News
Dell Unveils New Partner Tool to Increase Market Share

Dell has announced a new tool to further enhance its online solutions configurator known as PartnerDirect, which will give partners the resources to close deals more easily and quickly than in the past by allowing them to price complex enterprise solutions.
The Online Solutions Configurator is currently being trailed in the UK and Ireland, and will be rolled out to the rest of the Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) region in the coming months.
Speaking on the partner tool, Ahmed Mouldaia, EMEA Enterprise Sales Executive director, Dell said, “This will be the year of the Dell Online Solutions Configurator further easing business with Dell,”
He added that, “This online configurator will help our partners win in the datacentre, empowering them to become autonomous by easily configuring end-to-end Dell enterprise solutions, guided by validation rules, and accessed directly through the PartnerDirect portal. The new tool is another example of Dell responding to requests to further enable our partners. The Dell Online Solutions Configurator means our partners can collaborate online with colleagues and Dell channel sales representatives facilitating a greater level of accuracy and reducing quoting lead-time.”
Dell also appointed Laurent Binetti as General Manager EMEA Channel Sales. Most recently he served as General Manager for the Dell Commercial Business in the Southern Europe Region.
Binetti joined Dell in 1996 and has since held senior roles in Eastern Europe and the emerging markets.
In these positions he set up regional offices across Eastern Europe, created a new management division for 26 countries including Russia, Turkey and Israel and developed an entirely channel-focused go-to-market strategy.
“Our consistent focus in driving transformational strategy and building our solutions portfolio means we start 2013 with the most compelling and powerful offering that we have ever been able to provide to our partners,” commented Binetti, General Manager EMEA Channel Sales, Dell.
“To support our growth strategy, we will continue to make consistent investment in both our PartnerDirect program and our innovative technology and solutions. Working closely with our partners, we have built the strongest capabilities to date, and we look forward to continuing this close collaboration in future.”
Binetti replaces Emmanuel Mouquet who will become General Manager of Dell France from February 1.
Mouquet has overseen sales in the PartnerDirect program since its creation and helped it grow to the point where channel now accounts for 50% of sales in EMEA.
“I’m extremely thankful and proud of the fantastic work that our partners have accomplished over the last 5 years,” commented Emmanuel Mouquet, General Manager, Dell France. “With their support, we have built a very strong and fast growing business, and have totally redefined the EMEA channel landscape. Laurent Binetti is the right leader to take our channel business to the next level, and Dell’s partners can look forward to a great future.”
Dell will celebrate the fifth anniversary of PartnerDirect in EMEA in February 2013. In the lead up to this milestone, partners have had the opportunity to benefit from a $10 million fund to support an additional 5% discount on enterprise* deals, which was introduced as a further way for Dell to recognise and reward those partners who have invested in the program.
The discount has proved extremely popular with partners since it was introduced in November.
News
DBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups

Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded a total of N13 million in grants to three standout tech startups at the 2025 Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusive growth among Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The winners include: BuyScrap, a digital marketplace for recyclable materials – N6 million; Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets – N4 million; Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu – N3 million
Alongside the grant awards, DBN also launched a new digital data asset, a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at enabling data-driven decisions within the MSME ecosystem.
The platform offers deep insights into business trends, sector-specific challenges, and growth opportunities—supporting smarter policymaking and targeted investments.
In his keynote address in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/ CEO, DBN, described the event’s theme, “CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,” as a strategic call to reimagine enterprise development in Nigeria.
“This isn’t just a keyboard shortcut,” he said. “It’s a mindset reset—powered by technology—to build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business landscape. From financing to innovation, DBN remains committed to enabling MSMEs to thrive.”
Okpanachi emphasized that the Summit aligns with DBN’s AMPLIFI Strategy, which integrates digital transformation, sustainability, and scalability into its core programs.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge as key steps toward embedding innovation in Nigeria’s MSME sector.
Encouraging young innovators, he added: “The future belongs to those bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to support the ideas that will shape tomorrow.”
A major highlight was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset—a digital platform designed to provide real-time, evidence-based insights into Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
The platform combines DBN’s proprietary data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to offer a comprehensive view of MSME performance by region and sector.
Jeremy Dan Okayi, DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy & Innovation, described the platform as: “A reservoir of insight, potential, and direction—built on two years of collaboration and shared vision. This tool will support informed decision-making across the public and private sectors.”
News
FCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations

In a bold enforcement action, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), supported by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has sealed off the visa application centres of France, Belgium, and Italy in Abuja over alleged consumer protection breaches and obstruction of regulatory investigations.
The affected centres—located at Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District and operated by TLS Contact, a Teleperformance Company—were shut down following reports that they refused to accept formal correspondence from the FCCPC regarding a consumer complaint. The Commission cited further infractions, including obstruction of investigation and alleged assault of its officers during lawful duties.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigations at the FCCPC, explained: “This is an enforcement operation against TLS. On March 25, 2025, we served them a letter to address a consumer complaint, which they refused to accept. Instead, TLS officers assaulted our team, and in a subsequent visit on June 17, they also allegedly assaulted uniformed police officers.”
Citing Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), Mrs. Adeyinka emphasized that failure to comply with Commission directives constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment, fines of up to ₦20 million, or both.
TLS has been ordered to appear before the Commission on June 20, 2025, to provide testimony, submit evidence, and make formal depositions. The company may be held liable for any financial losses suffered by applicants due to the disruption of visa services.
Despite multiple requests for comment, management at TLS Contact declined to respond as of press time.
News
How and Why N210 Trillion is Missing in NNPCL – CFO

Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
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