Business
My daughter excited I’ll see Burna Boy, Rema In Nigeria — Bill Gates
The youngest daughter of American business mogul, Bill Gates, known as Phoebe said she is excited that her dad would see Nigerian music stars – Burna Boy and Rema when he visit Nigeria with her Dad.
Recall that Gates and Aliko Dangote had visited President Bola Tinubu on Monday, as part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to working closely with communities and leaders to support innovation.
While delivering his opening address at an event in Lagos State, Bill Gates made the revelation disclosing Phoebe’s gladness over his visit to Nigeria and the possibility of meeting Afrobeats stars such as Burna Boy and Rema.
He said: “When my daughter Phoebe heard I was coming to Nigeria, she said, “You’re lucky because you get to see Burna Boy and Rema, so I had to look them up…because I’m so ‘hip’. But I remember the last time I was here, I got to see Davido & Wizkid perform,”.
Gates said Nigeria is filled with creative minds and Afrobeats from Nigeria are popular everywhere.
“Of course, being here in Nigeria, I can’t help but mention the amazing creativity that goes on here.
“Afrobeats from Nigeria are popular everywhere. When my daughter Phoebe heard I was coming to Nigeria, she said, ‘You’re lucky to go see Burna Boy and Rema,” he said.
He further recalled his last visit to Nigeria seeing Davido and Wizkid perform.
“But I also remember, the last time I was here, I did get to see Davido and Wizkid perform and I was quite impressed with that. So, my kids think I’ve come to a very hip place,” he added.
Business
Airtel Money Targets October Listing On London Stock Exchange
Airtel Money’s parent company is Airtel Africa, a telecoms provider that is part of the Indian conglomerate Bharti Enterprises, which is ultimately controlled by the billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal.
Airtel Money, the mobile money arm of Airtel Africa, has concluded plans to float on the London Stock Exchange in October.
Airtel Money’s chief executive, Ian Ferrao, made the disclosure Wednesday emphasising that the company would announce more details about the float in early October, including the indicative price range and number of shares to be offered, with final pricing to follow later in the month.
Airtel Africa had originally targeted a listing in the first six months of 2026 but delayed it to the second half of the year, blaming unfavourable market conditions as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Several other companies also pushed back planned IPOs amid the market volatility caused by the conflict.
The company is hoping to raise about $800m (£601m) from the initial public offering (IPO) and is targeting a valuation of $8bn to $9bn, which would make it one of London’s largest listings in recent years.
Airtel Money has 53 million monthly active users across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It operates through a network of branches and kiosks, which enable customers to load money on to their phones, withdraw cash and access other money services, and the company generated revenues of just under $1.4bn in the last financial year.
Airtel Money’s parent company is Airtel Africa, a telecoms provider that is part of the Indian conglomerate Bharti Enterprises, which is ultimately controlled by the billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal.
Business
Cardoso Says Multiple FX Windows Cost Nigeria 3% of GDP, Higher Than Fuel Subsidy
Before the CBN introduced FX reforms in 2023 to unify exchange rates, Nigeria had different channels through which dollars could be bought and sold. Different rates applied to different users and transactions.
Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso has estimated that Nigeria lost about three per cent of its gross domestic product to multiple foreign exchange windows.
Mr Cardoso spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while answering questions after the 307th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee.
He put the losses from the fuel subsidy regime at about 2.2 per cent of GDP, meaning the two distortions together cost the country roughly 5.2 per cent of GDP.
The committee cut the benchmark Monetary Policy Rate to 23 per cent from 26.5 per cent, a decision the governor described as an important operational realignment aimed at strengthening monetary policy transmission.
Mr Cardoso compared the cost of the old exchange rate system to the fuel subsidy, which he said was already a staggering amount of money.
The losses that we were making as a result of these multiple exchange rate windows was more. It was 3 per cent of GDP. So between those, you had 5.2 per cent of GDP lost,” he said.
Before the CBN introduced FX reforms in 2023 to unify exchange rates, Nigeria had different channels through which dollars could be bought and sold. Different rates applied to different users and transactions.
Business
Naira To Dollar, Pound , Euro Rate Wednesday September 23
Black Market Rates
₦1382 DOLLAR (USD)
₦1860 POUND (GBP)
₦1555 EURO (EUR)
₦1000 DOLLAR (CAD)
₦70 SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR)
₦370 UAE DIRHAM (AED)
190 YUAN (CNY)
₦100 G.CEDI (GHS)
₦2250 CFA F.(XOF)
₦2250 CFA F.(XAF)
₦850 AUSSIE (AUD)
CBN Exchange Rate
DOLLAR (USD) ₦1327.78
POUND (GBP) ₦1774.31
EURO (EUR) ₦1521.37
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1619.04
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.44
CFA FRANC (XOF) ₦2.33
WEST AFRICAN UNIT OF ACCOUNT (WAUA)₦1814.83
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦198.16
SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦353.57
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦81.82
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