Business
BOI, NCGC sign N10bn loans for women in business
BOI said that the programme would support women-led enterprises across manufacturing, ICT, digital marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, education, renewable energy, processing, waste management, and the creative industries.
• Image of a business woman/ BOI
Nigeria’s push for inclusive economic growth gained momentum on Wednesday as the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC) launched a N10 billion loan guarantee programme aimed at improving access to finance for women-owned businesses.
The agreement, signed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, represents one of the major gender focused credit support initiatives introduced in recent years.
The BOI Managing Director, Dr Olasupo Olusi and the Managing Director of NCGC, Mr Bonaventure Okhaimo, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.
The scheme, known as GLOW, meaning Guaranteed Loans for Women, provides for a 25 per cent guarantee by NCGC on BOI loans.
This arrangement is expected to reduce lender risk and create easier access to affordable credit for women entrepreneurs at concessionary interest rates, the two organisations said.
BOI said that the programme would support women-led enterprises across manufacturing, ICT, digital marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, education, renewable energy, processing, waste management, and the creative industries.
Olusi said the initiative was designed to address long-standing barriers that prevent women from accessing growth capital.
He said GLOW was structured to offer concessionary pricing at seven per cent, flexible collateral options and capacity building support, noting that these measures were intended to help close gender financing gaps within the MSME sector.
Business
Enugu Air Begins London Gatwick flights From December 10, 2026
The Enugu State-owned airline will use an Airbus A330-200 leased from Portugal-based EuroAtlantic under an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) arrangement.
Enugu Air will begin direct flights to London Gatwick on December 10, 2026, with four services weekly.
Tickets are already available for booking.
The Enugu State-owned airline will use an Airbus A330-200 leased from Portugal-based EuroAtlantic under an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) arrangement.
The service is being delivered through a strategic partnership with Omni-Blu Aviation (OBA).
The airline said the service will improve international travel connectivity for passengers departing from Lagos, Enugu and other parts of Nigeria.
Passengers from Enugu will be able to begin their international journey to London from their home airport, Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
The four weekly flights are expected to give travellers greater flexibility between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Enugu Air Chief Executive Officer Captain Tolu Ita said: “The commencement of our London Gatwick service reflects our commitment to expanding international connectivity and the vision of His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, to connect Enugu to more opportunities across the world.”
He added: “Of particular importance is ensuring that passengers from Enugu can begin their international journey to London from their home airport, Akanu Ibiam International Airport. We are proud to make the journey from Enugu to London Gatwick a reality for our passengers.”
Business
Naira Exchange Rates Thursday, 5 Nov 2026
BLACK/ PARALLEL MARKET RATES
₦1400DOLLAR (USD)
₦1830POUND (GBP)
₦1515 EURO (EUR)
₦950 CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD)
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₦350 UAE DIRHAM (AED
₦190 Chinese YUAN (CNY)
₦100 Ghanaian CEDI (GHS)
West African CFA ₦2240 (XOF)
Central African CFA ₦2180 (XAF)
₦820 Australian Dollar AUSSIE (AUD)
Business
NNPCL wants to sell 10% equity via IPO on NGX, LSE
NNPC is expected to spend at least the whole of 2027 preparing for the proposed offering, with the listing primarily intended to strengthen corporate transparency and governance in line with Nigerian law.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) is considering selling between 5% and 10% of its equity through a potential initial public offering (IPO), with the proposed listing expected to focus primarily on Nigeria’s domestic capital market.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Bashir Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, adding that the company could also pursue a secondary listing in London or New York.
The disclosure comes shortly after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s IPO closed on October 27, following a two-week extension of its subscription period from the initial October 13 deadline.
NNPC is expected to spend at least the whole of 2027 preparing for the proposed offering, with the listing primarily intended to strengthen corporate transparency and governance in line with Nigerian law.
Ojulari indicated that raising additional capital would be a secondary consideration rather than the main reason for going public.
The company is also considering listing some of its subsidiaries separately, following a model adopted by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil company.
Beyond the potential IPO, Ojulari disclosed that Chinese companies have expressed interest in acquiring equity stakes in some of NNPC’s smaller refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt and Warri facilities, which require substantial rehabilitation.
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