BrandArena : March 2023

Thursday, 30 March 2023

Bigi Promises Bounty Excitement as Nigeria Idol Season 8 Goes live

In a bid to electrify its enchanting good-music-loving consumers and consolidate its contribution to the discovery of talented music stars, Bigi, the Naija favourite soft drink, has for the third time, sponsored Nigerian Idol Season 8 starting Sunday, April 23, 2023 on DStv and GOtv.

Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, has completed the first inbound commercial transaction on the Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) in Nigeria, making history. PAPSS is an initiative of the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, designed to provide a secure and efficient payment platform for African businesses, promoting intra-African trade and economic integration by facilitating payments and settlements for cross-border transactions within Africa in local currencies.

Climate control in a home or office should be so perfectly adjusted that you forget it is there. As well as providing basic comfort, LG Electronics believes such solutions should also deliver clean air and efficient use of energy. With the threats of several harmful germs and climate change, our future may depend on it.

Payday, a Nigerian neobank, has announced a $3 million fundraising round led by Moniepoint Inc. HoaQ, DFS Lab's Stellar Africa Fund, and angel investors such as MFS Africa CEO Dare Okoudjou and Norebase CEO Tola Onayemi also participated in the investment round. Previous investors such as Techstars, Angels Touch, Ingressive Capital, and Now Venture Partners participated in this round as well.

SA Conference: Caleb University Don leads other international scholars to fight global business failure

by Olawale Adekoya

In order to champion the war against global business failure, especially in the SMEs sector, Prof. Olalekan Usiobaifo Asikhia, Caleb University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor on Research, Innovation, Strategy, and Administration, has succeeded in rallying together, other international scholars in a South African conference.

SEACOM, Africa’s leading telecommunications and managed services provider, on Thursday, March 30, 2023 announced the appointment of Alpheus Mangale the company's Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2023.

Unilever Nigeria Plc. has announced improvements to its business model that will accelerate growth and sustain profitability while improving its capacity to address consumer needs as part of its goal to keep its operations in Nigeria competitive, lucrative, and sustainable.

Spotify has released an exclusive trailer to promote Davido's next album Timeless. The caravan, which depicts the African superstar on the set of a TV interview, arrives as fans await the release of the Afrobeats star's fourth studio album on March 31. It will be the singer's first musical offering after a five-month public absence, as well as his first album since 2020's A Better Time.

Exploring innovation coupled with cutting-edge tech is on the up as brands and retailers consider what, when and how to ride the new wave of consumerism in Africa. The future of digital retail in Africa is an exciting and ever-changing landscape.

Canon Europe yesterday announced that its interchangeable-lens digital cameras (digital SLR and mirrorless cameras) had held the top spot in the global market for 20 years from 2003 to 2022.

Electric motorcycles are poised to be a dominant force in Sub-Saharan Africa's sustainable mobility transformation, but continued investment in start-ups addressing barriers across the value chain is required to realise their full potential, according to a report recently released by the Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) programme.

In collaboration with the first visit to Ghana by US Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, 2003 WNBA Champion Astou Ndiaye led a clinic and life skills seminar for 60 girls from the local community.

“To succeed in the hotel business in Nigeria, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organisational skills. Many people ventured into the hotel business thinking that they will turn on their computers or open their doors and start making money, only to find that making money in a business is much more difficult than they thought.”

Stanbic IBTC Bank Continues Reward Spree for Customers

Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings and one of the leading financial institutions in the country, held the penultimate live draw for the Reward4Saving Promo Season two, rewarding 70 more customers who met the minimum saving criteria across seven regions.

Amazon Web Services’ Startup Loft Accelerator team have announced the inaugural launch of its AWS FinTech Africa Accelerator.

LG recently welcomed its executives, guests and partners for the opening of the LG Showcase Middle East and Africa (MEA) 2023. The grand event acted as a platform for LG to showcase its latest innovations and solutions, while also providing visitors with the chance for a hands-on experience with each product.

MySparkLite Hosts Mentorship and Coaching Workshop For the Next Generation of Leaders

Mysparklite was incorporated in July 2022 as a mentorship social network company in USA & Nigeria, the innovative Ed-tech social media platform that connects people with mentors and coaches via group mentorship, is proud to announce its upcoming community development event. The event will be held virtually on April 1st, 2023, via google meet. This event will showcase the transformative power of mentorship and coaching in personal and professional growth.

Rite Foods, Nigeria's market leader in the food and beverage industry, celebrates with the Muslim faithful as they observe the one-month Ramadan fasting in fulfilment of the fourth pillar of Islam, and urges them to adhere to the doctrines of Islam which preach peaceful coexistence.

Communications professionals collaborate with P+ Measurement Services to dissect industry issues

P+ Measurement Services, a leading media intelligence and evaluation consultancy, is pleased to announce that they will be hosting the 22nd edition of #Evaluate PR on March 24th, 2023. The event, which is held quarterly, is scheduled to take place virtually from 12:00 - 1:30pm (WAT).

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a $30 million Trade & SME Finance Facility for Family bank Limited (FBL) in Kenya. The facility is expected to boost intra-Africa trade, promote regional integration and contribute to the reduction of the trade & SME finance gap in the East African nation.

Omojafor, Fadolapo, Ali-Balogun, Others set to be honoured at ‘The Industry Awards 4.0’

...Renamed Lifetime category

The management of The Industry Newspaper organisers of ‘The Industry Summit/Awards’ has stated that some distinguished marketing communications professionals in the country would be conferred with some highest awards in this year’s event scheduled to be held on Friday, March 31st, 2023 in Lagos.

Global technology company, SLB (formerly known as Schlumberger), has formally opened its new West Africa regional office in Lagos, Nigeria. The firm unveiled a new brand identity focused on energy innovation and decarbonization in October 2022 to meet the world's energy demands today and pave the way for the energy transition. This new identity is reflected in the new West Africa headquarters, which will maximise employee experience and provide a sustainable business environment for all stakeholders.

MultiChoice Africa has donated R 1 million to disaster management in the nations affected by Tropical Storm Freddy as part of its disaster relief operations.

Airtel Money Partners With Prudential Uganda and Turaco to Launch ‘Hospital Sente’

...Hospital Sente is available to all Airtel Money customers in Uganda via *185*7*6#

Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda Limited (AMCUL) has announced a strategic partnership with Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited and insurtech Turaco Insurance Brokers LTD to provide ‘Hospital Sente’, a low-cost hospital cash insurance product with Funeral Benefits, aimed at increasing access to insurance for underserved communities, and low-income individuals and families.

AppsFlyer gives insight into how app developers can curb uninstall rates

By Netta Lev Sadeh - Managing Director EMEA SANI at AppsFlyer

As the need for more storage arises as new apps enter into the market, and the need for Software as a Service (SaaS) grows, uninstalls for apps continue to rise as users look to free up space on their devices. According to a recent app uninstalls report by AppsFlyer, more than 1 in every 2 apps that are installed are uninstalled within 30 days. The report highlights that 49% of apps were uninstalled within 30 days of download in 2022, which is an 8% improvement compared to 2021. The report further elaborates that 49% of uninstalls that occur within 30 days take place during the first 24 hours. Gaming apps had the highest uninstall rate, at 66%, with Travel apps having the lowest at 31% showing strong brand loyalty amongst users.

As part of its commitment to promoting and accelerating sustainable clean water preservation, CWAY Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of drinking water and other consumer goods, is poised to celebrate the United Nation’s World Water Day (WWD) 2023 with a series of events and activities that promote the importance of clean and safe water for all.

Ghanaian Herbert Mensah Elected as President of Rugby Africa

Herbert Mensah has been elected as the new President of Rugby Africa, the governing body of Rugby in Africa, following the conclusion of the Rugby Africa Executive Committee Elections held on 18th March 2023. Herbert Mensah, who is known for his passion for the sport and his extensive experience in sports administration, will lead the continent's rugby governing body in the next four years.

Maintaining Nigeria’s momentum in the fight against maritime criminality

By Musa Ilallah

2023 kicked off on a significant note for the Nigerian Navy, with the hosting by Nigeria of Exercise Obangame Express 2023, the largest multinational maritime exercise in Western and Central Africa, in collaboration with U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. This year’s edition featured 32 countries from the Gulf of Guinea and beyond, coming together to “improve regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise.”

KFC Africa appoints Akhona Qengqe as new General Manager

...becomes first black female General Manager for Africa

KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) has announced the appointment of Akhona Qengqe as its first black female General Manager for Africa, effective April 1, 2023. She will take over from outgoing General Manager Dhruv Kaul, who will become General Manager of KFC Pan Europe.

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and New Fortress Energy Inc., a global energy infrastructure company founded to help accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy, have announced an extension of their marketing partnership that will see NFE support the BAL’s social impact initiatives throughout the league’s 2023 season. The extension also sees NFE continue as a Foundational Partner of the BAL and the league’s Official Energy Partner.

Mouka, the market leader in Nigeria’s Sleep industry, has joined the International Sleep Society and thousands of sleep health professionals and advocates in increasing awareness of the significance of adequate sleep for healthy living.

The African Brands Media Limited publishers of The African Brands Magazine is set to unveil ‘The Africa’s 100 Most Valuable Brands 2023’ on the 29th March, 2023 at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, we can authoritatively report.

Executive Director, Sahara Group, Wale Ajibade has called on top energy operators, regulators, and government officials at the 2023 African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) Week in Cape Town to embrace more alternative energy sources as the current global investments in renewable energy are insufficient in Africa.

Tyla joins the pack as Spotify’s EQUAL Africa Artist for March

With her sprawling, innovative lyrics about the allure of new romance, love and self-confidence, South African singer Tyla has invented herself as an artist with the power to navigate the boundaries of several music genres. For the month of March, music streaming platform Spotify has announced Tyla as its EQUAL Africa ambassador.

There is a strong reclaiming of the people’s voice in advocacy and creating change, and I am encouraged by the trends that are emerging. A few weeks ago, the African Development Bank Group released a report stating that Africa is set to outperform the rest of the world in economic growth over the next two years, with the real gross domestic product (GDP) averaging around 4% in 2023 and 2024. It also identified potential risks and called for robust monetary and fiscal measures to address them, backed by structural policies.

Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, has been named as one of the banks to process Retirement Savings Account (RSA) backed mortgages by the Pension Commission (PenCom). The RSA Backed mortgage initiative of the Pension Commission allows contributors to use up to 25% of their contribution as equity to purchase a home in their chosen area. This is barely two years after the commission launched the transfer window initiative.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), rated Aaa/AAA/AAA/AAA (Moody’s/S&P/Fitch/Japan Credit Rating, all stable), has launched and priced a USD 2 billion 5-year Global Benchmark bond due March 14, 2028, it's first of the year. The bond was issued on the 7th of March.

Award-winning Nigerian actress and fitness enthusiast, Kate Henshaw recently became the brand influencer for Technogym Nigeria. Kate broke the news to her more than 2.9M million Instagram followers on March 8, 2023.

As the country prepares for Ramadan, business owners look for ways to keep their operations running smoothly and stay connected with customers. For a lot of businesses, this means using WhatsApp to connect with customers securely, reliably and privately, since this is where the customers are (Over 6 out of 10 (66%) people globally prefer to message a business than email them, according to Business Messaging Usage Research by Kantar, commissioned by Meta in April 2022).

LASUTH Holds Free Cataract Surgery For Residents of Ojokoro Community

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in collaboration with “Friends of LASUTH”, in giving back to society has reached out to the Ojokoro area of the state by providing free cataract surgery to residents of the community.

Yellow Card has announced the launch of an additional five coins to the app. With the additional coins Yellow Card now provides a wider range of cryptocurrencies for their customers. Allowing customers to view and trade over seven digital assets including Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), Ethereum (ETH), USD Coin (USDC), Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL) & Celo Dollar (cUSD).

HMD Global, Nokia's parent company, has reduced the price of its premium and ultra-affordable Nokia C21 Plus from N82,000 to N69,900. Now, smartphone enthusiasts can acquire the long-lasting device for nearly N10,000 less while still obtaining the solid build quality and long-lasting battery capacity that Nokia phones are known for.

Fast growing Bank, Sofri powered by Links Microfinance Bank has recently flagged off its weekly raffle draw Sofri 10k awoof promo Season 1. 100 winners will emerge in the weekly raffle draws with an instant cash prize of N10,000 each.

Flutterwave Denies Allegation of N2.9 billion in a Security Breach

...reassures customers that "Flutterwave has not been hacked"

Flutterwave, an Africa-focused payments company, on Sunday, denied reports making the rounds that its account was hacked and the sum of N2.9 billion was lost to fraudsters.

Attendees of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) taking place from 5th to 9th March will focus on the Doha Programme of Action: an ambitious 10-year action plan to get the world’s most vulnerable countries back on track after the most recent devastating events and ongoing global challenges, and accelerating towards realizing the global vision for sustainable development expressed by the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ethics and Practice in Media Monitoring and Intelligence

By Philip Odiakose

Media monitoring and intelligence have become increasingly important in the digital age. With the vast amount of information available online, media monitoring provides businesses, organizations, and individuals with valuable insights into clients’ media mentions, public opinion, industry trends, competitive media share, media sentiment and emerging issues. However, as the use of media monitoring and intelligence continues to grow, so do the ethical concerns surrounding their use.

Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, has launched its fifth annual edition and now calls for participation from Africa’s entrepreneurial talent.

The Bühler Group supports Saudi Arabia’s aim to achieve national food security, also considering the international challenges impacting this vital sector. “We provide unique and innovative solutions, aligning the highest technical standards and sustainable developmental concepts in line with the national goals of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision,” comments Country Manager Eng. Mohamed Jebabra. Projects developed to date cover staple food products like wheat, rice and other grains, and extend to the feed industry.

Everything You Need to Know About LG Dual Inverter Technology

...LG Air Conditioner, Cooling with a difference

As innovation and creativity walk hand in hand with change, LG took a step further to upgrade from Inverter technology to Dual Inverter which consumes much lesser energy than conventional ACs. LG call their Dual Inverter technology.

Jeremy Awori takes charge as new Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking group, has announced the official resumption of Jeremy Awori as Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group.

Thursday, 30 March 2023

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