News
NGX Urges Corporates to Take Positive Actions Towards Sustainability Reporting

Mr. Temi Popoola, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), has called on businesses to adopt sustainable business practices and report sustainability performance to stakeholders to promote inclusivity in transformational initiatives for the economy and society.
He made the call while speaking at the Digital Closing Gong Ceremony, organised by NGX in celebration of the 2022 World Environment Day, themed, “Only One Earth”
Popoola noted that the critical roles required of the private sector in actualising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement now enjoys some clarity and as such businesses would need to incorporate environmental and social factors into their operations and activities.
He said, “we have only one earth and we all have a part to play in preserving it. For this reason, NGX created the Facts Behind the Sustainability Report platform to promote transparency in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures by showcasing the sustainability performance and reporting amongst companies listed on NGX.
In developing this unique platform, the Exchange’s objectives were to mainstream the adoption of sustainability reporting amongst listed companies so as to increase the availability of decision-useful ESG data that investors can utilize in making investment decisions.”
Speaking, the Group Managing Director, Courteville Business Solutions, Dr. Adebola Akindele, discussed initiatives embarked on to align his organisation with the SDG goals, such as setting up a social capital management team that trains stakeholders on sustainable business practices, workplace diversity, and cultural background and language.
He further suggested the introduction of active carbon trading equipment for motorists to regulate vehicular carbon emissions.
“We are at the forefront of demonstrating sustainable behaviour at Lafarge Africa Plc”, said Country CEO, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Khaled El Dokani, represented by Chief Finance Officer and Executive Director, Lolu Akinyemi, who highlighted some strategies deployed by Lafarge Africa towards providing sustainable building solutions, creating a zero-waste initiative, implementing sustainable manufacturing, utilizing renewable energy and deploying rail transportation for distribution of products to end-users, thereby reducing carbon emissions.
GMD/CEO, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Michel Puchercos represented by Group Financial Officer, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Guillaume Moyen, stressed the need for collective efforts in prioritising the environment, one that Dangote Cement through key initiatives, has unlocked.
Additionally, Mr. Omoboyede Olusanya, GMD/CEO, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, represented by Mr. Sadiq Usman, Director, Group Strategy & Stakeholder Relations, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, identified initiatives embarked on by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc that promote sustainable supply chain management, where operations have been aligned with product sustainability themes.
“Beyond installing capacity banks, sustainability initiatives around recycling to save N250 million in product packaging have been introduced to our operations”, he said.
In his closing remarks, the CEO, NGX, Popoola, reaffirmed NGX’s committment to fostering the growth of long-term sustainable finance, toward combatting climate change and environmental concerns across Africa as well as upscaling its platforms to advance sustainable development in new ways that reflect the risks and opportunities presented by climate change and the SDGs.
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.
- News3 days ago
Lasaco Assurance to Invest in Technologies, Systems to Deliver Value to Clients
- E-Financial3 days ago
NIBSS National Payment Stack to Transform Nigerian Instant Payments
- E-Financial3 days ago
CBN Reaffirms Banking Sector Resilience as Forbearance Ends
- News2 days ago
PalmPay, Glo Launch “Recharge and Win Bonanza 2” with Exciting Prizes
- General News2 days ago
Bridging the Digital Divide: Over 700 Young Africans Empowered by Paradigm Initiative
- General News2 days ago
IHS Nigeria, United Nations Global Compact Host High-Level Dialogue on Sustainability and Greener Business Practices in Nigeria
- News2 days ago
How and Why N210 Trillion is Missing in NNPCL – CFO
- General News3 days ago
Moniepoint Demonstrates Commitment to Nurturing Africa’s Future Leaders