Category: Business & Economy

Recognising socio-economic productive, valuable and impactful Nigerian entities that improve Nigerian and global business & economy.

Transcorp Hilton Abuja Wins Double Seven Stars Hospitality Awards 2017

Transcorp Hilton Abuja has received the Signum Virtutis (Seal of Excellence) in the Hotels and Resorts Category of the 2017 Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards. It is the second of such award, having received similar award in 2016.

The Award Gala ceremony took place at the most exclusive private members country club in Greece, the Ecali Club, on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at the 5th anniversary of the award body.

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Jim Ovia Awarded AAI 2017 Business Leader Award

The Africa-America Institute (AAI) has awarded the Co-Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Mr. Jim Ovia with the esteemed 2017 Business Leader Award.

The award was conferred on him on September 19, 2017 in New York, USA at the Institute’s 33rd Annual Awards Gala.

He was recognized for impacting hugely on enterprise and human resource development on the continent.

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Veripay Emerge Highest Transacting Aggregator on the Interswitch Disbursement Network [2017]

Veripay has been awarded by Interswitch as the highest transacting aggregator on the Interswitch disbursement network.
Veripay, Nigeria’s first ever web-based HR and payroll management solution from Appmart Group, is currently deployed in more than 10 states of the federation and used by several companies and institutions to manage their Human Resource. The software is available to any organization that wishes to use it for free.
The Highest Transacting Aggregator Award from Interswitch was presented to Mr. Mako Sylvester, Chief Executive Officer, Appmart Group and Mr. Anthony Umejiofor, Chief Technology Officer, Appmart group, at the Interswitch Connect Award/Gala night, which held on Friday, September 15, 2017, at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
On receiving the Award, CEO Appmart Group, Mako Sylvester said:
“It is indeed a great honour to receive this award today from Interswitch. We have put in a lot of work in the creation of Veripay as a solution to a valid problem in Nigeria’s HR and Payroll Management system. At AppMart we are innovating and driving evolution because we believe that software should be accessible and affordable to align with the genuine needs of individuals, corporate entities and society at large.”
AppMart is a software development company headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria that helps organizations from start-ups to large enterprises, Government institutions etc. to accelerate growth and innovation, transform operational efficiency, and deliver new software products to serve human needs. The solution was integrated with the Interswitch Payment Gateway in early 2016 and has since then seamlessly optimized the HR/payment system of organizations on the network.

Air Peace also emerged the winner of Interswitch’s ‘Payment Innovation Driver, Aviation’ award.

United Bank for Africa (UBA) won the prize for the Fastest Growing Bank Partner given to the bank with the most impressive performance in Verve card issuance and the Payment Innovation Driver for Trade Finance.

Brand Finance Names Nigeria’s Most Valuable Companies [2017]

Brand Finance has named Nigeria’s most valuable companies.

Dangote Group emerged as Nigeria’s most valuable brand with a brand value of US$491 million.

Nigerian Breweries came in as Nigeria’s strongest brand with a brand strength rating of AA+ and a brand value of US$78million.

The ICT sector saw its brand value grow by 63%. Tranzact emerged as the fastest growing brand, up 65% to US$17 million. Glo mobile is the most valuable telecommunications brand, value that US$427 million, up 62% from last year.

The Banking sector made up 48% of the Brand Finance list this year with the sector’s overall brand value growing at six percent year on year. First Bank of Nigeria has consecutively been the most valuable banking brand, valued at US$301 million.

The Oil and Gas brands, which comprise 20% of the overall brand value, experienced a decline in sector brand value this year. Oando was an exception; its brand value did not see a change this year. Despite the waning brand value of the sector as a whole, Seplat’s brand value enjoyed a 10% increase to US$90 million, confirming it as the most valuable Oil and Gas brand. The decline in the sector’s brand value is attributable to the decline in oil output and prices, which has increased discount rates.

According to Babatunde Odumeru, Managing Director, Brand Finance Nigeria,

“The fact that both the strongest and most valuable brands came from the manufacturing sector is re-assuring. This somewhat dispels the notion of how undiversified our economy really is. This is something to build upon. The government’s effort towards diversifying the economy should be complimented with a drive to develop corporate Nigeria’s capability of building strong and global brands. This is absolutely crucial in successfully implementing the policy of wealth creation we seem to have embarked on.”

Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand and branded business valuation consultancy, with offices in over 25 countries, providing clarity to marketers, brand owners and investors by quantifying the financial value of brands.

Afghanistan Engages Cellulant’s E-Wallet AgriKore [2017]

Cellulant and its e-wallet AgriKore has been engaged by the Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock, in Afghanistan, to commence the process of establishing a market-based input distribution technology for it.

The collaborative effort is aimed at bolstering Afghanistan’s drive for self-sufficiency in wheat production. Afghanistan will be the first country in Asia to adopt the e-wallet system, following the footsteps of countries like Liberia and Togo.

Beyond its benefits to Afghan, the development is a testimony of Nigerians innovation and creativity in providing IT solutions not only for the Nigerian market but also for export.

The technology had enabled Nigeria to increase its food production by an average of 21 million metric tonnes annually between 2012 and 2015. Cellulant had previously exported the technology to other African countries in Francophone and Anglophone Africa, such as Liberia, Togo, Uganda, and a host of others.Speaking on the partnership with the Afghan Government, the Co- founder, Cellulant Corporation, Bolaji Akinboro, said the technology originating from Nigeria, “is a gift from Cellulant to humanity.”

‘‘Afghanistan is beautiful to us, and we are glad to come all the way from Africa, Nigeria to make life better for the smallholder farmer in Afghanistan,” he stated.

According to him, the AgriKore technology gives smallholder farmers access to agricultural inputs of improved varieties/breeds, fertiliser and agro-chemicals, making it the backbone of increased productivity and profitability.

“This technology allows the best available seeds and fertiliser get into the hands of hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers to raise crop yields,” he said.

Bolaji Akinboro appreciated the government and the people of Afghanistan for giving the company the opportunity, and the space to participate in making life better for smallholder farmers. He explained:

“Cellulant is driven to solve difficult problems on use of payment technology. We will work with the government of Afghanistan to get inputs to one million farmers in the next 90 to 120 days.

This e-wallet system, which works on a block chain technology, provides a holistic system to link the farmers to agricultural inputs supply chain, finance and markets through integration with mobile network operators, input markets, extensions services, financial service providers, commodity market, and insurance service providers.

So far, Cellulant’s e-wallet or AgriKore ecosystem, which connects everyone to everything in agriculture all the time, has been of benefits to 17 million farmers, 2500 agri-businesses; 800 e-extension workers and over 2,500 service points in Nigeria. This technology enables more than five million farmers to get access to high quality inputs every year.”

The e-wallet system was conceived in Nigeria, and was first implemented during the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration under former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who is currently the President, African Development Bank (AfDB).