Telecom
1000 Alausa Women Graduate From Coca-Cola’s “Catalyst For Change 2.0” Programme
As part of continued efforts to upskill and empower women across underserved communities in Nigeria, Coca-Cola’s women empowerment programme tagged “Catalyst for Change 2.0” has recorded the graduation of 1000 women in Alausa, Ikeja.
The closing ceremony, which took place at the St. Peter Anglican Church on November 4, 2021, in the Alausa community, marked the conclusion of a four-week intensive skills acquisition training in October.
Throughout the four-week programme, 1000 women enrolled in vocational skills such as baking, textile design, production of household cleaning items, wig-making, make-up artistry, bag-making, shoemaking, and more.
The women were also enrolled in business classes to ensure their financial literacy. Additionally, 200 out of the 1,000 women who had proved exceptional, were each provided with start-up kits to help kick-start their businesses.
Launched in August 2020 by local NGO, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, through a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the “Catalyst for Change” programme is part of Coca-Cola’s vision to ensure the economic empowerment of women and youth in Nigeria.
The first edition of the programme, launched last year, sought to ensure economic recovery during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following its success, a second edition was supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation in October 2021 and is being implemented through the Coca-Cola system in Nigeria which comprises Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and its bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company.
This second edition of the programme has been developed to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration caused by a lack of access to opportunities in vulnerable communities.
So far, the programme, in its entirety, has seen the economic empowerment of a total of 6,000 women and youths across several underserved communities in Nigeria.
In her opening remarks at the ceremony, the Founder/Executive Director of the Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, Bukola Bamiduro, said: “This programme was created to drive change in the lives of women through relevant skill-based training and financial literacy sessions.
“We are hopeful that through this programme, beneficiaries will leverage the skills obtained to maintain a steady flow of income as women are economic pillars of the society.”
Ifeyinwa Ejindu, Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, added: “At Coca-Cola, we believe women are integral to our world’s shared success, so we seek to empower them both in the workplace and the communities within which we operate. Women are not only essential to building thriving communities – we believe they represent one of the biggest accelerators of economic growth.
“And this was the driving force behind the Catalyst For Change programme at its inception – to not only empower the women financially but to also ensure they are contributing members of society whose efforts drive the country to economic recovery.”
Oyesola Okunuga, a beneficiary from the program, expressed her gratitude to the Coca-Cola System in Nigeria, stating that the initiative had granted her a new lease on life. “For years, I’ve always been motivated to add some value to this community and those around me.
“I’ve been looking forward to a programme that would help me achieve this and I thank The Coca-Cola Foundation and Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation for supporting this programme.
“I am confident I can support my family and achieve my goal of running a successful business with what I have learnt.”
Also speaking at the event was High-Chief Oluwatoyin Adeyanju, The Baale of Alausa, who expressed his appreciation for the initiative and the support provided by the Coca-Cola System.
He encouraged the women to utilise the opportunity effectively. In his words, “The impact of this programme has been incredible and it fills me with joy to see so many women jump at the chance to be part of it.
“Thanks to Coca-Cola and the Karis and Eleos Foundation, our women have been empowered and made to be contributing members of the Alausa community.”
According to Jerome Oyebanji, Public Affairs & Communications Manager (Lagos & West), Nigerian Bottling Company, the programme will continue to press on in its efforts to “empower women with business and life skills that will elevate them from extreme poverty and encourage community resilience.”
The next tranche of the programme is set to kick off this month in Surulere.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint Inc. has finalised its acquisition of a 78% stake in Kenya’s Sumac Microfinance Bank, gaining a key deposit-taking licence for credit expansion in East Africa’s biggest economy.
The deal, marked by a Nairobi reception, bypasses the Central Bank of Kenya’s licence freeze, letting Moniepoint rival giants like Safaricom and Equity Group after a stalled Kopo Kopo bid.
It signals Africa’s fintech shift to licensed banking and mergers, equipping Moniepoint to roll out high-speed SME lending via Sumac’s 20-year-old infrastructure and branches.
The acquisition builds a cross-border merchant ecosystem beyond fees, integrating recent Orda buyout (cloud restaurant software) for “business-in-a-box” tools like inventory, payroll, and capital amid Kenya’s digital lending scrutiny.
Moniepoint, which hit $294 billion annualised transactions in 2025, eyes Kenya’s SMEs with Nigeria-honed retail expertise.
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