Day: May 6, 2026

BANKING BEYOND THE BALANCE SHEET: UNION BANK’S ASBON RECOGNITION AND NIGERIA’S SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMY

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Union Bank of Nigeria has been named winner of the Best SME Growth Banking Initiatives Award (2025) at the Nigeria National SME Business Awards, organised by the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON) in partnership with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment. The recognition arrives at a moment when the relationship between Nigerian banks and Nigerian small businesses is being quietly redefined. Awards in this space have historically rewarded scale and product breadth. The ASBON criteria, by contrast, ask a more…

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Polaris Bank Supports the Launch of NACCIMA Call Center to Drive Growth for Nigerian Exporters

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Polaris Bank, Nigeria’s leading digital retail and commercial bank, has proudly facilitated the launch of the NACCIMA Export Support Call Center, a vital initiative designed to provide comprehensive support to Nigerian exporters, especially those operating in the non-oil sector and enhance their ability to access global markets. This partnership marks a significant step in the Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s export ecosystem. Chris Ofikulu, Executive Director of Polaris Bank, in his address, emphasised the Bank’s commitment to empowering Nigerian businesses for global markets. He highlighted the importance of the NACCIMA…

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17 Reps Dump ADC for NDC, One Joins APC as Party Crisis Deepens

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No fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing internal leadership crises rocking their former party. The defections were formally announced during plenary through separate letters read by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session. According to the lawmakers, the lingering instability within the ADC made their continued membership untenable, prompting their decision to seek political alignment elsewhere. The development follows a similar move by prominent political…

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Seun Kuti Alleges 13-Year Blacklisting Over Anti-Government Music, Says Nigeria ‘Cancelled’ Him

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Grammy-nominated Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, has revealed that his music career faced over a decade of restriction in Nigeria due to his outspoken criticism of government policies and social issues. Speaking during a recent episode of the Saleh Meditate podcast, the son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti said he has effectively been “blacklisted” in the Nigerian music industry for about 13 years because of the conscious nature of his songs. According to Kuti, Nigerian authorities grew increasingly wary of protest music following the impact of his father and other artists…

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Xenophobic Attacks: Reps Call on FG to Suspend Business Permits for South African Firms Amid Rising Tensions

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The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the issuance and renewal of business permits to South African companies operating in Nigeria, citing renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance raised during plenary and presided over by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, where lawmakers expressed deep concern over what they described as persistent and targeted violence against Nigerian citizens and businesses in South Africa. Leading voices during the debate condemned the attacks, noting…

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