to provide sustainable healthcare equipment financing to private healthcare providers; The partnership will help the private healthcare providers to deliver access to affordable healthcare services.

Nigeria Moves up by Four Places to 114 in Global Innovation Index

Nigeria moved up by four places - from 118th position in 2018 to 114 in the 2019 Global Innovation Index launch in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Thanks to a steady growth in the Nigerian tech ecosystem. However, there is still a long way to go for Africa’s largest economy.

President Muhammadu Buhari

Other underperformers in the low-middle income group are Ghana, Zambia, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua.

Paradise Game Center officially opened its doors on Wednesday July 24th 2019. Located in the neighbourhood with the largest population of the ivorian capital, the first floor of the new shopping center Cosmos Yopougon, is now home of the largest video game venue of West Africa.

School is over! The summer holidays are finally here and the children are looking forward to a time for rest and fun! Your child thinks summer is a break from education and while summer can be a break from the classroom, you know it shouldn't be a break from learning. There is a vast number of different summer camp activities to choose from and we encourage parents to research engaging and meaningful programs to register their children for.

On Wednesday 24 July, Visa’s Global President, Ryan Mclnerney hosted a round-table discussion with West African fintech founders and executives. The event, held in Lagos, Nigeria, presented an opportunity for tech entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss a variety of ideas for promoting growth in the industry and drive the digitization of economies across the continent.

ASPM Limited, a subsidiary of OVH Energy marked the receipt of its 100th vessel berth at the Lagos Midstream Jetty (LMJ) barely two years after it became fully operational, netting an average of 4 vessels every month. The Lagos Midstream Jetty, West Africa’s first privately owned midstream jetty, was rated the highest receiving jetty by CITAC during the month of June.

Telecommunications firm, MTN has announced the appointment of Ernest Ndukwe, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as its new designate chairman, effective September 2, 2019.

Friday, July 19, 2019, marked the end of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a spectacular tournament that had people glued to their screens for the month of its duration. Africa moved to the rhythm of AFCON 2019, with more than 10 million people choosing Facebook to share their passion and excitement.

United Kingdom’s mega carrier, British Airways has partnered with the Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI), a United Nations group on youth Development in Nigeria.

The Germany Africa Business Forum (GABF) in collaboration with private partners from the energy industry have launched a multi-million Euro funding commitment to invest in German energy startups that focus on Africa. The funding commitment, which pledges funds to German startups with exposure to African energy projects, will be the first such intra-regional initiative.

Promasidor Signs Pact with Ekiti State on Ikun Dairy Farm

...Gears Effort towards Backward Integration

Promasidor Nigeria Limited has signed a partnership agreement with Ekiti State Government to drive its backward integration initiative aimed at creating local source of raw materials for its dairy products through the state owned Ikun Dairy Farm.

IROKOtv Targets One Million Subscribers, Plan to List on London Stock Exchange - Jason Njoku

Following the acquisition of ROK studios by French media giant Canal+, IROKOtv plans to focus on growing its subscriber base, according to Jason Njoku.

Jason Njoku, founder IROKOtv

In a recent blog post by the IROKOtv founder, he stated that the company “intend to continue to focus our efforts on subscriber growth as the only KPI which really matters. That will be at the expense of any cash flow or EBITDA profitability in the near future.”

Japanese car brand Nissan and City Football Group have extended their global partnership that will see the car maker continue to be the Official Automotive Partner of the group and its football teams in the U.K, U.S. and Australia.

As visual comes a major means of communications, interest in quality pictures and editing have increased especially among millennial globally. Google is launching a new, lightweight photo app called Gallery Go that's designed to work offline.

Procter & Gamble’s grooming brand for men, Gillette has inked a multi-year licensing deal with the Uefa Champions League. The maiden licensing deal with football’s elite governing body in Europe grants Gillette the ‘licensed shaving partner’ status for the Uefa Champions League.

Following several rounds of redundancies at Dentsu Ageis Network (DAN), particularly in the Asia Pacific region, the company is set to drop the word ‘Aegis’ from its name to streamline its APAC operations and fully encompass the brand’s ‘one Dentsu’ strategy.

In its effort to accelerate mobile Internet uptake as well as enrich the data experience of telecoms consumers across the country, leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced the introduction of two new affordable 4G Smartphones, namely: Airtel Diva and Airtel Top Notch.

Rainoil Limited, the integrated downstream oil and gas company, has commended Hymnodia for reigniting the almost-forgotten hymn culture among young Nigerians, as it celebrated the five finalists of the popular reality television show.

KAIPTC to host flagship Kofi Annan Peace and Security (KAPS) Forum

To honour the Late HE Kofi Annan, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in collaboration with the Federal Government of Germany and the Government of Norway will organize the Kofi Annan Peace and Security (KAPS) Forum to facilitate discussions on evolving trends in peace and security in Africa.

iSON Xperiences, (formerly iSON BPO Limited), a leading customer experience management company, with strong focus in Sub-Saharan Africa emerged as the “Pan African Contact Centre Management Provider of the Year” at the 14th annual Titans of Tech Awards. The 2019 Titans of Tech Awards took place over the weekend at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island – Lagos. The award was granted in recognition for the Company’s consistent excellence in providing world class Call Centres for national development.

The disruption of technology is revolutionising industries across many levels. As businesses evolve during the unprecedented revolution in the workplace, appropriate operating models must be put in place to meet the continuous demands of clients and the world around us. The future workforce must be equipped with the necessary tools to allow them to easily adapt to the everchanging world that will require digital skills, organisational adaptability and a different kind of leadership at all levels.

Three Nigerians: Badmus Mistura Bisola; Merit Atebe Innocent; Emmanuel Owonibi will be joining 17 others talents from seven African countries selected to compete in Second Jr. NBA Global Championship in U.S. Aug. 6-11 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Florida

At a recent function in Abuja, the Managing Director/CEO of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, delivered a lecture where he revealed that there has been a consistent decline, over the past three years, in the recorded rate of successful fraud incidences, thefts and forgeries in the banking industry. Specifically, Ibrahim said such cases had declined by almost half, 48.12%, of the rate it was in 2015.

Dazzl, innovators in live multi-camera video solutions, today announced the appointment of APO Group CEO Lionel Reina to their company board. It is a move that highlights Dazzl’s ambitions as they look to accelerate their growth and exposure internationally.

As part of the its plans in restructuring its creative leadership teams, Ogilvy South Africa has announced the elevation of Tseliso Rangaka and Matthew Barnes to joint chief creative officer (CCO) roles.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev) global brand, Budweiser, today announces multi-year partnerships with two of the top international football leagues, the Premier League and LaLiga. As a long-time partner of the FIFA World Cup and supporter of football leagues and several national teams worldwide, Budweiser is proud to expand its support for the world’s game and connect to more football fans every year.

Prima Garnet elevates Yetunde Adesina as new CEO

Lola Akinwunmi becomes Group CEO

One of Nigeria’s leading Advertising Agencies, Prima Garnet Africa (PGA) has elevated Mrs Yetunde Adesina to the position of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the creative shop.

Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja’s one-stop leisure, restaurant and retail destination, brought to the market by Actis, a leading emerging market investor, today announced an agreement with CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) to become the first solar-powered mall in Nigeria. Actis previously collaborated with CBE on implementing the largest solar carport in Africa at Garden City Mall in Nairobi.

Abelinis clinches Guinness and Bosch accounts

Abelinis Limited, a Project Intelligent Company with special interest in events, activation and production, has won two new accounts: Guinness Nigeria and Bosch Applications & Tools.

Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Tuesday, 30 July 2019

Monday, 29 July 2019

Friday, 26 July 2019

Thursday, 25 July 2019

Wednesday, 24 July 2019

Tuesday, 23 July 2019

Monday, 22 July 2019

Friday, 19 July 2019