Business
NDCCITMA will transform Niger Delta economy – Eno

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has expressed the hope that the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines & Agriculture (NDCCITMA) will facilitate the transformation of the economy of the region.
He said this on Wednesday in Uyo during a one-day sensitisation of the people of the state on the Establishment of NDCCITMA.
Eno, represented by the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr John Etim, said that the region had been wrongly portrayed as mono-economy, in spite of its huge resources.
“For too long, the Niger Delta has been erroneously portrayed as a mono-economy, which boasts only of crude oil deposit with negative fallout, such as environmental degradation, ravaging poverty, among others, but our region is much more than that. “We are blessed with abundant human and mineral resources far beyond crude oil.
“In fact, we are the major producers of oil palm and other cash crops in this country. “The region can be both self-sufficient and a net exporter of palm oil and many other food items.
“The NDCCITMA initiative is not only desirable but imperative for the speedy transformation of our region,” Eno said. He commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for seeking the synergy for the implementation of the initiative for the betterment of the people.
In a remark, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said that the objective of NDCCITMA is to stand in the gap between NDDC and entrepreneurs in the region.
He further said that the chamber would provide the long sought support to sustain the business of those who cannot meet the stringent conditions of financial institutions.
Ogbuku, represented by the state Representative on the Board of NDDC, Mr Abasiandikan Nkono, said that the activities of the chamber would influence development in the region.
“The establishment of NDCCITMA will positively influence the development of a robust transport system, manufacturing, merchandising, mining, marine, and food security for our families.
“We intend to work with the people and bring down the cost of food to affordable level to improve the health of our people,” he said.
The Chairman of NDCCITMA, Mr Idaere Ogan, described the chamber as a forum where people could seek genuine guidance and assistance in developing their businesses and scaling up capabilities. Ogan also said that the chamber would boost trade and commerce from the nano business level through the micro, small and medium entreprises to the large organisation.
He said, “We are poised to work with our development partners, the NDDC, to solve the food problem of the region, enable manufacturing of goods, develop skills and build capacity within the region.”
He called on all the chambers of commerce in the region, business communities, professional associations, governments and individuals to prepare to work with NDCCITMA for accelerated development of the region.
Source: Vanguard
Business
Bolt seeks dialogue with drivers ahead of May 1 strike
The strike, announced on Tuesday by the Lagos State chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, targets major operators including Bolt, Uber, In Drive, and others.

Bolt, Nigeria’s largest e-hailing startup by market share, says it is seeking dialogue with driver representatives following a planned 24-hour strike by app-based drivers in Lagos, scheduled for May 1, over poor earnings and working conditions.
In an emailed response to PUNCH Online on Thursday, the Estonian ride-hailing operator acknowledged some of the concerns raised by the drivers and confirmed its openness to discussions aimed at addressing its drivers’grievances.
The strike, announced on Tuesday by the Lagos State chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, targets major operators including Bolt, Uber, In Drive, and others.
The union accused the companies of ignoring repeated calls for fair compensation, safer working conditions, and recognition of workers’ rights.
The union accused the companies of ignoring repeated calls for fair compensation, safer working conditions, and recognition of workers’ rights.
Business
Nigeria to host maiden AfCFTA hackathon
The initiative, led by Cherith-Code Concept Ltd, an International Trade Consortium, is supported by a coalition of partners, including Ascend Studios Foundation, Amazon Web Services, GFA Technologies, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Real Sources Africa, a Kenya-based company.

The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has concluded arrangements for hosting the first-ever AfCFTA Hackathon in the country with a N20 million grand prize.
Held as a flagship event at the Science of Trade (SOT) Conference 2025, hosted by Ascend Studios Foundation, the maiden AfCFTA Hackathon is set to take place from May 1 to 3, 2025, in Lagos.
AfCFTA Coordination Office and Director of the Hackathon Project, Mr Olusegun Olutayo, disclosed this in a press release.
He emphasized thatthe hackathon is an innovative, tech-driven challenge specifically designed with Nigeria’s enterprising youth in mind.
The initiative, led by Cherith-Code Concept Ltd, an International Trade Consortium, is supported by a coalition of partners, including Ascend Studios Foundation, Amazon Web Services, GFA Technologies, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Real Sources Africa, a Kenya-based company.
This annual, high-impact project will focus on unpacking the opportunities presented by the newly adopted AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol (DTP).
The platform will serve as a hub for developing competitive, practical and innovative solutions to power digital trade across Africa.
The convener of the SOT conference, Dr Inya Lawal, expressed enthusiasm about the hackathon’s transformative potential and the partnership with the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office.
Business
Excitements As Wema Bank Clocks 80 In 8 Days
As Wema Bank counts down to its 80th anniversary on May 2nd, 2025, the world eagerly anticipates the future of possibilities that lies ahead for this phenomenal bank.

All roads lead to Lagos on May 2nd 2025, when Wema Bank, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous bank, leading innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, will be marking its 80th anniversary in grand style, in Lagos, the city where it all started.
Founded on May 2nd 1945 as Agbonmagbe Bank Limited, Wema Bank was established by the Late Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe and two others—his wife, Regina Adekoya Okupe and a family friend, Reverend Alade.
In an era where the banking industry was designed to cater only to the colonial government and expatriates, Wema Bank came to life as a vanguard of indigenous banking, bridging the gap in access to financial services by providing quality financial services tailored to the needs of indigenous Nigerians and businesses.
The story of Wema Bank is one that symbolises remarkable resilience, capturing the journey of an indigenous Nigerian bank that dared to rise at the heights of the colonial era, weathering the storms of the difficult terrain, navigating challenges and constantly reinventing to continue serving Nigerians against all odds, for 8 solid decades and counting.
Founded on May 2nd, 1945, as Agbonmagbe Bank Limited, Wema Bank was established by the Late Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe and two others—his wife, Regina Adekoya Okupe, and a family friend, Reverend Alade.
This great bank, which began as the mere vision of an illustrious philanthropist in a hollow room at Agbonmagbe Lodge, Yaba, Lagos, has now grown to not only become Nigeria’s longest standing indigenous and most resilient bank but also, Nigeria’s most innovative bank.
In truth, Wema Bank’s formidable legacy is proof that Nigerian businesses have the capacity to last, transcend time, adapt and innovate to remain valuable to customers, stakeholders, shareholders, industries, and the nation at large.
From empowering Nigerians with the finest quality of financial services to providing tailored opportunities for underserved categories of the population, spearheading the future of banking and being a backbone for Nigeria’s FinTech industry by not only pioneering the continent’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, but also allowing FinTechs to operate using the Bank’s secure and advanced network; Wema Bank has built a legacy of impact since 1945.
As Wema Bank counts down to its 80th anniversary on May 2nd, 2025, the world eagerly anticipates the future of possibilities that lies ahead for this phenomenal bank.
While details of the grand Wema at 80 event are yet to be disclosed, the event is reported to be the most star-studded and exclusive corporate celebration of the year.
It is convening generations of Nigerians in Lagos in a night of momentous reflection, merriment, and grandeur with the dress code and timeless elegance.
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