Broadcasting
Zulum, Sanwo-Olu, Emmanuel, Emerge ‘The Industry Governors of the Year’ as Emefiele, Shobanjo, Onyeali-Ikpe, Odigbo, others Win
The Industry Newspapers, organisers of The Industry Summit/Awards, formerly The Industry Evening Summit, has announced Governor of Borno State, Prof, Babagana Zulum, Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel as The Industry Governor of the Year- Overall, Job Creation and Infrastructure respectively.
The Industry Awards team of assessors led by the Leadership Newspaper, South West General Manager, Mr. Chima Akwaja also named the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Chairman, Troyka Holdings- Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc- Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, as Regulatory Officer of the Year, Doyen of Advertising in Africa, Banker of the Year respectively.
According to the Mr. Akwaja, the decision was reached after the team of assessors of The Industry Summit/Awards had painstakingly reviewed the impact of governance by these Governors in Nigeria on their states and adjudged finally settled on these three governors.
The award will be conferred on all the recipients, during this year’s edition of The Industry Summit/Awards. This year’s event which is in its third edition, with the theme: “Financial inclusion, digital payment and the challenges of banking the unbanked” is scheduled to be held at the Banquet Hall of Sheraton Hotel & Tower, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on 26th of April, 2022 starting with the Summit by 10am and Dinner/Awards ceremony by 6pm.
In a statement made available to newsmen recently in Lagos, the convener of the Summit, and the Editor-in-chief of The Industry Newspapers, Mr. Goddie Ofose revealed that, “the event is envisioned to bring together leaders of thoughts in Nigerian business landscape in order to rev up conversations that would deepen financial inclusion and proffer solution to the challenges of banking the unbanked.
According to him, Nigerians who have access to financial services are reported as having a lack of basic resources and the financial knowledge necessary to carry out transactions, stressing that, lack of education around financial services has likely contributed to low financial inclusion.
He pointed out that, “in a quest to extend financial services to the unbanked, particularly those in remote and rural regions, it is critical that we engender conversation about the viability of agents. Agents are retail storefront operators representing financial services providers with the delivery of financial services.”
“According to EFinA’s 2018 Access to Finance Survey, financial exclusion is highest in rural areas. This is because the traditional model of delivering financial services — the bank branch — is not sustainable in these areas.” He noted.
He also stated that, the Keynote Speaker for this year’s event is the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Godwin Emefiele, while CEO Financial Institution Training Centre (FITC), Mrs. Chizor Malize will deliver a lead paper.
The year panel is consisted of Chioma Afe, Group Head, Retail Marketing & Analytic, Access Bank Plc, Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Marketing & Corporate Communications Officer, Interswitch Nigeria, Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products, FirstBank, Mr. Kenny Joda, CEO, FibreOne, Mrs. Bola Atta, Group Director for Communication, UBA Plc, David Okeme, Divisional Head Payment Solutions & Vertical Market Systemspecs, Olugbenga Agboola, CEO Flutterwave, Mr. Oti Ukubeyinje, Senior Vice President, Products and Product Marketing, Terragon Babs Ogundeyi, CEO Kuda Microfinance Bank.
The Moderator for the session is Alhaji Mojeed Jamiu, Seasoned financial journalist/publisher of Upshot Reports.
Also, the Awards ceremony will witness conferment of awards on six first ladies from each geopolitical zone with best PET projects, among others.
American Tower Corporation (ATC) Nigeria and the ProFuturo Foundation have announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the educational sector through digital innovation and technology.
The programme, which is being implemented in conjunction with the Kukah Centre, is expected to benefit over 5,600 school children and 34 teachers across 11 schools in Kano, Kebbi and Taraba states.
The initiative is part of a broader global collaboration between American Tower and ProFuturo Foundation, targeting education gaps in seven African and Latin American countries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ATC Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Mr Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, said the partnership was aligned with the company’s Digital Communities programme, which facilitates technology-driven learning, financial literacy for adults and access to healthcare services in underserved areas.
“At ATC Nigeria, we are proud to support this impactful collaboration, which brings digital tools directly into classrooms. This partnership is not just about equipment—it’s about giving children the future they deserve,” he said.
General Manager of ProFuturo Foundation, Ms Magdalena Brier, described the partnership as a crucial step towards bridging the digital divide and empowering vulnerable communities.
“This alliance reinforces our mission to transform lives by improving access to education and digital tools. Every child and teacher reached through this programme is a testament to what we can achieve together,” she said.
Each school will be equipped with a digital learning kit, which includes computers, tablets, routers, projectors and other essential components tailored to foster interactive learning—even in areas with limited connectivity.
The initiative seeks to strengthen innovative teaching practices and promote inclusive education through digital transformation, with active support from local authorities who were present at the official launch.
About ₦2 billion changes hands in bets every day (KPMG Gaming Outlook 2025), driven by a 60-million-strong punter base that treats wagering as both entertainment and side-hustle. Industry revenue is on pace to hit US $3.63 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) by December 2025 – roughly the size of Nigeria’s entire recorded-music market.
Smartphones rule this universe: more than 90 percent of slips now start and finish on a handset, which is why the market leaders obsess over data-lite apps and USSD deposits almost as much as odds feeds.
Our Litmus Test for “Best”
To separate hype from heft we graded each book on the nine variables that still matter after the banner ads fade:
- Odds edge & market depth – average margin on EPL, NPFL and niche sports
- Live tech stack – cash-out latency, in-play uptime, streaming rights
- Payout speed & reliability
- Responsible-gaming tools (RG) – time-outs, self-exclusion, deposit caps
- Licensing strength & dispute history
- Promotions that actually pay
- Product breadth – virtuals, jackpots, prediction games, casino
- Financial resilience – operating cash flow, retail footprint, VC war chest
- Cultural traction – agent networks, grassroots sponsorships, meme power
The Heavyweights – and Why Each Owns a Piece of The Best
| Operator | What They Nail | Ticking Time-Bombs | Verdict |
| SportyBet | Biggest traffic (≈ 57 M visits / month), sub-5-second cash-outs, crazy-low EPL margin (~4.5%). | Still no retail city hubs; crash loops on older Tecno devices. | Mobile kingpin |
| Bet9ja | Heritage trust, retail agents in 20 states, jackpots like Super9ja; circa ₦10 billion monthly handle. | Dated UX; odds less sharp since 2024 revamp. | Legacy war-horse |
| BetKing | Data-driven odds, Genius Sports in-play feed, renewed deal with Gamble Alert for RG training. | Slower KYC queues at peak traffic. | RG poster-child |
| Surebet247 | NLRC Permit 0001081; cash-first agent model with mobile slip tracking; boosted welcome bonus to ₦150k; full cash-out on domestic basketball. | Android app, iOS app; livestream rights still pending. | Mobile dark horse |
| 1xBet & Betway | Global market buffet, esports, crypto options. | Offshore-licence optics; occasional geoblock glitches. | International muscle |
| NairaBet, AccessBET, Msport, Premier Bet, BetPawa | NairaBet = pioneer cachet; Msport & BetPawa blitz TikTok; Premier Bet just signed Francis Ngannou. | Each misses at least one core pillar (RG tooling, market depth or fast payouts). | Specialist niches |
Two Deep-Cut Insights the Billboards Won’t Show You
- Women are quietly reshaping the market. According to University of Abuja (“according to data from the University of Abuja”), 30 percent of urban Lagos women now gamble regularly, and a 2025 field survey found daily spend often tops ₦50,000 despite lower median income.
- Mobile-money betting dents student wallets. According to Lagos State University, mobile-money deposits explain 26.7 percent of the variance in student financial well-being – a stat that should make every platform’s RG desk sweat.
So, Who Actually Wins?
- Premier-League diehards who live for lightning-fast in-play cash-out: SportyBet wears the crown.
- Corner-shop loyalists who still like to chat with a clerk: Surebet247 Betshop nails the cash-plus-mobile sweet spot.
- Jackpot chasers who want EPL on Saturday, Ugandan Super League on Tuesday, and darts on Thursday: Bet9ja is still the Swiss-Army knife.
Punters who value self-exclusion toggles and deposit caps (you should): BetKing edges ahead.
In reality, “best” is contextual. Odds hawks, live-stream junkies, crypto degenerates and agent-network stalwarts will all point to different logos. What you don’t want is a bookie that melts down at 89′ when Villarreal finally scores.
On that front, the four names above – plus a rapidly innovating Surebet247 mobile bet shop – look built to survive Nigeria’s next data-price hike and the NLRC’s tightening audit screws.
The rest? Keep one eye on their uptime dashboards – and the other on your bankroll.
By Lukman Otunuga, Senior Market Analyst at FXTM.
A flurry of high-risk events may pump global financial markets with fresh volatility this week.
Top-tier data, including US Inflation, the unofficial start of earnings season, and US Congress “Crypto Week,” among other themes, could spell fresh opportunities.
Amidst this, uncertainty over global trade will add to the mix after President Donald Trump threatened 35% tariffs on the EU and Mexico over the weekend.
Regarding US inflation, this may impact bets around Fed cuts in the second half of this year. Markets are forecasting CPI to rise 2.6% from 2.4% in the prior month, with core CPI rising to 2.9% from 2.8%. Signs of rising prices may shave bets around the Fed cutting interest rates – boosting the dollar as a result.
Closer to home, Nigeria’s June CPI data due July 15 is expected to show signs of cooling inflationary pressures. This could offer some relief to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which aggressively hiked interest rates throughout 2024. Inflation is expected to have eased to 21.4% year-on-year from 23% in May – marking the 4th consecutive month of decline. However, the slowdown is largely a technical adjustment aided by the recent gains in the Naira amid higher non-oil exports and a weaker dollar.
The CBN is scheduled to meet later this month and will most likely keep rates unchanged at 27.5%.
One key challenge for the country will be how to re-tweak its budget for lower oil prices. Indeed, the budget was based around oil production at 2 million barrels and oil prices of $75. Brent is trading around $70 with the nation producing 1.544m b/d of crude in May according to OPEC. Nigeria is hoping to raise production to 1.9m b/d by the end of 2025. But its impact on the economy may be muted if oversupply and tepid demand keep oil prices subdued. Brent is up 4% this month but still down over 6% since the start of 2025.
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