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HP, New Guards Group Reveal Reebok x Botter Concept Sneaker Innovation

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Coming out of Paris Fashion Week, Reebok, HP and the New Guards Group revealed a new concept sneaker with luxury brand, Botter that debuted on the runway at its FW23 presentation.

Fusing the ethos of both brands, the Reebok x Botter concept sneaker combines Botter’s love and commitment to the ocean through the unique look of a Murex seashell, an object that in legend, was used by the Greek Goddess Venus to comb her hair, with an iconic vintage Reebok football silhouette, a style that Botter is famed for reinventing with its Botter “Banker” that debuted in 2017.

The unusual and unique new form encapsulating the core shoe has been created and engineered with the HP 3D Printing team based in Barcelona using a technology called HP Multi Jet Fusion. Once printed, the gray sneakers were then hand-painted to complement the Caribbean Sea tones featured throughout Botter’s FW23 collection.

The end result is not just an innovative luxury piece, but a sustainable alternative to traditional sneaker production. The HP Multi Jet Fusion is a function created to reinvent design and manufacturing by unlocking the full potential of 3D printing and exploring techniques that are more energy efficient and sustainable.

The process revolves around having no waste, uses a material called TPU that is highly-reusable once recycled, and is nimble enough to make products post-sale that can solve excessive production.

“HP has built a team of footwear industry specialists, under the lead of Don Albert, a 25-year footwear veteran. This team has developed an end-to-end solution to help large and small footwear companies in fashion and performance to reach their goals using HP Multi Jet Fusion Technology,” shared François Minec, Global Head of Polymers at HP Personalization & 3D Printing.

“We enable new levels of design freedom, fast and agile product development, and a more sustainable local manufacturing process. This collaboration with Reebok and Botter is a perfect introduction of the HP solution to the footwear world.

Speaking to the multi-brand collaboration, Nathan Jobe, Head of Footwear at NGG++ commented, “NGG and Reebok have a rich history in Street and Fashion culture. It is important to find like-minded souls in the world to partner with. Botter is very much part of our community.

“We were happy to be able to support their show and showcase the incredible technology of HP while doing it. This partnership really outlines a journey that thrives through design and celebrates culture and heritage to envision the future.  We can’t wait to build more with them.”

“We are very excited to join forces with Reebok and envision a new future of footwear and apparel together. We aim to push the boundaries of technology and sustainability while embracing the legacy of Reebok,” added Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, Botter.

The Reebok x Botter Concept Sneaker Engineered by HP is a project that represents the first leap into innovation, sustainability, and fashion Reebok is taking with the New Guards Group since the company’s acquisition by the Authentic Brands Group (Authentic). This debut at PFW serves as an exciting sign of things to come.

“François Minec, Global Head of Polymers, HP Personalization & 3D Printing said that “This team has developed an innovative and sustainable end-to-end solution to help sports and fashion industries to reach their goals using HP Multi Jet Fusion Technology, a truly industrial technology that provides the highest levels of manufacturing predictability, efficiency, repeatability, and quality”.

“We knew partnering with New Guards Group would allow us to push the needle, bringing consumers fresh new concepts and unexpected collaborations,” said Todd Krinsky, CEO & President of Reebok.  “I’m incredibly energized by what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time and this latest release with Botter and HP gives a small taste of what’s to come in this long-term partnership.”


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DBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups

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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).

DBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups

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.”


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FCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations

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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.


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How and Why N210 Trillion is Missing in NNPCL – CFO

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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.

How and Why N210 Trillion is Missing in NNPCL - CFO

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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