BrandArena : March 2021

Tuesday, 30 March 2021

Emirates marks UAE vaccination milestone and keeps trust in air travel

Emirates is keeping the trust in air travel and showcasing the UAE's remarkable progress in its vaccination programme. It is operating a special flight on 10 April 2021, that will carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard.

More than half of African companies are delaying their energy transition targets, leaving them in danger of missing the Paris Agreement target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, new research from Standard Chartered has revealed.

Groupm SSA announced today that in order to meet the needs of an expanding market, it has extended the Groupm Academy GradX program established in South Africa in 2020 to Kenya and Nigeria with plans to add other markets in the future. Furthermore, Groupm has appointed a steering committee for SSA that will harmonise processes across owned offices and affiliates.

In its third year, the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition gives African entrepreneurs a unique platform to showcase their talent and grow their businesses; ABH, which is the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic program in Africa, annually awards 10 outstanding finalists with a share of a US$1.5 million grant; Applications are now open in English and French for “heroes” across all sectors and African countries, with special emphasis on those working to achieve the UN SDGs.

Winners emerge in Heritage Bank’s 'YNSPYRE', Cream Platform Promo

CREAM Platform, Nigeria's premiere creative reward platform officially kicked off its partnership with Heritage Bank's YNSPYRE Initiative with the commencement of the CREAM Monthly draws on Friday - March 26th 2021, rewarding subscribers who dialled the *745*463# code, with lots of cash and other prizes.

Nigeria’s leading youth-friendly telecommunication company, 9mobile, is providing free access to lecturers and students on the tertiary educational technology platform, MyClassConnect. 9mobile's support will ensure that users can access the platform without incurring mobile data costs.

Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, a leading consumer packaged goods company and a member of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC), has joined the world to celebrate the 2021 World Water Day with a commitment to sustaining safe and sustainable water stewardship at its 8 manufacturing plants spread across the country. This commitment was reiterated by the company at a series of events held in collaboration with stakeholders across Kano, Abuja, Asejire, Lagos and Owerri to commemorate the day.

Africa Oil & Power (AOP) has signed a strategic partnership with Invest in Africa (IIA) to drive participation of local SMEs in West Africa’s burgeoning energy sector; The upcoming MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021 Conference & Exhibition in Dakar, Senegal (October 26-27) will serve as a critical platform to facilitate market entry and deal-making for indigenous firms; IIA is a leading business and investment promotion association that improves access to skills, contracts and finance for African enterprises.

In furtherance of its commitment to promoting oral health and hygiene, leading consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Nigeria, through its Oral- B brand, partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health to celebrate this year’s World Oral Health Day through community outreach in the Jiwa Community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The outreach will offer oral health awareness, free dental checks, and a month’s supply of Oral B toothpaste and toothbrushes to members of the Jiwa Community.

Cybercrime worries on the increase, but Africa’s mobile users loath to leave WhatsApp

Africa’s mobile users are increasingly concerned about mobile risks and the potential for digital identity theft; however, this is not stopping them from using their favourite messaging platforms and applications.

Mouka has affirmed that it will continue in its firm resolve to safeguard consumers' healthy future through quality sleep solutions, which has always been its hallmark as it celebrates this year's world sleep day.

SBI Motor Japan officially establishes its very first office in Tanzania

...begins taking applications for new partnerships in the East African region

BSMO Co., Ltd. and SBI Africa Co., Ltd. have established the SBI Motor Tanzania office in Dar es Salaam, the very first official SBI Motor office in Africa. The group will be working in partnership with Afritel Systems LTD, which handles customs clearance and land transportation arrangements locally in Tanzania.

Over the last decade, Russia’s sphere of influence in Africa has been broadening. Among, peace, security and investment, natural resources have been at the forefront of many Russia-Africa discussions and continues to grow as interests rise to the development of interparty cooperation of the United Russia Party with African countries.

P+ Measurement Services, Nigerian foremost Independent PR measurement and Evaluation Agency, is inviting Public Relations and Communications professionals to join the 16th Edition of its Evaluate PR TweetChat event.

ABInBev, makers of Hero Lager has unveiled a new TV campaign to continue to advance the cause of its Hero brand and further entrench its positioning and market share in the South-East and South-South of Nigeria.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on the 22nd and 23rd of March 2021 confronted with downside risks to the optimism for significant improvement in global output recovery in 2021. The risks stem largely from the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in surmounting the new variants of the novel coronavirus, as well as speedy deployment of the vaccines across the globe.

Standard Chartered advocates for women empowerment in the workplace

Standard Chartered Bank recently organised a power-packed stakeholder for its Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking female clients.

Traditionally, corporates and states in Africa use debt capital markets to raise huge funding. As the coronavirus bites harder against the increasing debt-to-GDP ratios coupled with increasing risks in African countries, the pricing of new issuances in the international debt capital markets became relatively unattractive. Consequently, African governments turned to other concessionary sources like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and Development Finance Institutions for funding.

CardinalStone Capital Advisers (CCA), a Lagos based private equity fund manager, has announced the final close of its maiden private equity fund, the CardinalStone Capital Advisers Growth Fund LP (CCAGF or the Fund) at US$64 million. The Fund which recorded its first close in December 2018 and final close in September 2020, was established to support the growth and institutionalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in two of West Africa’s leading economies—Nigeria and Ghana.

In a bid to provide the finest betting experience for millions of Nigerians, leading gaming and entertainment company, Luckybet, has launched a new mobile app.

The Dawn Project has announced the commencement of the 2021 edition of its annual competition targeted at raising consciousness about the need to protect the environment from climate change. Its theme for this year CLIMATE CHANGE: Poetry and Pictures - A View From The Heart And Eyes… was announced as part of the celebration of the World Poetry Day held at the picturesque LUFASI Park Lagos.

Trademark Infringement: NBC Sued over Trademark infringement Activity, Likely to Confuse Consumers, Applicant Alleged

The Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) is entwined in a legal tussle over trademark infringement on its Predator energy drink, with a lion symbol, which has the likelihood of confusing consumers of that market segment who are used to the market leader, a product of Rite Foods Limited.

LG Electronics notified its employees that it was shutting down its smartphone business, according to emerging reports.

Caesar Sengupta, a senior Google executive, announced on Monday 22nd, 2021 that he was leaving the company. According to his post on LinkedIn, he said the reason is to venture out and start on a new mission.

As part of efforts to cushion the mental health impact of COVID-19 and curb the increasing rate of depression, Nigeria’s caring telecommunication company, 9mobile, is holding the maiden edition of a health talk series themed “Covid-19 and the new normal: Staying mentally healthy in the face of the challenges”.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, ZIMVEST (Zedcrest Investment Managers), a new-age digital wealth management firm, has rolled out plans to host a two-hour virtual event to steer economic conversations on the financial gaps that exist among young and middle-aged women in Nigeria and provide plausible strategies and ideas to addressing them.

The Dawn of a new Consciousness

Gibson Esere, a student from the University of Port Harcourt made a compelling attempt to raise a new consciousness about the environment with his work which reflected the Nigerian culture and importance of the age-old tradition of storytelling in conveying messages of importance.

Emirates SkyCargo marks one year of passenger freighter operations

On Monday, 16 March 2020, Emirates flight EK 2503 took off from Dubai to Kuwait. Although operated on a Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft, EK 2503 carried no passengers but about 34 tonnes of belly-hold cargo that was urgently required in Kuwait.

Samsung has unveiled the Samsung Galaxy A32, A52 and A72, making powerful innovation accessible to everyone.

GTBank Releases 2020 Full Year Audited Results, Reports PBT of ₦238.1 Billion

Guaranty Trust Bank plc has released its Audited Financial Results for the year ended December 31, 2020 to the Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges.

A review of the result shows improved performance across all key financial metrics in the face of the unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the quality of past decisions and reaffirming its position as one of the best managed financial institutions in Africa.

Facebook has announced the launch of Instagram Lite to Sub-Saharan Africa, a new, lightweight version of the Instagram app for Android that uses less data and works well across all network conditions.

US$1.2 million Innovation Fund launched to unearth emerging technologies

The African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) has launched a US$1.2 million Innovation Fund to unlock the potential of renewable energy to create new business opportunities.

Nigeria-based last-mile delivery, logistics, and transportation start-up, Gokada has officially announced the appointment of Nikhil Goel as its new CEO, as it continues to evolve from a riding-hailing company to becoming the leading food delivery, parcel delivery, and last-mile e-commerce fulfilment solution in Nigeria.

Although women's rights have seen a significant positive change in the last decade, it remains a critical topic of conversation across various sectors in different parts of the world. According to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, "Progress towards equal power and equal rights for women remains elusive. No country has achieved gender equality, and the COVID-19 crisis threatens to erode the limited gains that have been made."

Fatgbems Petroleum Fixes technical Issue at IBB Abeokuta Retail Outlet

…Restates Commitment to Quality Product Offering and Exceptional Service Delivery

Fatgbems Petroleum, one of Nigeria’s largest indigenous petroleum products marketing companies has announced that it has completed technical checks on its IBB Abeokuta retail outlet which was affected by floods due to the heavy downpour witnessed in Abeokuta over the weekend. This was contained in a second update to the public on the incident which saw fuel storage tanks flooded with water at the outlet.

RTI International and BroadReach Group Partner for Impact

Global health technology experts, the BroadReach Group and nonprofit research institute, RTI International (RTI) have announced a partnership between the organizations. Together, they now will offer joint informatics solutions, powered by AI, synthesizing managerial, operational and other types of social and economic data.

New licensing agreement will significantly boost the availability of UMG’s African and International repertoire to music fans across Africa ; New markets include South Africa, Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Senegal; with UMG catalog now also widely available across French-speaking territories for first time.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, a member of Standard Bank Group, has introduced an insurance subsidiary - Stanbic IBTC Insurance, thereby adding to its ever-growing bouquet of financial services available to the public.

As part of its initiatives and ongoing strategic programmes for media engagement, 9mobile held a capacity-building session to equip journalists with the requisite skills knowledge needed to boost their reporting and adapt effectively to the dynamic media landscape.

Netflix To Spend $5 Million To Uplift Women In Entertainment Industry

To mark International Women’s Day, Netflix Head of Global TV Bela Bajaria announced that the first $5 million of a recently announced Creative Equity Fund will go towards programs that help to nurture, develop and uplift women in the entertainment industry globally.

NQR Code Payment System Launches in Nigeria

Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) has announced the launch of the NQR payment solution; an innovative payment platform implemented on behalf of all financial service providers. The New Quick Response code solution offers a robust platform that delivers instant value for P2B and P2P transactions by simply scanning to pay. It is a solution that will unify the available closed QR Code schemes in the country for consistent user experience and accelerated digital adoption.

This Payment Solution designed to be "low cost" for merchants would see shoppers scan a QR code generated by a seller to pay for an item. Each code will have unique details containing the information relating to the transaction and would link with a customer's Banking App, already enabled on their smartphone.

Speaking during the event, the Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability Central Bank Of Nigeria & Chairman, NIBSS, Mrs. Aishah Ahmad, commended the NIBSS team for this trail blazing achievement. She stated that "the CBN as regulator of the banking and payment system in Nigeria is committed to providing an enabling regulatory environment that ensures interoperability, proper market conduct and continued innovation within the financial services ecosystem to foster healthy competition, high quality service and financial inclusion. Against this background, the Bank recently released of the Regulatory Framework for Sandbox Operations in Nigeria and the Guidelines on Open Banking with the objective of opening up the terrain for more transformative ideas and encouraging start-up companies to grow and contribute to the overall economic development in Nigeria”.

On his part, the CEO of NIBSS, Mr. Premier Oiwoh, added – “with more people being able to pay for goods and services with just their smartphones, the ‘NQR Payment is about re-creating the Nigerian payment experience whilst deepening financial inclusion in the country”, “Digital transactions supported through the NQR code payments will promote and enhance consumer payment experience while driving growth for business owners,” Oiwoh added.

This payment solution made available by Banks and other financial institutions has been hailed by financial experts as the ‘Future of Payments’; it will unlock a wealth of extra benefits that will transform the way Nigerians choose to pay for goods and services at all levels.

As consumers and merchants alike move towards technology-driven solutions, QR Codes are growing increasingly important. Nigeria demonstrates yet again that it has a forward-looking financial services industry, as it drives towards a truly cashless and contactless society with NQR.

Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) was incorporated in 1993 and is owned by all licensed banks including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). It commenced operations in June 1994. NIBSS has put in place modern world-class infrastructures for handling inter-bank payments in order to remove potential bottlenecks associated with inter-bank funds transfer and settlement.

Véron Mosengo-Omba appointed CAF General Secretary

FIFA has confirmed that Véron Mosengo-Omba will leave his role as Chief Officer of the FIFA member associations (MAs) division with immediate effect to take on the position of CAF General Secretary.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has announced the culmination of its extensive business transformation from being a telecommunications and digital services provider to a full one-stop-shop technology group through a group-wide rebrand.

Red Star Express Plc, one of Nigeria’s foremost logistics solutions providers, has celebrated the women in its workforce as part of its celebrations for International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2021.

In celebrating International Women’s Month and as part of its efforts to drive more participation and inclusion for women in technology, the fastest-growing ride-hailing platform in Africa, Bolt has launched the #Drive4WITech initiative. #Drive4WITech is a paid internship programme for young women who choose to challenge the status quo and jumpstart a technology industry career.

Cannes Lions: Young Lions Creativity Awards Assignment Excites AAAN President

The President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and Founder /Chief Executive Officer, X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko, has been selected by the organisers of the prestigious Cannes Lions Advertising Festival to function as a member of the jury for the 2021 Edition of its Young Lions Creativity Awards slated for this month (March).

As the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD21) calls on people and organisations to #choosetochallenge for a better world for women, Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank) has launched an initiative, tagged #GiveHerBetaHealth, to draw attention to the need for universal essential healthcare coverage, especially for women in the informal sector. Through the initiative, the leading African financial institution is providing 1000 self-employed women with BetaHealth for a year, at no cost.

“There’s never been a greater time for us, where you have so many Nigerian stories being shown to the whole world!” - Kunle Afolayan, Nigeria’s leading director and producer.

Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), in partnership with all financial service providers, is set to launch a QR Code driven payment solution.

Samsung Nigeria says it is impressed with the opportunity afforded customers to experience the latest technological transformational devices on display in the Tech Experience Centre, which was opened by TD Africa last October. The commendation coincides with the company’s decision to give its customers discounts on some of its products.

Tuesday, 30 March 2021

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