E-Financial
Sterling One Foundation Commits to the African Union Year of Education
Sterling One Foundation has reiterated its commitment to investing in foundational learning and working with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and partners to boost education in Africa.
L-R: Albert Nsengiyumva. Executive Secretary, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Former Minister of Education, Nigeria and Founder, Human Capital Africa, John Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister of Education, Ghana and Dr. Benjamin Piper, Director of Global Education, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the 2023 High Level Policy Dialogue on Foundational Learning in Zambia recently.
This commitment was made at the 2023 High Level Policy Dialogue hosted in Zambia by ADEA and the Zambian Ministry of Education to inform policy and decisions on foundational learning, foster dialogue and peer learning, and share good practices on what works in foundational learning in support of the African Union Year of Education scheduled for 2024.
Over the years, development experts have bemoaned the dire situation facing Africa’s youth, given the inefficient education system in place to cater to them, coupled with the rapid rise in their population. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the State of Global Education Update reports that only 10% of 10-year-olds are able to read basic story texts or solve simple arithmetic problems, thus placing the region as the lowest in terms of numeracy skills and foundational literacy in the world.
With this challenge at the front burner, ten African Ministers of Education and some other country representatives agreed to prioritize foundational learning and develop a foundational learning starter pack model for the 2024 African Union Year of Education (AUYoE) and beyond, as an urgent step towards tackling the challenge.
The starter pack is expected to serve as a uniform resource material that will help the participating countries develop a sustainable solution for the problem. Furthermore, the model will prioritize data collection and analysis of the data in partnership with ADEA and other key policy partners to improve laws and bring to fore policies that foster more efficiency, peer learning and best practices in support of the AUYoE.
Sharing her perspective on the resolutions from the Dialogue, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, ceo of the Sterling One Foundation hailed the ideas and strategies put forward, stating that it will strengthen the work of private sector and civil society organizations contributing to the solutions.
“Policies are crucial to sustainable development work in Africa and we are glad that the deliberations here have fashioned out ways to improve the work being done across the early childhood and primary education value chain. At our Foundation, we support the work of different stakeholders through grants, technical support and strategic engagements, and we are excited to see how the mainstreaming of the resolutions here will improve that work,” she added.
Some of the key aspects the decision-makers at the Policy Dialogue hope to address in the immediate future include adoption of structured pedagogy for the continent, introduction of more age-appropriate teaching methods and use of technology to improve teacher quality, through training and performance monitoring and improvement.
The Minister of Education of Zambia, Hon. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima while stressing the importance of all stakeholders taking the resolutions seriously mentioned that education, especially foundational learning is at the base of what will drive Africa’s development.
“It is by building people that we will derive the resources to craft a new vision and bring such a vision to life. Without foundational skills in numeracy and literacy, there can be no further learning quality,” he said.
Participants at the High-Level Policy Dialogue got the opportunity to review some of the solutions and insights from the participating countries to see what works and where improvements and adaptations are possible. There were also school visits organized for participants to get some firsthand experience of play-based learning and other important concepts made possible by the right policies.
During his remarks, the Executive Secretary of ADEA, Mr. Albert Nsengiyumva highlighted the need for a collective commitment to tackling the crisis the continent faces, stating that: “Africa is the continent most affected by the learning crisis, and it is where the solutions must be developed.”
He thanked the participating Ministers of Education and other stakeholders for the work they have done so far, and urged them to continue on that momentum to ensure the acceleration of progress.
Some other leaders who spoke at the Policy Dialogue include Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Founder of Human Capital Africa and Co-convener of the Foundational Learning Ministerial Coalition, and Dr Benjamin Piper, Director of Global Education at the Gates Foundation, both of whom advocated strongly for data-driven decisions and scaling what has worked.
The Senate on Wednesday adopted the harmonised conference committee report on the four tax reform bills.
The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration and approval of the recommendations of the conference committee of both chambers set up to harmonize the Bills.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and leader of the Senate delegation in the conference committee, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, presented the report.
The four tax reforms Bills which were transmitted to the National Assembly in November last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu include: The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 583); Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 584); Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2025 (SB. 585); and Nigeria Tax Bill, 2025 (SB. 586).
In recognition of its exceptional contributions to innovative financial solutions for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Fidelity Bank Plc has been awarded the 2025 Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Innovation Award in the Deposit Money Bank (DMB) category.
This prestigious accolade celebrates Fidelity Bank’s commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by MSMEs, a vital segment in Nigeria’s economic growth.
Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, commented on the award, reaffirming the bank’s dedication to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs: “At Fidelity Bank, innovation is at the heart of our strategy to support MSMEs.
“This recognition underscores our commitment to developing scalable, inclusive, and technology-driven financial solutions that create positive outcomes for our nation’s entrepreneurs. We are honored to receive the DBN award and dedicate it to our loyal customers for their continued support.”
The award was presented at the 2025 Service Ambassadors’ Awards ceremony in Lagos, themed ‘Enhancing Partnership for MSME Resilience and Growth.’ Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director of DBN, emphasized the importance of financial institutions in transforming unbankable ideas into viable businesses through advisory services.
“You, our partners, are acknowledged and celebrated for your outreach to entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to scale. We appreciate you for your role in converting unbankable ideas into bankable businesses,” Okpanachi stated.
He noted that the award aims to recognize partners who make a significant impact, focusing on storytelling and the positive changes they bring to Nigeria.
This award joins a series of landmark initiatives by Fidelity Bank aimed at supporting MSMEs. Earlier in May, the bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to facilitate the expansion of Nigerian MSMEs across Africa.
Additionally, Fidelity Bank launched the Fidelity SME Hub in Gbagada, Lagos—a multifunctional facility equipped with training halls, meeting rooms, networking spaces, and studios for music, photography, and content production.
This hub is designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and capacity-building, essential elements for strengthening Nigeria’s SME ecosystem and driving economic growth.
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.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Africa’s Global Bank, has launched a new feature called Advance Top-Up on its USSD banking platform *919#, which is designed to provide instant access to airtime and data for its customers especially when they are out of call credit or disconnected from the internet.
The new feature which was unveiled at the UBA head office in Marina recently, allows customers to borrow airtime or data directly from their mobile devices, offering a fast, dependable solution.
Shamsideen Fashola, group head, Retail and Digital Banking, UBA, who spoke during the official launch, described the feature as a timely addition to the bank’s digital offerings and a testament to the its customer-first approach.
“At UBA, we are constantly looking for ways to make banking and everyday services more accessible for our customers. With the launch of Advance Top-Up on our USSD platform, *919#, we are giving our customers the power to stay connected without interruption, regardless of time, location, or airtime balance,” Shamsideen said.
UBA’s Advance Top-Up which is now live on *919#, joins a wide range of services on the platform, which include airtime and data purchases, money transfers to UBA and other banks, account balance checks, card blocking and freezing, online transaction controls, bill payments, and more.
Fashola emphasised the simplicity and convenience of the solution, adding that “You don’t need to download an app or visit a data centre. Just dial *919#, follow the prompt, and you’re immediately connected. It’s simple, fast, and reliable.”
Alero Ladipo, Bank’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, added that the feature was developed based on real feedback from customers and their evolving needs.
“Our users asked for a way to stay connected when they have no airtime, and as always, we have come up with a quick solution, right there on their phones, instantly, with no fuss, and no need for internet connectivity. Whether for emergency communications or business continuity, *919# puts instant connectivity in every customer’s hands,” she explained.
She explained that only recently, the bank unveiled its newly improved Point of Sale (POS) Terminal as well as the UBA MONI App to redefine the digital payment landscape and empower small and Medium Scale Enterprises across Africa.
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