FirstBank of Nigeria Limited has launched its wholly-owned remittance platform, First Global Transfer, to promote the international transfer of funds across its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The bank, in a statement at the weekend, said the FBN subsidiaries operate in Congo DR, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.
It also said the network of International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) is targeted at easing the accessibility of its customers to receive money from close to 100 countries in a safe and secured manner.
The bank said the new product would also boost diaspora remittance inflow into Nigeria and that with over 750 branches across the country, customers can receive money from the nearest FirstBank branch.
The bank said it has been in partnership with Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria, Transfast, and WorldRemit.
Other IMTO partners of the bank include Wari, Smallworld, Sendwave, Flutherwave, Funtech, Thunes and Venture Garden Group.
“Beneficiaries can receive remittance in US dollars in any of our over 750 branches spread across the country.
“Customers without an existing domiciliary account can have dollar accounts automatically created for their remittances.
“You can also receive inflow directly into your account through Western Union,” the bank stated.
In his comment, the bank’s deputy managing director, Mr Gbenga Shobo, said: “We are excited about these partnerships, as it is essential to ensure our customers are at an advantage to receive money from their loved ones and business associates, anywhere they are, across the world.”
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa on Thursday slumped during an event at the Banquet Hall of the State House at the Presidential Villa.
Bawa was addressing dignitaries at the event organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) meant for the celebration of National Identity day before the incident.
As soon as he took the podium, he said his address would have been a long one given the importance of National Digital Identity but he would cut it short because of the death of a senior EFCC staff in Ibadan.
He said he would be heading to Ibadan immediately after the event in Abuja.
Bawa began by saying National Identity was “significant for instance there was a young man arrested in Ibadan with 116 SIM cards…”
At this point, Bawa became emotional and sobbed before stating “let me stop here”.
On descending from the podium, he broke down and was rushed out of the auditorium.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami and other dignitaries stopped the event and rushed to assist him.
The Master of ceremony at the event later announced that “the EFCC Chairman has stabilised and he is doing ok. “
Billionaire mogul, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. will be handling the reconstruction of the busy but dilapidated Otta-Idi-Iroko International Highway subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun revealed this on Wednesday when he led the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, on an inspection of the ongoing construction of Toll Plaza at Lotto area along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
According to Ogun State Chief Executive, just like the partnership that the state has built with the likes of Alhaji Aliko Dangote who also is using his tax credit to build the Sagamu Interchange to Papalanto Road, the State has spoken to Dr. Adenuga and he has graciously accepted that he was going to use his tax credit to fund the construction of the road, but that has to go through a process, for him to fund the road.
He explained that Federal government must accept his (Adenuga) design, valuation and a lot of things have to go to the Federal Executive Council.
“On the Ota-Idiroko road like the Minister Fashola has shared with us, that road is not under contract, but graciously, we spoke to Otunba Mike Adenuga. This has never happened before this Government came on board. These people have been in Nigeria and they’ve not partnered with the state or federal government before. We must be doing something right to make Dangote to decide to use his tax credit to construct two major roads. Papalanto is almost N70 billion and also the Epe-Ijebu-Ode road going through Odogbolu road, it is another road he has accepted to do,” Governor Abiodun stated.
The Governor also announced that the people of Sango-Ota and its environs would soon heave a sigh of relief as palliative works will soon commence on the bad portions of the Lagos-Ota and Ota-Idi-Iroko roads, and to be concluded by December.
He stated that the palliative which would be done by December, is to reduce the hardship being experienced by commuters along the roads.
The Governor also said the failed portions, which would be reconstructed by the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) would cost N13.4bn and would be part of the N56bn revived contract sum.
“In the meantime, the Minister has graciously instructed that FERMA fixes those places and immediately begin to carry out palliative works on that road.
“We have given the commitment that we will relocate traders; we will control and manage traffic, whatever that it is we need to do, we will ensure that we begin to bring succour and needed relief to our people.
“The state of that road today is pitiable. I went on that road myself and I felt bad for our citizens, however like the Minister has explained, we have decided to find a fasttrack solution and I must thank the Minister. He has graciously decided to extract those failed portion, those very terrible portions, not just at the old Toll Gate but about two kilometers of all the failed portions along the length of that road up to Abeokuta.
“They’ve identified those portions, they are costing them right now, they are extracting them from the main contract, they have costed them to be about N13.4 billion. He is going to find money using SUKUK bond to pay the contractors so they can focus on those places, not just rehabilitating them, but actually reconstructing them so that when the rest of the road construction commences, they will just commence and compliment those ones, so that is what is being planned.”
Prince Abiodun who described Ota as the industrial hub of the State, noted that there were lot of emotion concerning the deplorable condition of roads in the town, saying “with work about to commence on the roads, succour would soon come to the people before the end of the year.
“There are other issues that have been in the social media and in the news in the last few weeks, particularly issues that deal with the state of Ota roads and the reason for that is very simple, Ota is the industrial hub of this country and enjoys a lot of overflow of traffic from Lagos. So, of course, there is a lot of emotions about the state of roads in Ota and like the Minister and I discussed, Ogun State has probably the largest federal roads in this state.”
Speaking earlier, the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola said the Lagos-Ota road, inherited from the previous administration, was first awarded in the Year 2000 with the contract sum of N6bn and now needed the sum of N56bn for its completion.
He said though work started and completed on the Lagos end of the road, the bridge head at Ota had been in deplorable condition for sometimes now, pledging that FERMA has been saddle with the responsibility of fixing the fail portions of the road.
On the Ota- Idi-Iroko road, the Minister said measurements, designs and office work were going on just as the State government was committed to clearing the road for construction of gutters to commence.
While sympathising with those who ply the road, Mr. Fashola said government needed the support of lawmakers in making funds available for infrastructural development in the country.
SuperTV, an online streaming company that offers high quality Video-on-Demand (VOD) and affordable viewing experience through a disruptive ZERO DATA App to watch all-inclusive entertainment has been launched in Nigeria.
The APP, which is available for download from October 1, 2021, is the first of its kind with a turn of the mind imaginative profile unknown in the industry.
SuperTV’s power packed operational and hard-to-beat market entry strategy is based on a “ZERO DATA” proposition, coupled with her tectonic and turbocharged partnership with Nigeria’s largest telecom Network, MTN.
This double entry strategy is to ensure easy subscribers’ access, and affordability of SuperTV products and services everywhere they go – with MTN network coverage.
With SuperTV, subscribers do not incur internet data charges to stream after subscription.
The user gets to enjoy either Live TV, Video on Demand, or both, at absolutely no additional cost after subscribing successfully.
As SuperTV, Nigeria’s new streaming brand hits the airwaves on MTN network coverage, Nigerians have been assured to think less of their pockets and more about the limitless and exciting world of online steaming that awaits them – as the brand places its irresistible offerings to the table.
(L-R)SuperTV, Chief Technology Officer, Rahman Saliu, General Manager, Digital Services MTN, Aisha Mumuni, SuperTV, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ijeoma Onah, and the Chairman, Adedotun Sulaiman at the official Launching of SuperTV in partnership with MTN in Lagos
At the launch event to unveil the brand’s offerings, powered by the “ZERO DATA” proposition, Ijeoma Onah, Acting CEO, Super Network Limited, promoter of SuperTV, said “Nigeria currently has about 173 million mobile subscribers with a penetration rate of 123%. Smartphone penetration is 40 million – forecasted to grow to more than 140 million by 2025. In spite of these very impressive numbers, Nigeria is still performing very poorly in the streaming markets, hardly even showing up in global statistics.
“The major reason for this is that the average Nigerian cannot afford the data costs required to stream video. This is how and why SuperTV was conceived, to democratise streaming in Nigeria and Africa.”
Accordingly, this ‘democratisation of streaming’ entails that the subscriber does not incur internet data charges to stream after subscribing to SuperTV.
“The user gets to enjoy either Live TV, Video on Demand or both at absolutely no additional cost after subscribing successfully. We also leveraged on the sachet culture in Nigeria by providing daily plans across all our bouquets thereby making the service affordable and inclusive for everyone.
“Our entry level price of N200 for the Bronze Daily plan is about the cost of a bottle of soft drink for example. SuperTV therefore offers great entertainment and an affordable viewing experience,” Onah added.
(L-R) SuperTV, Chief Technology Officer, Rahman Saliu, General Manager, Digital Services MTN, Aisha Mumuni, SuperTV Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ijeoma Onah, Chief Marketing Officer MTN, Adia Sowho, SuperTV Chairman, Adedotun Sulaiman and the Marketing Director, Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi at the official Launching of SuperTV in partnership with MTN in Lagos
To further assure Nigerians, the Acting CEO stressed that the brand has expectantly looked forward to the launch, as the brand believes there is a large market for affordable entertainment on demand anywhere and SuperTV will serve this large unmet need in Nigeria.
“ Based on our research, we discovered that, one of the major reasons hampering most Nigerians from online streaming is cost of data: data is expensive; so, we thought of, and conceived the idea, to have TV streaming without data constraint. This hasn’t been done before now – an IPTV streaming platform that works without internet/data. This is the story of imagination and innovative mindset that offers entertainment across socio-economic classes, across barriers, and without borders. This is putting customers squarely at the centre of our imagination.”
She added that the launch of SuperTV on the MTN network means that over 80 million Nigerians stand on the threshold of accessing the world through the SuperTV App.
She invites savvy Nigerian youth to explore this new experience of streaming without a subscription cost and the use of data.
“Most subscription packages in the market offer entertainment mostly on monthly subscription. SuperTV, in addition to monthly package, also offers entertainment packages that are hourly/daily and very flexible.
“In order to be relevant across borders and barriers, our products will be focused on making life easier for everyone. You can watch great entertainment through SuperTV at affordable cost.
SuperTV, she said, is opening up access to inclusiveness in entertainment without barriers.
Since the use of smart devices is evolving, the SuperTV brand will be uniquely opening the doors of access, communication and participation on the global stage.
The benefits of using SuperTV streaming media are enormous; affordability, no monthly rental fees for digital boxes as they can watch programmes when they want, on their schedules and demands.
With its quality brand offerings and market entry strategy, it can be projected that SuperTV will literally take over the TV viewing world by storm, to transform the Over-the-Top (OTT) viewing experience as millions of Nigerians cut the cord and switch over to online streaming services, to get access to their preferred pay TV channels via live streaming, because of its convenience and ubiquity.
In a bid to improve customer experience, leading brewing company, Guinness Nigeria has launched a new service offering, ‘Dial-A-Delivery’.
The initiative is where customers can have a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages delivered to them at their convenience.
Speaking about the new offering, Adenike Adebola, Marketing & Innovation Director, Guinness Nigeria, said: “Our goals with Dial-A-Delivery are quite simple: Make it easy for consumers to find the perfect drink for each occasion.”
He added: “Whether shaking, mixing, or drinking neat; whether relaxing alone or in the company of friends and family, every experience, each moment, should be memorable. Taking the stress out of getting drinks is for us a key task in keeping the memory in the moment.”
Dial-A-Delivery delivers a vast range of beverages, premium spirits, premium beers, fine liqueurs, malt beverages, etc. to the front door of customers.
The premium delivery service is open 8am to 5pm Mondays to Saturdays, and offers same day delivery for orders before 3pm.
… to commemorate National Identity Day on 16th September
Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced a strategic partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to intensify the campaign on the need for Nigerians to embrace digital identity (ID) enrollment in commemoration of this year’s National Identity Day scheduled to hold today, 16th September.
According to Airtel, the partnership with NIMC to mark the National Identity Day is in line with its commitment to support the government’s agenda of building a robust and reliable soft infrastructure and identity management system that will accelerate economic development as well as boost safety and security of all citizens and residents across the country.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil, said Airtel is delighted to join NIMC, the Nigerian government and other well-meaning stakeholders to create further awareness on the importance of identity and digital identity enrollment, noting that a solid national identity database is a powerful tool that can drive efficient economic and social planning, governance and service delivery.
“Airtel commends the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and the management of the NIMC under the leadership of Aliyu Aziz for their commitment to creating a world class identity database for Nigerians and for the relentlessness in inspiring several platforms and initiatives to put the conversation around identity management on the front burner. Airtel is excited to join NIMC in hosting this year’s identity management day and we will continue to support the institution in delivering its mandate to Nigerians,” he said.
According to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz, the commission is celebrating 16th September as National Identity Day in collaboration with the global agitation for the day to be formally declared as world international identity day.
“Nigeria has been positioned to take giant steps in providing unique identity to all through collaboration with government institutions and viable partnership with the private sectors. The essence of this celebration is to create awareness among Nigerians on the importance of identification as a tool for national development.
“We need more Nigerians to not only understand the role identity plays in improving governance but also in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in a modern society. We are delighted Nigeria became the first country in the world to declare September 16 as ID Day, thereby leading the rest of the world in this important direction”, he said.
September 16 has been recognized annually as National Identity Day in Nigeria since 2019, following approval of the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to join the Coalition for International Identity Day.
The National Identity Day is commemorated as part of the Government’s efforts to promote awareness on the importance of identity in enhancing access to rights, social services and formal economy.
As top practitioners in the marketing communications industry and other players in the global corporate environment prepare for the Africa Rising 4, an annual continental conference of the International Advertising Association (IAA), leading brands have identified with the global advertising body to host the event.
The 2-day conference which will be virtual will hold from 28th – 29th September, 2021.
According to a statement signed by the President of the IAA in Nigeria, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi, a list of local and global brands have entered into partnership with IAA to host the event.
Some of the partners include; CNN, Brand Finance, LinkedIn, Google, Tiktok, Facebook, Coca Cola, Interswitch, First Bank Nigeria and Access Bank.
The conference is the region’s most anticipated event that brings together the very best in marketing communications over a 2-day period to deliberate on topics propelling the industry and find new ways to uplift the industry on the continent.
This edition with the theme “Africa to the World” will have in attendance thought leaders, key entrepreneurs, advertising/marketing communications practitioners and the academia working in or doing businesses across Africa and the globe to discuss the successes of brands in Africa as the engine of economic revival in the wake of covid-19 pandemic.
Some of the speakers and panellists include: Joel Netttey, IAA’s first African Chairman/World President; Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General (AfCFTA); Abdulsamad Rabiu, Chairman, BUA Group; Andisa Ntsubane, Head, Marketing Strategy/Planning & Africa Marketing, Old Mutual Limited; Juliet Ehimuan, Director, West Africa (Google); Jeff Greenbaum, Chairman, Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA); Tyrona Heath, Director, Market Engagement, The B2B Institute (LinkedIn); Declan Arhen, Director, Africa – Brand Finance; Mitchell Elegbe, Founder & Group MD/CEO, Interswitch; Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, First Bank Nigeria; amongst others.
Discourse will revolve around issues in marketing communications from the African perspective ranging from Leadership in a challenging area to Economic prospects against the backdrop of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to technology, research and data, digital branding & digital evolution, creativity and nation building.
While CNN would be the official global media partner, its presenter Robin Curnow (anchor and correspondent) will kick off the first debate of the conference around the theme Why Brands Matter in Africa.
Highlights of the conference include the launch of Brand Finance Report for Africa (which recognises 150 top outstanding brands in Africa), Women in Marketing, Networking session, Panel Discussion and many more.
World’s leading advertising agencies including McCann, Publicis, and Dentsu have joined forces with the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) to abide by new standards aimed at stopping children from seeing alcoholic advertising by influencers.
The joint pledge recognises the importance of transparency and gives clear guidance on how to market alcohol responsibly.
The global initiative launched by IARD, will help ensure alcohol marketing by social influencers is clearly recognized, responsibly advertised, and aimed at an audience over the legal purchase age.
Albert Baladi, President and CEO of Beam Suntory and Chair of IARD CEO Group, said: “This partnership reflects the significant work that IARD members have already undertaken and the shared determination with the world’s leading advertising, public relations, and influencer agencies to do even more to prevent minors from seeing alcohol advertising online.
“These standards directly address some of the biggest concerns facing the marketing community right now. By offering more transparency and giving those at the heart of content creation the correct tools to safeguard their content, we are able to expand on the significant progress and marketing codes of practice already in place to ensure that these posts do not reach minors or encourage any kind of irresponsible consumption.”
IARD is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing harmful drinking and promoting understanding of responsible drinking supported by the leading global beer, wine, and spirits producers including AB InBev, Diageo, Heineken, Molson Coors, Kirin, Carlsberg Group, Brown Forman, Asahi, Bacardi Limited, William Grant & Sons, Beam Suntory, and Pernod Richard.
The online-retailers include Jumia, Drizzly, Endeavour Group, Glovo, Grab, Hip Bar, JD.com, Mercado Libre, Minibar Delivery, Reserve Bar, Uber Eats, and Retail Of Alcohol Standards Group.
Henry Ashworth, IARD President and CEO, said: “This is a world-first initiative in raising collective standards of responsibility across multiple digital channels, and we call on our partners in the alcohol, advertising, and influencer industries to join us in our ongoing work to ensure that alcohol marketing across all forms of media is responsible.
“This is a major step in preventing minors from seeing any alcohol marketing and IARD is proud to have united the world’s leading agencies to help raise global standards.”
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, has said the rising rate of unemployment portends danger for the country.
He attributed this on Tuesday and lack of education to the problems bedevilling the country, warning that if not tackled the country might be “completely wiped out.”
The minister said this at the inaugural partnership economy summit organised by the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs in Abuja.
The summit was tagged, ‘Translating Sustainable Development Goals to local businesses in Nigeria.’
Ngige said, “We are in trouble as a country. We are in trouble and anybody who tells you he doesn’t know we are in trouble is lying to himself and once you lie to yourself.
“We are facing a problem that is cyclic, one begat the other. It is left for you and me the elite to decide to save ourselves, save our children and save our country.
“If we keep on with these symptoms; buy ammunition, bomb these people, bomb kidnappers, bomb Boko Haram, you will be wasting resources.
“If you had prevented it, it would cost you less. We must give education to these people at the grassroots.
“Those who can’t get an education, we must provide them jobs so that they can fend for themselves. They can put a roof over their heads.”
Harping on the need to provide quality education to people at the grassroots, he said the inability to provide such was responsible for why the people were lured to partake in separatist agitations, terrorism among others.
He added, “If you don’t kill ignorance, you are breeding people would be brainwashed to believe that with Biafra all their problems will go away; Oduduwa, all their problems will go, Boko Haram.
“If we don’t tackle them, we will continue like this until this country might be wiped out completely; we don’t pray for that. We must give education to the people at the grassroots.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, described Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.
The global internet advertising market size which was valued at $319 billion in 2019 is projected to reach $1,089 billion by 2027.
It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 17.2% from 2020 to 2027.
Internet advertising involves using the internet to communicate promotional and marketing messages to a target audience.
The steady growth of internet users globally has become an important factor fueling the growth of the online internet advertising market.
With marketers leveraging internet advertising to achieve their marketing goals, the rise of social media bloggers, growing trend of influencer marketing, growing demand for e-commerce and social commerce accelerated by the pandemic, and the continuous increase in penetration of internet across the globe has presented a great opportunity for internet advertising.
This trend has urged brands to invest in innovative and interactive social media advertisements.
Internet advertising has also become one of the most adopted strategies by marketers and advertisers to communicate with consumers, pull website traffic, promote brand exposure, attract their target audience, find new customers, expand their reach, diversify their revenue streams, and as well influence the purchase decisions of their audience.
Marketers use internet advertising such as banners, pay-per-call ads, pay-per-click ads, and pop-ups through e-newsletters and personalized email marketing, search engines, suitable websites, online magazines, and newspapers to reach the right customer, at the right time.
Advertisers are also using the platform to reach their targeted customers as it is relatively inexpensive compared to traditional advertising methods like TV advertisements; and also helps in reaching out to a wide range of customers.
SMEs and online start-ups are now making a shift from traditional advertising to self-serve platforms that allow small businesses to advertise with ease.
These online platforms minimize the expenses by allowing the companies to take control of their marketing schemes and selling products directly to the consumers. According to Statista, small businesses spend, on average, up to $10,000 per month on online advertising.
So far, North America has been reported as the largest revenue contributor to the online advertising market with a market share of 36% in 2018, due to the major presence of companies in the region such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and others.
The global internet advertising market share is also expected to maintain its dominance even in the coming years driven by factors such as extensive adoption of smartphones, emergence of high-speed internet, proliferation of social media, rise in advertising spends on digital media across various industries, and increase in popularity of streaming platforms.
The use of smartphones has grown rapidly and the way consumers interact with various brands or sellers has transformed, owing to the accessibility of high-speed internet on smartphones.
This factor is expected to fuel the internet advertising market growth as it has become crucial for brands to understand consumers’ interests with the help of smartphone advertisements and to stimulate their decision to purchase.
According to Industry ARC estimates, around 70-80% of social networking companies generate revenue through mobile advertising.
In 2019, around 3.48 billion monthly active users visit social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and others which increased by 9% from 2018. Increasing usage of social media platforms by advertising companies to reach targeted customers and high usage of smartphones rather than desktops for social media platforms is set to drive the mobile advertising market growth.
