Author: Nationalmonitor

L-R: Cynthia Sanyaolu, Head, Talent Management, Polaris Bank; Mathew Oji, Product Strategy, Polaris Bank; and Olanrewaju Oyekunle, Head, HR Operations, Polaris Bank, at the 2026 Jobberman Partners’ Convening in Lagos, where Polaris Bank was honoured with the Private Sector Champion Award in recognition of its outstanding contributions to youth employment, talent development, and workforce empowerment across Nigeria. Polaris Bank, Nigeria’s leading digital retail and commercial bank, has been honoured with the Private Sector Champion Award at the 2026 Jobberman Partners’ Convening held at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, in recognition of the Bank’s outstanding and stellar contributions to…

For years, Africa’s financial story has been told through one statistic: millions of people remain unbanked. But that framing may already be outdated. The more interesting question today is not whether Africans have bank accounts. It is whether banking itself is quietly becoming optional.Across parts of Africa, people are beginning to interact with money without ever touching a traditional bank in the way previous generations did, and stablecoins are at the centre of that shift.Most people still think stablecoins are “crypto” that is the wrong framework. Speculation is not the real story here. Infrastructure is.A stablecoin is simply a digital…

The Nigerian debt capital market continues to experience growth, driving economic expansion, and expanding access to capital through enhanced liquidity, transparency, and price discovery. Reflecting this progress, FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited (“FMDQ Exchange” or “the Exchange”) has approved the listing of Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company PLC’s ₦11.50 Billion 10-Year 17.25% Series 1 Fixed Rate Bond under its ₦440.00 Billion Medium Term Note Programme. This milestone highlights the Exchange’s pivotal role in enabling long-term capital formation and supporting the advancement of the Nigerian housing finance ecosystem. Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company PLC (“NMRC”) is a licensed mortgage refinancing institution established under the Companies…

President/CE, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote with CEO, Norges Bank Investment Management, Nicolai Tangen The President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has held a high-level meeting with Nicolai Tangen, the Chief Executive Officer of Norges Bank Investment Management, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund manager, overseeing assets valued at approximately $1.9 trillion. At the meeting, the Norwegian investment institution expressed strong interest in partnering with Dangote Group to expand its footprint across the African continent, with a focus on strategic sectors including power, energy, renewables, agriculture, fertiliser and cement. Also present at the meeting were Svein Tore Holsether, Chief Executive Officer of…

L-R; Lateef Adedimeji, Actor; and Dr. Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Group Marketing and Communications, Interswitch, presenting the Best Writing (Movie and Series) award, sponsored by Verve, at the 12th AMVCAs which held recently in Lagos. At the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), Interswitch, through its flagship brands Quickteller and Verve, once again reinforced its steadfast commitment to driving the growth of Africa’s creative ecosystem. As a key sponsor of this year’s awards, Interswitch championed three major categories, each reflecting the depth, richness, and diversity of African storytelling. Quickteller featured as sponsor of the Best Music…

Governor Dauda Lawal has commended the troops of the Joint Task Force (North West) Operation Fansan Yamma for achieving significant operational successes against bandits in Zamfara State. The troops of the Joint Task Force launched an elaborate and coordinated onslaught in the early hours of Thursday, May 7, 2026, in the Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji Local Government Areas of Zamfara State. Following the encounter, troops effectively neutralised three gang leaders and recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition, which included an AK-47 rifle, a machine gun, a locally fabricated handgun, seven rifle magazines and a total of 571 rounds…

​Hon. Abdulkudus Isah, a prominent House of Representatives aspirant for the Owan Federal Constituency, has officially defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Speaking to the press, Isah explained that his departure was necessitated by a leadership vacuum and legal instability within the ADC. He noted that many supporters in Southern Nigeria originally joined the party due to the influence of “Obi,” and with the leader’s perceived shift, Isah declared the ADC “dead” in the region. ​The timing of the move was fueled by administrative urgency, as Isah revealed that the registration window for…

His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Lawal, has officially approved the sum of N3.2 billion for the complete renovation, accreditation, and commencement of academic activities at the Zamfara State School of Nursing and Health Sciences, located in Zurmi Local Government Area. This was confirmed in an official statement released marking a major intervention in the state’s ailing healthcare education sector, which has suffered years of neglect and infrastructural decay. According to government sources, the funds will be channeled into three critical areas: the overhauling of lecture halls, administrative blocks, student hostels, and practical demonstration labs to…

Thousands of Eti-Osa residents in Lagos at the weekend declared their support for President Bola Tinubu, governorship hopeful Obafemi Hamzat and a member of the State House of Assembly, Noheem Adams ahead of the forthcoming elections. Those who attended the event included the Central Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Eti-Osa headed by Engr. Murphy Adetoro, a member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC). Others are the chairmen of the three local government areas of Eti-Osa constituency 1, APC ward chairmen, traditional rulers and the Lekki Residents Association who had all earlier adopted Adams, a majority leader…

Senator Austin Akobundu (Abia Central) has urged members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) not to be fazed by recent defections from the party but remain steadfast in “our collective resolve to lead Nigeria out of her current woes.” The Senator stated this in a statement released by his media office in Abuja on Wednesday, 6th May, 2026. While acknowledging that those who defected acted within their rights, Akobundu asserted that the cause to reverse Nigeria’s “current gory state of insecurity, poverty, hunger, and disease…requires perseverance and strategic collaboration,” and not “movements defined only by convenience.” The full statement read:…