E-Financial
Sage partners ACCA, to assistant accountants develop technology skills
By peter oluka
Sage (Africa) has entered into partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Nigeria, in a move to add more values to the profession, especially where strategy matters.
The partnership, Director, Partners, Accountants and Alliances, Sage Africa & Middle East, Laurica Kok, said in an interview with our correspondent, is strategic and will help expose Sage’s products to a broader market.
“ACCA is a renowned organisation within our business circle. It is a strategic alliance for us; it is a journey that exposes our products into a broader market which they hold the audience hub. I also see it as a very good fit. Sage is passionate about the accountants. Globally, ACCA holds that connection for us. It is also a partnership that will help drive the message for Sage to be seen as one-stop-shop for accounting solutions; it will impact their profession and businesses.
“Through this partnership we are growing Sage ‘ambassadors’, those who would tell others better about our products in accounting environment”, Kok comments.
According to her, Sage supports business from start-up or entry level to the enterprise level. “Secondly, Business builders are seen across segments; specifically, we can offer accounting, payroll, payment systems as consolidated application. “Thirdly, business model for us is just to serve the customer; empower the community and the environment the customers find themselves in. That is the differentiator for us in the market. We work, in our region, with partners that support that vision.
Relishing the importance of the partnership, Head of ACCA, Nigeria, Mr. Tom Isibor, described it as massive.
“Like I said earlier, five years ago, we started a research which clearly shows what the accounting of the future should be, what competencies, behaviours, skills do you need to have to be able to distinguish ourselves from other profession and make ACCA as a preferred qualification.
“The basic is digitalisation. Sage is global powerhouse in terms of building and delivering accounting software and solutions. We believe they can give us that perfect solution we have been looking; also fill the skills gaps of our members, make them more work ready and more preferred accountants in the market. Thus, it is all about building capabilities, capacity for our members.
“For instance, the Sage University promises to give us access to up our skills. We also look forward to this platform supporting our student-members and others searching for places for industrial (training) attachments.
“The other opportunity which is also very big to me, is giving back the society in terms of what the Sage community believes in; the corporate social responsibility (CSR) is huge. I also see an opportunity that ACCA and Sage can exploit on. In this environment, there is so much to give back to the society. So, we are just at the door-step.
On why ACCA chose to partner with Sage, he said, “If you are choosing a partner, you must have similar DNA. That is the critical element for me and for us in the Nigerian office; to have an organisation that shares our values, professional in its approaches and on ethical grounds. If you look at Sage’s story, it has been around for 36 years. Look at the business turnover, the number of countries they operate and the very customer-centric. They provide solutions that solve critical accounting needs.
How Will the Partnership Impact Entrepreneurs in Nigeria?
Director, Sage Enterprises, West Africa, Mr. Fidelis Isiekwuene, responds “First, technology is shifting; before now, software companies make software available for accountants for use. But, accounts could only implement processes based on the extent provision of the solution. In today’s world, it is a different case. This is customer-focused. Technology companies, on daily basis, are innovating on how to make the works of the accountant easier.
“The present business world tends to query you, ‘what makes you different from others?’ A C-level executive, for instance, who is jumping from one city to the other, trying to make money for the Company, does not have time to sit down and begin to look at the intricacies of the entries; he wants to see everything at a glance.
“He wants to be able to see the business report, no matter where he is. This is where the innovations around SMAC come in- Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud. So, he shouldn’t be tied down to a place before he could see the feasibility of the business. He wants to collaborate with the team, on the go. He wants to use ‘Sage Pegg’ as a communication tool, because just like every time you are sending WhatsApp messages, people respond real time. Also, you should be able to talk to your colleagues and get answers real-time”.
Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading Tier-1 financial institutions, has announced a remarkable financial performance for the first quarter of 2025, recording a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N105.8 billion, representing an impressive growth of 167.8% compared to N39.5 billion in Q1 2024.
Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc
The bank’s unaudited financial statements, released on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on April 30, 2025, highlight a substantial increase in Gross Earnings, which rose to N315.4 billion, marking a year-on-year growth of 64.2% from N192.1 billion in the same period last year.
Growth in interest income was primarily led by 38.6% yoy (7.4% ytd) expansion in earning assets base, while the increase in non -interest revenue came from FX-related income, trade and commission on banking services, etc., supported by increased customer transactions.
Commenting on the bank’s performance, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, stated, “We started the year with triple-digit growth in profit and sustained the momentum in our earning assets growth.
This performance shows the resilience of our business model and reinforces our confidence in delivering a better result in the 2025 financial year.”
Other areas of the unaudited financial statements, equally show a marked improvement with Total Deposits growing by 11.1% ytd to N6.6tn from N5.9tn in December 2024, driven by 10.6% ytd growth in low-cost deposits to N6.1tn, which represents 92.2% of total customer deposits. Local currency deposits increased by 2.0% ytd while foreign currency deposits increased by 21.4% from $1.9bn in December 2024 to $2.3bn.
Net Loans and Advances increased by 5.0% ytd to N4.6tn. The growth in the bank’s Loan Book was skewed to LCY Loans as cost of risk declined to 0.6% from 1.5% in 2024FY.
“Beginning the year with such positive momentum reinforces our commitment to supporting the growth of individuals and businesses, while enhancing our financial sustainability. As we go into the rest of the year, we remain focused on building a resilient banking franchise with a diversified earnings base,” Onyeali-Ikpe added.
Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine.
Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has unveiled a technology adoption assessment survey for registered capital market operators as part of efforts to deepen innovation and efficiency in the Nigerian capital market.
In a circular, the SEC stated that the exercise was designed to evaluate the level of adoption of advanced technologies among CMOs operating within the Nigerian capital market.
According to the notice, “The following technology adoption survey is designed by the Commission to assess the adoption of advanced technologies among registered Capital Market Operators.”
The SEC directed all registered operators to log into the e-portal at using their current access credentials to complete the survey. The exercise will run for two weeks, from 5 to 20 May 2025.
Speaking recently on the role of innovation in the capital market, Emomotimi Agama, director-general of the SEC, urged stakeholders to embrace technology as a catalyst for growth, improved transparency, operational efficiency, and market resilience.
He noted that the SEC recognises the emergence of new financial products and services driven by technological advancements, and remains committed to adapting its regulatory framework to meet the evolving needs of the market.
According to him, the commission’s approach to innovation is anchored on three pillars: investor safety, market deepening, and problem-solving aimed at building a robust and efficient capital market ecosystem.
Agama also highlighted the commission’s Regulatory Incubation Programme, which allows fintech startups to operate within a controlled environment for one year while appropriate rules are developed to govern their activities.
He said the programme is part of the SEC’s broader strategy to support innovation while safeguarding market integrity and investor interests.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) ,has confirmed that Nigeria has fully repaid about US$3.4 billion loan it got in April 2020 under the Rapid Financing Instrument to help alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp fall in oil prices.
IMF said the loan has been repaid as of April 30, 2025 in a statement issued in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Thursday.
However, IMF said Nigeria is still expected to honour some additional payments in forms of Special Drawing Rights charges hat will amount to US$30 million annually.
“In line with the IMF’s Articles of Agreements, these charges, levied at the SDR interest rate, which is updated at the beginning of each week, apply to the difference between Nigeria’s SDR holdings (SDR 3,164 million) (US$4.3 billion) and its cumulative SDR allocation (SDR 4,027 million) (US$5.5 billion)
“The net payment of the charges stops when Nigeria’s SDR holdings reach the cumulative allocation amount,” IMF said in the statement. Online fitness
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