E-Financial
Polaris Bank Partners Millwater on stable Power Delivery to Industrial Clusters

Polaris Bank has expressed its commitment to partner with Millwater to deliver uninterrupted power to industrial clusters in Nigeria in order to accelerate the industrialization drive of the current administration.

L-R; Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Vice President, Kashim Shettima; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Executive Director Polaris Bank, Chinwe Iloghalu and Deputy Managing Director, Wema Bank, Wole Akinleye at the Agbara Business Roundtable, Ogun State recently.
While giving the assurance on the sidelines of the recent Agbara Business Roundtable which held in Agbara, Ogun State, Polaris Bank’s Executive Director, Lagos & Corporate Banking, Chinwe Iloghalu who represented the Bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Adekunle Sonola, expressed the lender’s readiness to provide the required funding to Millwater, a Technical Partner of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to make the Light Up Nigeria project, a reality.
Polaris Bank is the financial partner to Millwater Limited which is serving as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and partnering with NDPHC to deliver the Light Up Nigeria project of the federal government.
At the event, Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, while noting that Nigeria holds tremendous opportunities for not only investors, but also the people, restated Federal Government commitment to investors and industries to deliver adequate power supply across industrial clusters.
Shettima decried situation where industrial clusters like Agbara had to rely on other sources of power supply other than the national grid and assured that the Federal Government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) is committed to ensuring that clusters like Agbara benefit from cheaper means of generating power in their various factories.
The Business Rountable which drew cream of the Nigerian society across different spectrum had the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat; Minister for Power, Adebayo Adelabu and NDPHC CEO, Chiedu Ugbo all lauding the Light Up Initiatives of the present government which they reckon will fastrack Nigeria’s industrialization efforts.
Polaris Bank has been a strong partner in funding Nigeria’s energy players to deliver value to critical stakeholders and this project which is dear to the heart of the current administration, will not be an exception.
Recall Polaris Bank recently funded the delivery of a full cargo with an indigenous firm to the tune of N13bn, thus enabling the transportation of the 20,000 metric tonnes, or 27 million litres of petrol, to the country. The Bank’s support exemplified the pivotal role played by the financial institution to support the growth of the critical energy sector of the economy.
The event was to launch an initiative to ensure dedicated power supply to industrial clusters across the country, starting with Agbara Industrial Estate.
Polaris Bank, adjudged Digital Bank of the Year 2021 and 2022, is a future-determining Bank committed to the delivery of industry-defining products, and services, across all the sectors of the Nigerian economy.
E-Financial
UBA Expands to More African Cities, Stamps Footprint in Saudi Arabia

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has announced strategic expansion into more African countries even as it plans to open a new office in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone in its mission to connect Africa with key global markets.

Oliver Alawuba, GMD/CEO, UBA group,
This emerged during the Group’s Half Year Business Review held at its global headquarters in Lagos, where Oliver Alawuba, group managing director/CEO, UBA group, met with senior executives overseeing UBA’s 24-country footprint.
The meeting reaffirmed the bank’s pan-African strategy while outlining bold new steps into global markets.
Alawuba highlighted UBA’s continued growth outside Nigeria, with more than 51.7% of Group revenues now generated from its ex-Nigerian operations.
He described the Saudi expansion as a move that positions UBA to support cross-border trade, attract investment flows, and better serve the African diaspora.
“UBA’s vision is clear—we are building a truly global institution anchored in Africa, but serving customers across continents. Our entry into Saudi Arabia signals confidence in new opportunities and commitment to supporting economic connectivity between Africa and the Middle East,” he said.
The Saudi expansion adds to UBA’s international presence, which currently includes the United Kingdom, United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Alawuba also disclosed that the bank is upgrading its operating licence in France to further strengthen its European operations.
“In Europe, UBA has operations in the United Kingdom and is upgrading its licence in France, expanding its capacity to serve cross-border trade, investment flows, and the African diaspora, complementing our over 40-year presence in New York,” Alawuba noted.
Since launching its pan-African journey with an entry into Ghana in 2004, UBA has expanded rapidly across 20 African countries, establishing itself as a leading driver of financial inclusion, innovation, and regional integration.
E-Financial
Ecobank Plans to Raise $250m Capital Through Private Placement

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announced its plan to raise up to $250m in Additional Tier 1 capital through a private placement of contingent convertible notes.
In a statement filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited recently, the capital raise was approved by shareholders at the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting held in Lomé, Togo. The private placement offer was launched on July 9 and will run for ten days.
“Following the approval of the shareholders at its Extraordinary General Meeting held on May 28, 2025, in Lomé, Togo, to raise up to $250m in additional Tier 1 capital qualifying instruments via a private placement of contingent convertible notes, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announces the launch of the AT1 effective July 9, 2025, for ten days. Renaissance Capital Africa has been appointed as the transaction adviser to ETI.”
The move is an initiative aimed at strengthening Ecobank’s capital adequacy, enhancing financial resilience, and supporting its long-term growth ambitions across its diversified pan-African banking platform.
Additionally, Madibinet Cisse, Ecobank’s Company Secretary, said, “This proposed capital raise represents a critical step in our efforts to fortify the bank’s financial foundation and support sustainable growth across Africa.”
It would be recalled that Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the parent company of the Ecobank Group, has raised an additional $125m through a Eurobond tap, bringing the total size of its 2029 notes to $525m.
E-Financial
EFCC Recovers Funds Lost to CBEX Fraud

Ola Olukoyede, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has announced that the body has recovered lost funds from the CBEX fraud scheme.
Olukoyede did not announce the amount recovered, but he assured Nigerians that the EFCC is taking action against the promoters of the scheme.
The EFCC Chairman emphasised that the suspects found are facing prosecution.
“We have found a lot of people culpable. Those who promoted that scheme are within our jurisdiction and have been arrested. So, at this moment, they are being prosecuted. And we can also say that money has been recovered, even though the process is still ongoing for us to finally forfeit it,” he said.
Olukoyede also urged Nigerians to exercise caution when investing their resources into online platforms.
“Ponzi schemes remain one of the most pervasive threats facing unsuspecting investors. The CBEX case is a clear example. We all remember the outcry that followed the collapse of the scheme, but these unfortunate situations are preventable. Nigerians must begin to conduct due diligence before committing their resources to such platforms,” Olukoyede said.
He also stressed that the body remains committed to fishing out the culprits and recovering the lost funds.
“It was only when the bubble burst that people wanted EFCC to perform magic and recover their money. In the case we investigated in Lagos, which we dubbed Operation Flush, we arrested a large number of foreigners involved in various cybercrimes, including CBEX. I want Nigerians to know that as of today, we have secured close to 150 convictions. Some of them are already serving their jail terms. And when they are through with that, we are going to send them back to where they came from. So we are monitoring them,” he added.
He urged the public to stay vigilant, assuring them that the body will see the case to the end.
“We are no longer the EFCC that drops cases halfway. Whatever we start, we will finish. Nigerians should trust us and believe in our capacity to do justice. Some of these cases are complex and may require cross-border investigations, but we are up to the task,” he said.
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