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Verve Life Engages Fitness Loving Nigerians in Healthy living & Workout Sessions
In a bid to improve the fitness level of Nigerians, Pan-African payment card company Verve International on Saturday the 16th of June 2018 at the Landmark events centre successfully engaged fitness loving citizens with a number of exciting, body and transformational workout and healthy living sessions.
The guests had an opportunity to network and break a sweat at the same time.
Verve decided to up the ante this year after a successful 1st edition Of Verve Life that held last year by increasing the number of participants through proper sensitization for the event.
This year’s edition themed “Zero Excuses” was aimed at encouraging both fitness enthusiasts and individuals who are not so keen on exercising that they have no excuse not to work out, be healthy, stay fit and generally endeavor to lead healthier lives.
The event which took place at the same venue as last year’s edition, however with much larger participation, was richly attended by corporate executives, celebrities, and individuals from all walks of life.
Mitchell Elegbe, Group CEO, Interswitch, Speaking at the 2nd edition of Verve Life, said “As Verve, we are concerned about not only our customers’ wellbeing and health, we are equally concerned about the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“This is why we conceptualized the verve life fitness event last year.
“Many of us find ourselves guilty of giving excuses when it comes to picking up our gym bags and staying fit against the constraints of the everyday hustle, particularly in a city like Lagos, so we decided that this edition will be about inspiring people to get rid of those excuses and live the verve life and that’s exactly what we have been able to achieve as you can see from the number of people here today.
“The Verve Life, in our view isn’t an event, it’s a movement, and we are keen to continue to nurture this conversation and community”.
Nobody was left out at the event, even pregnant women had a session of where they were engaged in exercises to ease delivery at childbirth.
The children also had a variety of games to play as well as exercises that will improve their intellectual development.
All attendees were treated to a delightful morning with fitness challenges and masterclasses on Boxing, Strength and Conditioning, Dance, Yoga, Zumba, Martial Arts and Nutrition.
Attendees with Verve cards received discounts of up to 20% on items purchased from the different vendors at the event.
Present at the event were Interswitch’s Group CEO Mitchell Elegbe, `Divisional CEO for Interswitch Cards & Tokens `business, `Mike Ogbalu (III), Group Chief Product & Marketing Officer for Interswitch, Cherry Eromosele, Igwe 2pac, Uti Nwachukwu, Bryan Okwara, Beverly Osu, Wofai Fada and lots of other professionals, corporate executives, celebrities and others.
Lucozade Nigeria, Hygeia HMO, Aquafina Nigeria, Nivea Nigeria, Duracell, Truppr and various living/fitness merchants supported the event.
Verve is a pan-African payment lifestyle card that offers banks, cardholders and organizations comprehensive payment card products and solutions, providing instant, seamless and safe access to funds and enabling users adopt positive lifestyle choices.
Verve is the first chip card accepted across all payment channels in Nigeria and can also be used in over 185 countries across the globe.
Verve International is also the pioneer of Paycode – Nigeria’s cardless transaction infrastructure, enabling customer’s access to their funds without the use of a physical card.
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
Heirs Life Assurance, the specialist life insurance company of Heirs Insurance Group, has appointed Pastor Jerry Eze as an Independent Non-Executive Director on its Board, effective August 10, 2026.
L – R: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance; Pastor Jerry Eze, incoming director, Heirs Life Assurance
The appointment reinforces Heirs Life Assurance’s commitment to expanding financial inclusion and accelerating insurance adoption by strengthening public trust, consumer education, and long-term financial resilience across Nigeria.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains below one percent – among the lowest globally – highlighting the need to expand financial protection and build greater public trust in insurance.
As Heirs Life continues to pursue its mission of making insurance accessible to every Nigerian, Eze’s appointment brings a unique perspective on community engagement, value-based leadership, and broad societal impact.
Pastor Jerry Eze is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Streams of Joy International Ministry, a growing multinational ministry with 34 branches across West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe and North America.
He is also the convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD), one of the world’s largest digital prayer platforms, reaching millions of people daily. Through his ministry and humanitarian initiatives, he has become one of Africa’s most influential voices, championing hope, compassion, and community transformation.
Beyond ministry, Eze is the Founder of the Jerry Eze Foundation, a faith-led philanthropy where he provides housing support and grants to vulnerable and underserved communities.
In 2026, he announced N1billion in grants to support young entrepreneurs across agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, further advancing enterprise development and economic opportunity.
Before entering full-time ministry, Pastor Jerry Eze built a career in development communications, serving as a Communications Specialist on a World Bank HIV/AIDS programme and with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Speaking about the appointment, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance, said: “Pastor Jerry brings an exceptional combination of integrity, influence, and a deep understanding of people and communities.
“As we continue our mission to democratise access to insurance, his insight will help strengthen consumer trust, deepen financial inclusion, and reinforce our commitment to protecting the financial future of millions of Nigerians.
“We are delighted to welcome him to the Board of Heirs Life Assurance and the broader family of Heirs Insurance Group.”
Commenting on his appointment, Pastor Jerry Eze said: “I am honoured to join the Board of Heirs Life Assurance at a defining moment for the insurance industry. Financial security empowers individuals, families, and businesses to pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and resilience.
“I look forward to working with the Board and Management to advance the company’s mission of making insurance more accessible, relevant, and impactful for every Nigerian.”
Heirs Life Assurance has become one of Nigeria’s leading specialist life insurance companies, ranking 7th on the Financial Times list of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
It is one of the three insurance businesses of Heirs Holdings, the leading pan-African investment company, with investments across 24 countries and four continents.
Combining an omni-channel digital presence with physical branches spread across the country, Heirs Life continues to redefine life insurance through innovation, customer-centric solutions, and a commitment to making financial protection accessible to every Nigerian.
Heirs Insurance Group, comprising Heirs Life Assurance, Heirs General Insurance, and Heirs Insurance Brokers, collectively serves over 3 million people directly and indirectly.
The Group is championing financial inclusion and leading the digital insurance play in Nigeria, demonstrating its mission to democratise access to insurance.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
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