‎• Zenith Bank GMD, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji

An official opening ceremony of Zenith Bank Plc Côte d’Ivoire is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, and is expected to draw senior government officials and regulators from Nigeria and , as well as business leaders and members of the diplomatic community.

The subsidiary will be led by Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Cédric Tano, who said the bank’s entry into Côte d’Ivoire comes at a time of strong economic growth and increasing regional integration, adding that it aims to combine global best practices with local market insight to support businesses, facilitate cross-border trade and contribute to economic growth in Côte d’Ivoire and the wider WAEMU region.

In a statement, the bank said that the subsidiary was licensed in December 2025 by the Ministry of Finance and Budget of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and regulated by the UMOA Banking Commission, will operate from its headquarters at SCI Wall Street, Avenue Noguès, Plateau, Abidjan.

The bank said that the new subsidiary is positioned to support cross-border trade and investment, with a focus on corporate banking, trade finance, local and offshore banking services, and structured financial solutions for businesses operating across Africa and internationally.

‎Group Managing Director, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, said the expansion reflects the vision of the bank’s Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, to build a global brand with a strong presence across Africa and key international markets.

NACCIMA has established an Export Express Support Centre as a practical intervention to simplify export processes and provide direct support to businesses.

At the event, Polaris Bank Plc donated equipment to support the take-off of the centre, a move stakeholders described as critical to building the infrastructure needed for export development.

Chairman of the NACCIMA Export Group, Kola Awe, said that the initiative was driven by the need to improve export performance, noting that only a small fraction of registered exporters accounts for a significant share of the country’s export value.

“The centre is built on knowledge, training, innovation and support. We are not charging anybody for knowledge. It is a platform for exporters to get the information and assistance they need,” said Awe.

Awe explained that the centre would go beyond advisory by offering hands-on support to resolve issues related to logistics, documentation, procurement and regulatory compliance.

NACCIMA National President, Dr Jani Ibrahim,added that the centre was designed as a one-stop hub to guide exporters and strengthen their capacity to compete in regional and global markets.

“It will serve as a one-stop hub providing guidance, tools and technical support to exporters, helping them navigate documentation, meet standards and access new markets with confidence.

“It will serve as a one-stop hub providing guidance, tools and technical support to exporters, helping them navigate documentation, meet standards and access new markets with confidence,” he said.

•Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II

The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, on Friday, responded to a question asked by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, about a fresh $516 million foreign loan President Bola Tinubu was seeking the Senate ‘s approval to borrow.

Emir Sanusi’s remarks come amid reports that the Federal Government has increased its 2026 borrowing plan by ₦11.31 trillion, pushing total projected borrowing to ₦29.20 trillion.

Speaking during an interview published by News Central TV on Friday, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said : ” We’ve removed the subsidy. We’re now spending it. .. If you’re not paying the subsidy and you’ve got the money, why are we still borrowing and borrowing? What are we borrowing for?”

In response, the presidency stated that the Tinubu administration is borrowing to invest in the critical sectors of the economy, especially infrastructure.

Bwala wrote on X, “Your Royal Highness, we are simply borrowing to invest in the critical sectors of our economy, the chiefest of which is INFRASTRUCTURE. The infrastructure deficit requires a yearly investment of at least $30B-100B, and what we have is insufficient, hence the borrowing “