UBA Partners Firm to Deliver e-Commerce Platform

Kennedy Uzoka, Deputy Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA Africa

Obinna Chima
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has announced a deal with Ixaris and its Nigerian partner, ‘Ojapay’ to deploy a virtual card platform across its 20 African markets.

A statement from the bank explained that UBA would use Ixaris Payment Server to deliver innovativepayment options for individuals and corporates.

The e-commerce market in Africa is predicted to reach $75 billion by 2025. However, many consumers and businesses across the continent currently lack secure, convenient and low-cost means to make purchases online.

To take a share of the market opportunity, UBA said it selected Ixaris Payments Server to quickly and cost-effectively deploy payments programs based on virtual prepaid cards.

Nigeria: Lagos Trains Traditional Healers On Treatment of Hypertension, HIV/Aids, Other

Lagos State Government has concluded a two-day training programme for traditional medicine practitioners in the state on how to manage and offer treatment for six priority diseases in West Africa using traditional herbs prescription method.

The six identified priority diseases are: Malaria, Hypertension, Diabetes, Sickle Cell Anemia, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.

Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, one of the resource persons, explained that the training exercise was part of the resolve of the West Africa HealthOrganizationsm WAHO, to further stem the spread of the diseases using all available means.

He assured that the method of traditional medical care that participants were exposed to, are those with scientific backing and well researched by renowned scientists which had been put to test in other African countries. Omoseyindemi said that the involvement of traditional practitioners in finding cure to those identified diseases would be done in conjunction with the modern day medical practitioners, especially in the areas of medical analysis and laboratory test to diagnose the nature and intensity of the ailment in order to determine prescription and dosages.

While debunking the common belief system where persons suffering from any of the aforementioned ailments are regarded to be under spiritual or supernatural attacks by their adversaries, he advised that any sign of discomfort in the body system should be brought to the knowledge of medical personnel who would determine what went wrong in the body rather than relying on common knowledge or superstitious beliefs.

The training programme which started in Alimosho area of the state will be extended across all the divisions to incorporate all traditional practitioners.

See more story: Allafrica

Boko Haram's treatment of captured Nigerian girls detailed in new report

 

A new report released Monday describes how Nigerian girls have endured physical torture, rape and forced marriages in the camps of the Islamist terror organization Boko Haram. 

According to Sky News, the Human Rights Watch report draws on interviews with 46 victims or witnesses of the group's destructive actions toward its victims. Boko Haram came to international attention this past April, when its fighters abductedmore than 270 girls from a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria. The kidnapping sparked an international outcry and put pressure on the Nigerian government to win their release.

Dozens of the captured girls have escaped, but officials estimate that 220 remain missing.

INET BFA, Applied Logic Partner on Data Distribution

INET BFA  one of Africa’s leading provider of financial data, feeds and analysis tools, has concluded a reseller and distribution agreement with Applied Logic Limited, owner of the Broadstreetlagos.com platform, for the distribution and support of the INET Fronteer  market data terminal.

This is INET BFA’s initial entry into the Nigerian financial data services market, a key global financial market and Africa’s largest economy.  The company said in a statement that the agreement aligns with INET BFA’s strategy of forming key strategic partnerships with recognised and established local companies as market entry partners.

The strategy allows INET BFA an accelerated time to leverage Broadstreetlagos’ extensive Nigerian financial markets knowledge, experience and local client base. According to the company, the agreement to market and support the INET Fronteer product compliments Broadstreetlagos’ existing product suite which currently offers extensive coverage of the local Nigerian exchange prices and underlying fundamental company and instrument data.

UBA Records N211bn Gross Earnings in Nine Months

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, one of Africa’s leading banks, last Friday announced grossearnings of N211 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, showing an increase of 12 per cent above the N188 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.

The gross earnings got a boost from interest income, which rose 12.5 per cent to N149 billion in 2014, up from N132 billion. Net interest income grew from N78 billion to N82 billion, bringing the total operating income to N138 billion, compared to N129 billion.
The increase in operating income showed the strong underlying operating efficiency of UBAbusiness globally, and the capacity of the business to remain profitable. 

Nigeria: LCC1 Rules, as Christ Embassy Evangelises Through Football

THEIR dream is to become football stars. And they took giant steps towards actualising that goal last Sunday as the curtains fell on the maiden Christ Embassy football fiesta for their youths in Lagos.

With the theme: Fishing for Christ through football, the youths took to the pitch like ducks to water on October 6 when the first round of the tournament kicked off at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium, Lagos.

The budding stars then moved to the main-bowl of the stadium for the quarterfinals, drawing remarkably huge interests in all the stages.

After series of amazing football matches in two weeks, the duo of LCC1 Group and LCC2 showed class and were unsurprisingly the two finalists.

Nigeria: Giwa-Led NFA Board Takes Charge, Nullifies All Pinnick-Led Board Decisions

The Chris Giwa-led board of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has taken charge as ruled by the judiciary, a member of the board, Yahaya Adama, said on Friday in Abuja.

Adama told newsmen at the Glass House secretariat of the NFA the board has returned to power as demanded by the court and was "ready to save the Nigerian GAME".

Justice Ambrose Alagoa of the Federal High Court in Jos had on Thursday annulled the Sept. 30 NFA elections in Warri.

He had also declared as null and void the NFA Elective Congress held on that day, thereby restoring to power the Giwa-led board which was elected in Abuja on Aug. 26.

Education summit begins in Abuja today

A week-long National Education Summit, aimed at restructuring Nigeria’s education system and, which is put together by stakeholders in education sector, led by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), begins today in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Chairman, Planning Committee and former ASUU President, Dipo Fashina, in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan at the weekend, said the summit had as theme, ‘Towards a System of Education for Liberation in Nigeria’, and would hold at the Conference Hall, Top Rank Hotel, Utako District, Abuja.

Okonjo-Iweala: Sustained Drop in Oil Price Will Necessitate Painful Measures

 Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

•  Crude will tumble to $70, says Wall Street 'Bond King'

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku with agency report

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned that a sustained drop in the price of crude oil will force the federal government to adopt painful cost-cutting measures.

In an interview with the London-based Financial Times (FT) newspaper, the minister said: “We will have to look very hard at recurrent expenditure, and identify overlapping agencies. When the price is heading down, everyone sees the necessity but that doesn’t stop them from hating you.”

Okonjo-Iweala agreed, however, that lower oil prices would provide a stronger incentive to government to rein in oil theft, which has cost billions of dollars a year, and help to drive through stalled oil sector legislation to stimulate production.

“That would enable us to pick up quantity to help us cushion on the price side,” she said.

Stock Market Rebounds on Third Quarter Earnings

Despite declining in the last two trading days of the week, the Nigerian equities market recovered from a 5.5 per cent decline the previous week to last week 2.3 per cent higher.

Same with global capital markets around the world, the Nigerian bourse had been unstable as confidence waned on fears of economic slow-down and declining oil prices.

However, global equities market rallied last week, lifted by a raft of corporate results and benign United States (US) inflation data which suggest the US Federal Reserve may keep interest rateslower for some time.
The Nigerian equities market had the previous week recorded a five-day of straight losses crashing every hope of respite. The market had witnessed massive sell-offs of highly capitalised stocks from the first day of the previous week to the last.

Apple’s Partner Cautions against Buying New iPhone 6 from Dubai

Apple’s official partner in Africa, Core Group Africa has alerted Nigerians on the danger of buying Apple iPhones from the Dubai grey market.

Core Group Africa, Apple’s official representatives in Africa, who sounded the note of warning against buying Apple products, especially the most recent iPhone 6 and  6+  from unauthorised sources in Dubai and other destinations, said such buyers would not be entitled to any warranty and also forfeit FaceTime, a video telephony feature that has been permanently removed from all iPhones sold in the UAE.
Core Group Africa could not confirm when the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are coming to Nigeria, nor could it confirm the price.  However, it reminded Nigerians that it is worth waiting for the official launch since that has numerous benefits for the customer.  The iPhone 5S was the first iPhone to be launched officially in Nigeria. 

EX-NIGERIA COACH KESHI WANTS TO COACH GHANA

Ex-Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has expressed interest in the vacant Ghana coaching coach.

The Ghana Football Association has already shortlisted and interviewed three European coaches for the vacant job.

Meyiwa’s killing ‘a tragic loss’

Johannesburg - Celebrities and sporting stars across the world expressed shock on Twitter as they woke up to the news of the death of soccer player Senzo Meyiwa.

The 27-year-old Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper and captain was shot dead at about 8pm in Vosloorus on Sunday.

Brigadier Neville Malila could not confirm earlier whether Meyiwa was at his girlfriend, singer and actress Kelly Khumalo's home.He was reportedly shot while protecting her.

Former Orlando Pirates coach Augusto Palacios tweeted: “What a tragic loss (at)SenzoMey1 was an unbelievably honourable human, friend & sportsman. The Country is mourning your loss #RIPSenzoMeyiwa”.

Seventeen killed in Nigeria

Maidiguri, Nigeria - Suspected Boko Haram militants 

Maidiguri, Nigeria - Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed at least 17 people and abducted dozens in a series of attacks in the central region of Nigeria's north-east Borno State, the head of a local administration said on Sunday.

The killings happened on Thursday and mark the latest in a number of assaults by suspected Boko Haram insurgents despite the announcement of a ceasefire by the Nigeria government and ongoing negotiations with the group in neighbouring Chad.

“Seventeen persons were killed by the assailants after last Thursday's attack on Ndongo community,” Alhaji Shettima Maina, head of the local government in Mafa district, told journalists.

“We buried the remains of the victims in Mafa on Friday.”

Nigeria is Commited to WTO, Multilateral Trading, Says Aganga

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga,  has said  that Nigeria is committed  to  the World Trade Organisation(WTO) and the multilateral trading systems.
Aganga stated this during the opening ceremony of the national workshop on implementing theWTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Abuja.

He noted that the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement was critical to enhancing global trade.
The minister, who was represented by the Director of Trade in the Ministry, Mr. Felix Askipta, said: “The main purpose of the workshop is to enhance participants understanding of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and its implication as well as determine Nigeria’s target categorisation of the remaining TFA commitments on B and C and enhance participants awareness on the keysuccess factor for setting up and strengthening of a National Trade Facilitation Committee.

CIS to Partner Entertainment Industry to Boost Sector’s Contribution to GDP

In a bid to further boost the contribution of Nigerian’s entertainment industry to the gross domestic products (GDP) the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers' (CIS) 2014 annual conference will focus on the industry and the needed connection with the capital market.

Chairman of the CIS Programme Committee, Mr. Akeem Oyewale, made this known in a chat with journalists in Lagos.
He explained that the aim of the conference is to foster a beneficial relationship between the capital market and the entertainment industry.

According to him, the theme of the conference is, “The Capital Market: “The Key Catalyst to the Development of the Entertainment Industry in Nigeria.”