News
Nwuneli, Others to Lead Discourse at Airtel’s SME’s Business Forum

Airtel Nigeria, in demonstration of its commitment to empower entrepreneurs in Nigeria to succeed in their business endeavours, has announced plans to hold a special Business Forum that will offer Small and Medium Business owners a platform to interact, network, learn and exchange ideas on key business matters affecting SMEs.
The forum, which is entitled “Emerging Business Today, Market Leader Tomorrow”, is billed to hold on Thursday, April 24th, 2014 at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and it is designed to empower entrepreneurs with requisite business skills and solutions that will enable business productivity and growth.
Ndidi Nwuneli, founder of Leap Africa, has confirmed participation at the event and she will join other industry captains to facilitate discussions at the forthcoming Business Forum.
The Business forum, a capacity enhancement session, will create networking opportunities for the over 300 participants and will provide robust interactive platforms for business owners to gain valuable business insights in over six SMEs industry categories including Services, Manufacturing, Transportation, Education, M-commerce and Financial services.
The forum will be chaired by successful industry leaders who will give expert business tips in each focus area.
Commenting on the Business Forum, Segun Ogunsanya, chief executive officer & managing director, Airtel Nigeria, said the telco is committed to providing the required platforms to assist entrepreneurs to succeed and also nurture the business aspirations of players in the Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SME) sub-sector.
“As a truly Nigerian company, we value the entrepreneurial drive of our men and women. This is why we create and offer products and platforms that will help them achieve their dreams. The Airtel SME Forum is another way of empowering our entrepreneurs to be innovative and also contribute to the prosperity of the nation,” he said.
The Airtel SMEs Business Forum will feature product and service exhibitions in about ten different categories of business by partners.
It is supported by Abuja Enterprise Agency, Cotek Intergrated Technology, Arewa Metals and Interswitch, among others.
Since it started operations in Nigeria, Airtel has maintained consistency in its efforts to empower Nigerian businesses through a wide range of unique platforms.
Recently, Airtel Nigeria held a similar forum in Port Harcourt in a bid to nurture budding entrepreneurs in the South-South region.
Industry reviews rank the company among the few that have consistently demonstrated commitment towards the growth and development of small businesses in Nigeria with various innovative products and bespoke offerings.
The company currently provides business solutions to the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Association of Private Educators of Nigeria (ASPEN), Nigerian Bar Association and Association of Fast Food Confectioners of Nigeria (AFFCON), among many others.
Bharti Airtel, the fourth largest telecommunications operator in the world, is committed to improving the quality of primary education delivery, youth development as well as enhancing the capabilities of business owners and entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
Last year, it unveiled a programme for entrepreneurs tagged the Airtel SME Forum.
The forum, which is designed to empower small business owners to succeed in their endeavours, held in key cities across the country and featured prominent speakers including Fela Durotoye.
News
British High Commission Reaffirms Strong Ties with Nigeria

British High Commission in Nigeria has reiterated the strong, long-standing relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria following the release of the UK Immigration White Paper earlier today.
A spokesperson for the High Commission stated that the UK remains a top destination for Nigerians seeking opportunities to work, study, visit, and settle, acknowledging the valuable contributions Nigerians make to the UK economy and society.
The White Paper outlines reforms to legal migration, aimed at restoring order, control, and fairness to the system while promoting economic growth.
The spokesperson assured that changes would be gradual, with further engagement between the UK and Nigerian government officials once implementation details are finalized.
“The UK has a proud tradition as an outward-looking nation, investing and trading abroad, and welcoming the creativity, ideas, and diversity of those who come to contribute here,” the spokesperson said.
The UK government has pledged to work closely with Nigerian authorities to ensure a smooth transition as the new immigration policies take effect
News
NERC Orders DisCos to Compensate Band A Customers in 557 Streets

Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed nine electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to compensate Band A customers residing in 557 streets across their franchise areas for failing to meet the minimum power supply requirement under the new electricity tariff regime.
According to NERC, the affected DisCos must implement compensation across 152 electricity feeders due to poor supply in April.
The compensation will be provided through electricity credit or improved power supply, as outlined in the April 2025 Multi-Year Tariff Order.
The directive affects the following DisCos:
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC)
Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC)
Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED)
Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO)
Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO)
Ikeja Electric (IE)
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC)
Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC)
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC)
The development follows a tariff hike of over 300% for Band A customers in 2024, which mandated a minimum daily power supply of 20 hours. Despite the increase, many consumers have continued to report poor service delivery, leading to the latest compensation directive.
NERC stated that affected DisCos must upgrade power supply in designated areas or provide electricity credits to customers who experienced service failures.
News
SERAP Challenges CBN to Publish Local Government Allocations

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to immediately disclose whether it has commenced the direct disbursement of allocations to the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment nullifying state governors’ control over LGA funds.
In a letter dated 10 May 2025 obtained by our correspondent, addressed to the CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group also demanded that the bank “widely publish the amounts, if any, so far sent directly to each of the local governments” and provide a detailed explanation of any payments already made—particularly to LGAs in Rivers State.
The group stated: “We are writing to request you to use your good offices and leadership position to immediately disclose whether the CBN has commenced the direct disbursement of allocations to the 774 local government councils in Nigeria from the Federation Accounts with the CBN, and to widely publish the amounts, if any, so far sent to each of the local governments.”
This request follows a Supreme Court judgment declaring the practice by governors and the FCT Minister of retaining and disbursing LGA allocations unconstitutional and unlawful.
The court ruled that no governor or agency has the authority to interfere with allocations meant for LGAs from the Federation Account.
Citing this judgment, SERAP argued: “Local government councils are entitled to a direct payment from the Federation Account of the amount standing to their credit in the said Federation Account. States should not be collecting, receiving, spending or tampering with the local government council funds from the Federation Account meant for the benefit of the councils.”
The advocacy group expressed concern that despite the ruling, many state governors have continued to “starve local governments of funds and put them in peril,” thereby undermining their autonomy and capacity to function as the third tier of government.
In the letter, the group warned that if the CBN fails to act within seven days, it would take legal action.
“If we have not heard from you by then, the Incorporated Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the CBN to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter stated.
SERAP referenced a past revelation by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who in December 2022 described how governors allegedly short-changed LGA chairmen.
“If the money from the Federation Account to the state is about N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the chairman, but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with,” Buhari had said.
The organisation argued that the CBN has a constitutional and statutory obligation to protect the financial interests of all tiers of government.
“The CBN ought to act in the public interest to protect the allocations in the Federation Account and the public funds disbursed from that Account directly to each of the constitutionally recognised three tiers of government,” it said.
Highlighting the March 2025 revenue distribution by the Federation Account Allocation Committee, SERAP noted that a total of N1.578 trillion was shared among the three tiers of government. It queried whether the LGAs had received their fair share directly, as mandated by the court ruling.
“Ensuring that all restrictions against direct disbursement of allocations from the Federation Account to the 774 councils are lifted will comply with the orders by the Supreme Court and stop states and the FCT from tampering with the allocations ahead of the 2027 general elections,” SERAP warned.
The group further argued that Nigerians have a legal and moral right to know how their money is being managed, referencing several legal frameworks, including the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The public interest in publishing the information sought outweighs any considerations to withhold the information. Nigerians are entitled to the right to receive information without any interference or distortion, and the enjoyment of this right should be based on the principle of maximum disclosure,” SERAP stated.
The group also reminded the CBN that “the Freedom of Information Act is applicable and applies to public records in the Federation, including those kept by the CBN.”
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