Emirates international airline, has resumed passenger services to Lagos, Nigeria, with a daily service.

The official delegation onboard was led by Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia; David Broz, Senior Vice President of Aeropoliticaland Airline Industry Affairs and Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President Emirates Airport Services Outstation and Business Support.

The official delegation from Nigeria onboard the flight included His Excellency, Festus Keyamo, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria; His Excellency, Zayyan Ibrahim, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Adewale Babtunde Awolesi Head of Chancery, Consulate General of Nigeria. 

Soon after it landed, the airline hosted an exclusive event for VIPs, government officials, key representatives from Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Customs, Police and the Airforce, as well as trade and industry partners and corporate clients.

Commenting on the return of services, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said, “This has been a long-awaited moment, and we are excited to resume operations to Lagos, helping reconnect travellers seamlessly to and through Dubai, coupled with a consistent, world-class experience onboard.

We would like to thank the Nigerian authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, as well as the UAE authorities including His Excellency Salem Saeed Al Shamsi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Abuja, Nigeria and His Excellency Dr Abdulla Almandoos, Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Lagos, for their support.

“We are committed to making this route a success and look forward to contributing to the Nigerian aviation industry’s growth and offering travellers and businesses more choice and connectivity to key destination across our network.”

His Excellency, Festus Keyamo, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria said: “We are pleased to welcome Emirates back to Nigeria.

Emirates has become a global brand and Nigeria, being the most populous black nation in the world, is the sure destination for all major airlines in the world.

“So, this is a mutually beneficial relationship and we look forward to many years of seamless operations for the designated airlines of both countries to ply the route.”

EK783 departs Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Lagos at 1520hrs; the return flight EK784 takes off from Lagos at 1730hrs and lands in Dubai at 0510hrs the following day. The daily service has been scheduled to optimise connections to and from key points in Europe, the US, the Far East and the wider Middle East and GCC, streamlining business and leisure travel to and from Nigeria.

The Dubai-Lagos service is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 304 economy class seats, with added comforts and perks in each cabin class.

Strengthening business links between UAE and Nigeria
With the resumption of operations to Lagos, Emirates provides frictionless connectivity to one of Africa’s major economic hubs, facilitating global trade and strengthening business ties, in line with the UAE and Nigeria’s strong bilateral trade relations.

Emirates SkyCargo will support Nigerian businesses by offering more than 300 tonnes of bellyhold cargo capacity in and out of Lagos every week, into key markets such as UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Bahrain, among others.

Anticipated commodities such as Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier material will be transported via the airline’s state-of-the-art hub in Dubai, quickly, efficiently, and reliably via the airline’s multi-vertical specialized product portfolio.

Imports into Nigeria are anticipated from key markets such as UAE, India and Hong Kong, with key commodities including a mix of general cargo, pharmaceuticals and electronics.

The Dubai-Lagos service is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 304 economy class seats, with added comforts and perks in each cabin class.

Emirates is one of only two airlines offering First Class in and out of Lagos, and offers an unrivalled experience with luxurious touches, a premium gastronomic selection of dishes and fine beverages, and one of the biggest screens in the sky, all in midst of comfort and privacy.

Offering the best experience across every class, passengers will dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus, complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.

Customers can tune in to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, series and other content on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

To support travel to Dubai or onwards, Emirates will also facilitate 48 hour and 96 hour Dubai visa applications for travellers from Nigeria, an offer which is exclusive to the airline.

Celebrating the resumption of services, Emirates award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, reinstated previous tier status levels for Skywards members to ensure continuation of earned benefits and recognition.

By Ichaburu Ochefa

Oliver Alawuba, Group Managing Director/CEO of UBA Group, says towards meeting the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new minimum capital requirement of N500 billion, the bank will soon roll out its rights issue and public offers for the recapitalisation.

Alawuba gave this hint during the presentation of the bank’s H1 2024 Financial Year Investors’ Conference.

“We are at advanced stage with our recapitalization process. Our application has been submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and we expect their approval in the next couple of weeks following which the market will be advised,” said Alawuba.

He told the existing and prospective investors that inspite of the difficulties of operating challenges internally and externally,  UBA closed the H1 2024 strong across its financials.

“We enter the second half of 2024 from a position of strength. Our proven resilience, strong capital position, and market-leading capabilities position us to continue our growth trajectory. “EXECUTION” will remain our driving force as we focus on market leadership and delivering excellent customer experiences at every touchpoint,” he said.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
In H1 2024, UBA Group delivered strong double-digit growth across high-quality and sustainable revenue streams. This performance reflects our disciplined execution of strategic goals, focusing on balance sheet expansion, transaction banking, and digital banking businesses across our markets.

• Profit before Tax: We achieved a robust Profit Before Tax of N401.6 billion, reflecting our ability to manage risks effectively amidst macroeconomic volatility.

• Customer Deposits: Our deposits grew by 34%, from N17.4 trillion at year-end 2023 to N23.2 trillion in H1 2024, demonstrating the trust and loyalty of our customers.

• Total Assets: We saw a 37% growth in total assets, reaching N28.3 trillion, up from N20.7 trillion at FYE 2023. This growth was driven by strong customer relationships and our ability to capitalize on opportunities across geographies.

• Net Interest Income: Our intermediation business posted impressive growth, with net interest income expanding by 143% year-on-year to N675 billion, further underlining the strength of our core banking operations.

• Digital Banking & Payments: Digital Banking income surged by 107.8% YoY to N106 billion, while funds transfer and remittance fees rose 188.7% and 228%, respectively. We continue to lead in digital banking and payment solutions, helping drive financial inclusion across Africa.

• Trade Facilitation: Income from trade transactions grew 83% to N18 billion as we strengthened our role in facilitating intra-regional and international trade.

Our strategy of investing in technology, innovation, and data analytics continues to yield significant returns, positioning us as a leader in digital transformation. ▪︎

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola,  is requesting for the support of the World Bank to develop Nigeria’s fishery and aquaculture sector.

Oyetola made the request when a team of the World Bank Group, led by Ms Lia Sieghart, paid a courtesy visit to him.
He informed the team that developing the fishery and aquaculture remains the topmost priority of the ministry.

Fishery is the flagship of ministry. We are doing everything to regulate the activities in that sector. We are designating terminals for fishing activities. We want to do a sustainable fishery program on a sustainable basis and make it attractive to the youth.

“We intend to reduce importation and encourage production here, in Nigeria.

Therefore, we are willing and ready to have you support our efforts, to realise our vision for the ministry.”
Ms Lia Sieghart told the Minister that the visit is to identify areas where the World Bank can provide expertise and knowledge.
She commended President Bola Tinubu for the established ministry, saying it was a strong signal that the Nigerian government was desirous of developing the sector.