Author: PositiveNaija

Obeahon Ohiwerei & Keystone Bank Win 2018 European Global Banking & Finance Awards

Keystone Bank Limited and Obeahon Ohiwerei have been awarded the Africa’s Most Innovative Bank of the Year, 2018 and Banking CEO in Africa 2018 respectively at the European Global Banking & Finance Awards in London.

Organized by the European Global, UK, the European Global Banking & Finance Awards reflect the innovation, achievement, strategy, progressive and inspirational changes taking place within the Global Financial community.

The awards were created to recognize companies of all sizes which are prominent in particular areas of expertise and excellence within the financial sector in areas such as Europe, Latin America, Africa, MENA, Asia and Central Eastern Europe.

According to the organizers:

“The aim of the award is to highlight industry wide excellence within the global banking community.

Recipients of the European Magazine’s Banking and Finance Awards are scrupulously selected based on thorough interviews specially designed according to subscribers’ feedback.

Companies are nominated according to their performance, product offerings, innovative business solutions, work environment / values, and marketing strategies.

In this year’s edition, Keystone Bank and its CEO [Obeahon Ohiwerei] stood tall in the African continent. Therefore, we are recognizing the institution and the bank CEO for the innovative Mobile Banking App and other services introduced by the bank in recent times, targeted towards meeting customer needs.”

The judging panel of the award considered excellent leadership skills, enhanced organizational image and innovation. Since becoming Managing Director of the lender, Obeahon Ohiwerei has spearheaded a number of growth initiatives which has placed the bank on upward trajectory.

Receiving the awards, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Obeahon Ohiwerei said:

“We are honoured to win the ‘Africa’s Most Innovative Bank’ award and to be recognized as the ‘Best Banking CEO’ in Africa.

These awards mark another milestone for Keystone Bank and is a testament of the diligent execution of the bank’s strategic initiatives on customer service.

Keystone Bank bank will continue to leverage its local knowledge, global exposure as well as presence to drive positive change in Africa, working actively with the government, local businesses, regulators and other stakeholders in deepening financial services.

We remain committed to maximizing shareholders’ value and delivering superior and sustainable return, guided by our founding values of Professionalism, Passion, Integrity, Team Spirit, Innovation, Service Excellence, Effective Corporate Governance and Entrepreneurship.”

Yushau Abdulhameed Shuaib & Nigerian Prisons Service Win 2018 Golden World Awards (GWA)

Yushau Abdulhameed Shuaib and Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) have won 2018 Golden World Awards (GWA) in the respective categories of Publications and Crisis Management.

The Golden World Awards (GWA) instituted by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), honoured Yushau Abdulhameed Shuaib for his work on “Boko Haram Media War” with Image Merchants Promotion being the PR Agency.

The Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) was honoured for a media campaign on Prison Decongestion and the plight of Awaiting Trial Inmates (ATI) with Image Merchants Promotion being the PR Agency.

The award ceremony takes place in Barcelona, Spain in October 2018.

The NPS’ campaign which was executed by award-winning Image Merchants Promotion Limited, publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential respectively, created massive public awareness for mass-mobilization and positive response from the concerned stakeholders who deployed legal and constitutional procedures to address the challenges of the alarming statistics of ATI.

The NPS is the first security agency in Africa to have won the award on Crisis Management.

The Prison service has previously won awards for Superior Achievement in Branding and Engagement (SABRE) hosted by the African Public Relations Association (APRA) in Botswana. It received Public Education Award and Certificate of Excellence on Public Sector.

The prison decongestion campaign was listed among the finalists after the first round of online adjudicating for the 2018 IPRA GWA nominees before the judges converged on Belgium to select the final winners.

The campaign was approved by the Controller General of Prison, Ahmed Ja’afaru. With support from the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), some of the campaign strategies included Facility Tours of Prisons, Media Relations, Training of Prisons Public Relations Officers and Stakeholders Engagements. The outcomes included the enhanced capacity of PR Officers with fair media coverage, editorial mentions and robust Stakeholders’ Participation. Between January to December 2017, the campaigns were successful as the statistics of the ATI dropped to 66% by the end (December) 2017. Factors responsible for the awaiting trial inmates in Nigeria include but not limited to high remand in custody, lack of speedy trials, overuse of imprisonment rather than fine on lesser offences by the courts, abuse of arrest powers and bail conditions by the police.

The annual IPRA Golden World Awards (GWA) initiative, established in 1990, recognizes excellence in public relations practice worldwide in a variety of categories. Recipients of the award take pride in the recognition granted their entries as meeting international standards of excellence in public relations. An overall IPRA Grand Prix for Excellence is presented each year to the entry judged as representing the highest standards that year.

Winners Of 2018 NNPC Zonal National Science Quiz Competition

Eighteen students have emerged winners in the zonal contests of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) National Science Quiz Competition held in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

A statement by the NNPC Spokesman, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, explained that of the 37 contestants who emerged from the state competitions and competed at the different zones across the country, 14 were from government schools while 23 were from private schools. Only five females participated in the competition.

Continue reading Winners Of 2018 NNPC Zonal National Science Quiz Competition

ABU Wins 2018 ENACTUS National Competition

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has emerged the overall winner of this year’s Entrepreneurship Action and Us, ENACTUS national competition held in Lagos.

The ABU team that participated in the ENACTUS tournament was led by Usman Suleiman Waziri and Paul Onaji, under the supervision of ABU ENACTUS Faculty Adviser, Professor MK Aliyu.

Continue reading ABU Wins 2018 ENACTUS National Competition

8 Nigerian States Honored At 3rd THISDAY Healthcare Policy Dialogue

Eight (8) Nigerian states have been honored at the 3rd THISDAY Healthcare Policy Dialogue for the provision of basic health services to their people using the Saving One Million Lives Performance for Results (SOMLPforR) programme.

The 3rd THISDAY Healthcare Policy Dialogue held in Abuja focused on addressing issues around provision of healthcare to vulnerable Nigerians.

Continue reading 8 Nigerian States Honored At 3rd THISDAY Healthcare Policy Dialogue

CredPal & Growsel Emerge Winners At 2018 Visa Everywhere Initiative Competition

CredPal and Growsel alongside Kenya’s Mookh Africa have emerged winners of the Sub-Saharan Africa edition of the Visa Everywhere Initiative challenge in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Continue reading CredPal & Growsel Emerge Winners At 2018 Visa Everywhere Initiative Competition

Alamuwa Grammar School Wins 2018 GTB/Principal Cup Competition

Alamuwa Grammar School, Ado-Odo, has emerged winners of the GTB/Principal Cup competition amongst secondary schools in Ogun State.

In an ethralling match played at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Alamuwa defeated defending champions, Pakoto High School, Ayede-Ifo, in a dramatic 6-5 penalty shootout win after both sides tied 1-1 in regulation time.

This is the third time Alamuwa Grammar School would win the title since GT Bank took over the sponsorship of the tournament six years ago following their previous wins in 2013 and 2014.

In the preliminary competition, Alamuwa  Grammar School defeated the duo of Toyan High School, Ere, Ado Odo and Ado Odo High School on the same day. Thereafter, the school put away the likes of Ejila Community High School, Ejila Awori; Ansar Udeen Comprehensive College, Ota, to emerge as the zonal torchbearer of the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Thereafter, the school defeated Yewa College, Ilaro, and Community High School, Ilara, to emerge the zonal champions of the Yewa-Awori axis.

In the semi-finals, AlaGrams as the school is popularly referred to, emerged victorious over hard-fighting Ijebu Ode Grammar School with an impressive 3-1 win to reach their third finals in three years against the defending champions tagged Pakoto Warriors.

Yet, AlaGrams claimed victory in the presence of dignitaries that included the state’s Executive Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeokun, Chief of Staff to Governor Amosun, Chief Tolu Odebiyi, Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon. Alhaji Suraju Adekunbi, Honourable Commissioners, Managing Director of GTB, Mr. Segun Agbaje and thousands of spectators.

Apart from the glittering trophy, AlaGrams also went home with one million naira (₦1 million) in prize money as winners of Ogun State’s GTB Principal Cup for 2018 while Ogunro Toheeb, a class two senior secondary school student, was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP).