Business
Access Bank Unfolds Paris subsidiary’s Operations Focus
Access Bank Plc has expressed confidence that the new subsidiary in Paris, will play a key role in driving trade and investment flows between Africa and France.
Herbert Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc., the parent company of Access Bank, confidently stated this during the launch of the Paris subsidiary.
Wigwe stressed that the subsidiary’s location in Paris is strategic, as it is the commercial and financial centre of France with a vibrant ecosystem of businesses and institutions.
“With a population of over 67 million people and a GDP of €2.4 trillion, France is a key player in the global economy,” he said.
” Access Bank’s new subsidiary will enable the bank to tap into the country’s vast business opportunities, particularly in the area of cross-border trade finance,” said Wigwe.
He said that Access Bank has a great presence in the Francophone world that relies significantly in terms of trade on France, so Access Bank in Paris will work to support trade possibilities and trade finance solutions to businesses in those regions, ranging from large conglomerates to SMEs and more.
“Our range of banking products and services will be a valuable asset for businesses looking to trade internationally, while our corporate and investment banking services will help businesses access capital, manage their cash flow, and mitigate risk.
Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna, said “Access Bank’s presence in France represents an important step towards achieving its goal of bridging worlds and connecting opportunities for African businesses.
“Today, we are proud to have a presence in 18 countries across four continents, serving millions of customers and businesses.
” Indeed, our expansion drive has been guided by our vision to become the world’s most respected African bank, and by building on our strong track record of innovation, customer service, and social responsibility, we have come one step closer to achieving this goal,” said Ogbonna.
Business
2026: CPPE foresees stronger growth for Nigerian economy, people and businesses
Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE, stressed that the periodic marginal appreciation of the Naira, strengthened business confidence, eased imported inflation and restored predictability to pricing, contracting and investment planning.
• Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), has described 2025 as “a year of macroeconomic stabilisation,” for Nigeria; projecting that the economy will in 2026, transition more decisively from stabilisation to growth.
CPPE, in its review of the outgoing year, noted : ” The year 2025 marked a significant turning point in Nigeria’s macroeconomic trajectory following the turbulence associated with the early phase of the government reforms.
“Exchange-rate stability emerged as the most visible achievement, with the naira largely trading within the ₦1,440–₦1,500/US$ band.”
Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE, stressed that the periodic marginal appreciation of the Naira, strengthened business confidence, eased imported inflation and restored predictability to pricing, contracting and investment planning.
“Inflation decelerated sharply from 24.48 percent in January to about 14.45 percent by November 2025.
The slowdown was supported by currency stability, easing logistics pressures and improving supply conditions.
Several food items and imported consumer goods recorded outright price declines, contributing to improved consumer sentiment and reduced price volatility.”
Given the above, Dr Yusuf said that overall, 2025 laid a solid foundation of macroeconomic stability.
He said : ” The outlook for 2026 is reassuring, with expectations of stronger growth, easing inflation, improving investor confidence and a gradual shift toward more inclusive expansion.
He emphasised that if reform momentum is sustained and security challenges are effectively addressed, 2026 could mark the beginning of a more robust growth phase with tangible improvements in living standards.
Business
Nigerians consume 1.236 million terabytes mobile data Nov’25– NCC
The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that Nigerians consumed 1.236 million terabytes (1.24 petabytes) of mobile data in November 2025, a slight increase from October’s estimated 1.235 million TB.
NCC, in the November data reports, said ” Data usage climbed progressively from lower levels earlier in the year, around 983,000 TB in April amid post-tariff adjustments, to crossing the 1 million TB threshold by mid-year. June saw 1.044 million TB, July surged to 1.131 million TB (then hailed as a record), and August reached 1.152 million TB,” said the NCC.
According to the records, month-on-month gains averaged 1.8 percent in the second half, driven by recovering subscriptions, expanded 4G coverage, and insatiable appetite for video streaming, social media, and fintech services. This all-time high reflects Nigeria’s deepening digital integration.
MTN and Airtel, controlling over 85 percent of the market, benefited most, with users averaging higher per-subscriber consumption – MTN at around 13 GB monthly and Airtel nearing 10 GB.
The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.
Broader metrics reinforce the boom: Internet subscriptions hit 144.8 million in November, while broadband penetration reached 50.58 percent (109.7 million high-speed connections), up sharply from 45.61 percent in January. Active telephony lines rebounded to 177.4 million, adding 2.1 million month-on-month, pushing teledensity to 81.8 percent.
Business
ICPC: Dangote must testify in person
The agency said that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, does not allow proxy representation on criminal matters.It gave Dangote December 29 deadline to appear before it.
File Photo: Aliko Dangote and Farouk Ahmed
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says that Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote must appear personally before the Commission to testify the corruption allegations against the former against the former Chief Executive of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
The agency said that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, does not allow proxy representation on criminal matters.It gave Dangote December 29 deadline to appear before it.
The anti-graft commission conveyed its decision to Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja (SAN), in a December 24 letter.
Onoja had on December 22, gone to the ICPC office to adopt the petition.But in a letter to Onoja by the Chief of Staff to ICPC Chairman, Rouqayya Ibrahim, the commission said it was necessary for Dangote to come in person.
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