Business

Bank, Centre Partner To Promote Tech Start-Ups

Published

9 years ago

April 17, 2017

Union Bank said it had partnered Co-Creation Hub (CCHub), an innovation centre, to promote innovations among technology startups.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Mr Emeka Emuwa, said that, the financial institution had unveiled “Centenary Innovation Challenge’’, to boost innovation in the country.
Emuwa, said that the competition was to commemorate the bank’s 100 years in existence and had the theme: “Celebrate, Impact and Lead’’.
He said that, the Centenary Innovation Challenge was a platform that would provide support for young technology startups and businesses to impact their environment and improve the country.
According to him, innovation is one of the core values of the institution and the bank has been in the forefront of ensuring it meets and exceeds customer needs and drive social innovation.
“As an Institution, we are taking the lead in tackling social problems in communities where we do business in a sustainable way.
“Last year, we kicked off our first ever internal innovation challenge in the bank, “The Annual Case Challenge’’.
“And we are currently working on implementing the transformational ideas that came through that, as it would allow us provide the simplest and smartest solutions, making our customers’ lives better.
“We also believe that we cannot tackle these social problems alone, which is why we are partnering with Co-Creation Hub (CCHub) to inaugurate the “Centenary Innovation Challenge,’’ he said.
The Head of Group Strategy, Union Bank, Ms Lola Cardoso, said that the bank was focused on citizenship and sustainability in developing and impacting the society.
Cardoso said that, the bank’s approach to corporate citizenship helped it leverage on its heritage as a strong financial institution to support local efforts, aimed at achieving sustainable development and driving social change.
She said that, in the past two years, the bank’s approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) had focused on three strategic pillars, which were financial inclusion, agriculture and education.
According to her, the foundation, the Centenary Innovation Challenge has been built on the three strategy pillars of the institution’s CSR.
“We have continued to engage communities across the country, which informs our internal decisions.
“For sustainability, we are also investing in the provision of alternative energy sources and also leveraging on businesses that provide recycling resources.
“With the Centenary Innovation Challenge, there is no better partner than CCHub as regards our plans for moving forward,’’ she said.
The Chief Executive Officer/Founder, CCHub, Mr Bosun Tijani, said that with the challenge, Union Bank tended to invest in successful startup businesses.
Tijani called on startups to take up that challenge, so as to improve on innovations.
He said based on the hub’s work in the past seven years, there were very few credible platforms to leverage on to build sustainable businesses in Nigeria.
According to him, the partnership with Union Bank for the Centenary Innovation Challenge is important, especially in implementing platforms that can help provide solutions for the communities and the country as a whole.
“Over 98 per cent of support we get is derived from outside Nigeria, so this relationship with Union Bank is our first with a Nigerian financial institution.
“Clearly, this is a commitment that we would want other reputable institutions to emulate,’’ he said.
The Tide source reports that from April 25, 2017, the bank, in conjunction with CCHub, will hold seven road shows across Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Oshogbo, Kaduna and Yola. Application entries will close on May 19, 2017.
10 startups will be selected as semi-finalists and they will go into an intensive boot camp, aimed at helping them develop and better put out their ideas.
After the boot camp, the 10 startups will pitch to a panel of experts and three startups will emerge winners.
The prize of N1 million awaits the second runner up, N1.5 million goes to the first runner up, while N2 million is for the first place winner.
This will be in addition to networking, mentorship and other non-financial opportunities that will be made available to the chosen startups.

Business

FEC Approves New National Immigrants Policy

Published

1 day ago

August 24, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the Revised 2025 National Migration Policy (NMP), marking a major step by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to strengthen Nigeria’s migration governance and maximise the economic and social benefits of migration.

The policy, adopted at the FEC meeting on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, replaces the National Migration Policy introduced in 2015 and provides an updated framework for addressing emerging migration trends, protecting migrants and promoting safe, orderly and regular migration.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, described the approval as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to translate its international migration commitments into coordinated action at home.

In a statement issued Friday by his Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis, Dr Abimbola Fasanu, Doro said the revised policy would strengthen migrant protection, support return and reintegration, improve migration data and create opportunities to harness migration and diaspora resources for national development.

The minister linked the development to Nigeria’s participation in the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in May.

Doro led Nigeria’s delegation to the forum and served as Co-Chair of Roundtable 3, where the country showcased progress in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

“Our participation at the International Migration Review Forum demonstrated Nigeria’s commitments to the world. The adoption of the Revised National Migration Policy brings those commitments home and provides the national framework for translating them into coordinated and measurable action.

“Migration should not become a journey into vulnerability. Our responsibility is to build systems that enable Nigerians to migrate safely and regularly, protect those who move, support those who return, and harness migration as a force for national development,” Doro said.

He stressed that the ultimate measure of the policy would be its impact on Nigerians at home and abroad.

The revised policy emerged from a broad consultation involving Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), state governments, civil society organisations, academia, international development partners and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s migration ecosystem.

The review was coordinated by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), with technical support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The revised policy and its Integrated Implementation Plan were validated by stakeholders at the Technical Working Group on Migration and Development meeting in Abuja on April 29, 2025.

The framework is expected to improve institutional coordination, strengthen Nigeria’s response to changing migration patterns and align national migration priorities with regional and international frameworks, particularly the Global Compact.

Doro commended the NCFRMI, government agencies, IOM, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders for their contributions to the policy review.

He said the new framework would improve assistance for Nigerians returning from abroad, strengthen migration and diaspora data, promote safer migration pathways and improve coordination among federal, state and local governments.

Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, Dr Tijani Aliyu Ahmed, also welcomed the FEC approval, describing it as the culmination of years of technical work, consultation and collaboration among stakeholders.

According to him, the decision provides fresh impetus for coordinated implementation at federal, state and local levels while strengthening Nigeria’s ability to protect migrants and vulnerable populations and maximise the developmental gains of migration.

“With the policy now approved, attention shifts to implementation, monitoring and localisation.

The approval demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening institutions and converting Nigeria’s international obligations into practical national policies.

“This approval is not the end of the process. It is the beginning of the most important phase: implementation,” he said.

“Our responsibility now is to ensure that the policy moves beyond paper and becomes a living framework that protects Nigerians, strengthens coordination, creates safer migration pathways and enables our country to harness migration as an instrument of development.”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Ogoni Oil Resumption: Group Demands Transparency, Full Jobs Disclosure, Contracts

Published

1 day ago

August 24, 2026

The Tide

A group under the aegis of the Greater Ogonis in Diaspora Organizations (GODO) has called for full transparency and accountability in the ongoing dialogue over the proposed resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, demanding disclosure of employment opportunities, contracts, confidence-building projects and other oil-related activities.

The group made the demand in a statement signed by its President, Chief Ambrose Kii and made available to the public in Port Harcourt , at the weekend.

GODO said the concerns raised by the President of KAGOTE, Chief Lesi Maol, a member of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Rev. Msgr. Pius Kii, and KAGOTE Second Vice President and ODC member, Rear Admiral John Nicholas Bakpo (rtd.), had reinforced the need to protect the collective interests of the Ogoni people.

The group stressed that its position should not be interpreted as opposition to the Federal Government or the proposed return of oil production to Ogoniland, but as a demand for a process that is transparent, equitable,

environmentally responsible and capable of delivering lasting benefits to the people.

It expressed particular concern over reports concerning 40 employment opportunities reportedly allocated to Ogoni youths by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as part of confidence-building measures.

GODO demanded the public disclosure of the identities of the beneficiaries, their communities and local government areas, as well as the criteria used in selecting them and the process through which the list was approved.

It also called for an investigation into allegations that 18 of the 40 employment slots were allegedly allocated to persons who are not Ogonis, stressing that such a serious allegation should not be ignored if confidence in the dialogue process is to be sustained.

The organisation said any diversion of opportunities specifically meant for Ogoni youths would constitute a breach of trust, insisting that all beneficiaries and the basis of their selection should be subjected to appropriate scrutiny.

It further raised concerns over reports that oil-related activities may have commenced in some parts of Ogoniland while negotiations between the Federal Government and representatives of the Ogoni people are still ongoing.

The group maintained that critical issues relating to participation, equity, community benefits, environmental safeguards and other conditions for the resumption of oil production must be resolved before irreversible decisions are taken.

According to GODO, allowing oil activities to proceed while fundamental negotiations remain inconclusive could create a situation where Ogoni stakeholders are eventually confronted with decisions that have already been taken without their full participation.

The organisation also demanded comprehensive details of the confidence-building projects reportedly being executed across Ogoniland, including their locations, contractors, scope, funding arrangements and implementation status.

It said concerns raised by Rear Admiral Bakpo, who reportedly complained that despite being a member of the ODC and a monitoring team for confidence-building projects in Khana, he was allegedly unaware of the contractors and scope of projects he was expected to monitor, required urgent attention.

GODO also called for clarification of the reported harmonisation arrangement involving individuals allegedly outside the ODC, urging the Office of the National Security Adviser to clarify whether it authorised the composition of the controversial list and, if not, establish how the names became associated with the office.

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to review the emerging concerns, saying the Ogoni people have waited for decades for a credible resolution and should not be pressured into accepting an arrangement that fails to guarantee justice, transparency, meaningful participation, environmental protection and equitable benefits.

King Onunwor

Business

Foundation Unveils New Digital Medical Facilities

Published

1 day ago

August 24, 2026

The Tide

The management of Save a Life Hospital has unveiled a fully digitalised medical facilities to enhance effective medical services and treatments for its patients across the globe.

The Founder and Director of the foundation, Dr Richard Okoye who conducted journalists round the facilities at the hospital in Port Harcourt, Friday, said the unveiling of the digital facilities was a dream come through and a commitment to international best practices.

He said the breakthrough makes save a Life hospital th.e first fully digitalised hospital in Africa, adding that the hospital will remain committed to research, innovation and excellence service delivery.

Briefing newsmen at the hospital, Dr Okoye disclosed that Nigeria was rated globally to have the lowest life expectancy after Afghanistan, adding that the situation was worsened by the mass flight of doctors from Nigeria to seek greener pastures out the country, known as jakpa syndrome.

According to Dr Okoye, part of the innovations recorded by safe a Life Foundation is the introduction of a medical application known as ‘my home clinic’ which avails patients the opportunity to engage medical facilities and enjoy medical services from their homes.

The renown medical practitioner pointed out that proper information management is applied to check misdiagnosis, minimize hytrogenic deaths and other tactical errors of medical enquiry; and practice.

He emphasised that the home delivery of medical services has also enhanced zero maternal mortality, as proper digital records of pregnant women are carried out with precision and followed up with proper medical services.

Dr Okoye called on governments and other stakeholders to key into the innovation to get it properly domesticated in tertiary, secondary and primary health care practices, adding that the target is to bridge the gap in jakpa syndrome and shore up Nigeria’s life expectancy ratio by reducing preventable deaths.