CNN African Voices Changemakers this week beams its light on celebrated author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The 30-minute magazine programme is sponsored by telecommunications company, Globacom.

The author was engaged by the show’s anchor, Larry Madowo, at Nsukka, where she spent her childhood at the same staff quarters of the University of Nigeria, where the legend of literature, Chinua Achebe, lived.

Arguably Africa’s most prolific contemporary writer, Adichie’s compelling story of grit and talent promises to inspire the audience, as it does her readers across the globe. The special package premieres on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., with rebroadcasts on Sunday, September 21, at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; Monday, September 22, at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.; as well as the following weekend, Saturday, September 27, at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.; Sunday, September 28, at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; and Monday, September 29, at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.

Her narratives, beginning with Purple Hibiscus, query stereotypes, re-evaluate identities, and honour African traditions. Her two prose offerings, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, as well as Dream Count, the new one in the works, confirm her deep interests in the values that make Africa and its traditions and cultures unique and relevant in a fast-evolving world. Her books also accentuate feminism, heritage, and authenticity.

Globacom’s continued collaboration with African Voices has further given credence to the programme’s celebration of the African essence, its excellence, talents, creativity, and originality.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved an equity investment of USD 25 million in The Currency Exchange Fund (TCX), a global leader in offering long-term local currency hedging solutions in emerging and frontier markets.

This strategic investment will strengthen TCX’s capital base, enhance its risk-bearing capacity, and expand its ability to offer hedging instruments in illiquid and less liquid currencies across the African continent.

The transaction will help mitigate the foreign exchange risks faced by borrowers in Africa, particularly those operating in fragile states and underserved markets. TCX operates as a development-focused fund that provides tailor-made FX hedging instruments to enable local currency lending in countries where conventional hedging markets are either underdeveloped or non-existent.

The Bank’s investment will crowd in additional DFIs and private investors, reinforce Africa’s integration into global capital markets, and support sustainable growth by reducing the mismatch between the currency of debt and revenue for local borrowers.

Ahmed Attout, Director of the financial Sector Development Department, at the African Development Bank Group, stated: “This investment in TCX marks an important milestone in the Bank’s effort to deepen African capital markets and address the root causes of debt distress. The Bank’s support to TCX will unlock local currency financing for MSMEs, infrastructure and many sectors across Africa.”

He added : “The transaction forms part of the Bank’s broader objective to promote access to adequate financing through innovative alternative solutions.”

The investment builds on the Bank’s prior participation in TCX and reflects its continued confidence in the fund’s track record and impact-driven model. TCX has hedged more than USD 17 billion in notional amounts since inception, including over USD 4 billion across 31 African countries.

The Bank’s participation is expected to facilitate increased hedging volumes in priority sectors such as the public sector (Debt Management Offices and Public Development Banks), infrastructure, energy access, microfinance, and SME development. TCX also plays a unique role in fragile and low-income countries, with around 18% of its global outstanding portfolio currently focused on such markets.

Ruurd Brouwer, TCX’s Chief Executive Officer stated : “We are thrilled to welcome African Development Bank Group to TCX’s capital base, joining fellow development finance institutions, impact investors and governments that support our local currency hedging solution. It marks the start of a close partnership in protecting AfDB’s public and private sector borrowers from currency risk and promoting the development of African capital markets. We very much look forward to increasing our joint impact on the continent.”

This operation is aligned with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy 2024–2033. It complements the Bank’s broader capital markets strategy, which includes support for local currency bond issuance, Partial Credit Guarantees, and private sector local currency lending.

The investment is expected to deliver strong development impact. The African Development Bank remains committed to fostering resilient capital markets in Africa, supporting de-risking mechanisms for the private sector, and expanding access to local currency finance to promote inclusive and sustainable development.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB), one of Nigeria’s leading and most innovative customer-centric financial institutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Truecaller, the global platform for trusted communication, to transform the way it engages with customers across the country.

This collaboration is aimed at enhancing customer trust, reducing fraud, and ensuring that communication between FCMB and its customers is both safe, trusted, and seamless. With this partnership, FCMB will leverage Truecaller’s Customer Experience Solution and Branded Caller ID to ensure their customers receive transaction alerts, security notifications, and service updates with complete clarity and trust.

All FCMB calls will now display the bank’s verified name, logo, and brand details directly on customers’ mobile screens. This initiative reinforces FCMB’s strong commitment to digital safety, privacy, and customer trust. In today’s financial landscape, where impersonation and fraud are becoming increasingly sophisticated, Truecaller’s Customer Experience Solution is more than just a convenience — it is a vital safeguard for protecting customer relationships and enhancing confidence in every interaction.

In addition to smarter calling experience, FCMB has also activated its Business Page on the Truecaller app. This ensures that customers can independently discover, recognize, and engage with FCMB directly within the Truecaller app, reinforcing trust before the first point of contact is even made.

Together, these capabilities are helping FCMB strengthen its digital identity, reduce customer drop-offs, and improve the overall efficiency and credibility of its outbound communication efforts. Assured Authenticity: Customers can now instantly identify that calls from FCMB are genuine – reducing the risk of phishing or impersonation scams.

Enhanced Experience: Verified Business Caller ID brings clarity and eliminates uncertainty, particularly during critical communications such as security alerts or service updates.

Reinforced Trust: By adopting industry-leading communication capabilities, FCMB reaffirms its promise to protect customers with care, transparency, and innovation. Chief Information Officer at FCMB, Rotimi Famuwagun said: “At FCMB, our customers are at the heart of every innovation.

Through our partnership with Truecaller, we are strengthening communication security and fostering greater trust. When customers see the verified FCMB name along with our brand identity on incoming calls, they can be assured of transparency, authenticity, and care behind every interaction.’’

Priyam Bose, Global Head, GTM & Developer Products at Truecaller, shared: “At Truecaller, our goal is to help brands build meaningful, secure, and transparent communication at scale — especially in sectors like financial services where trust is everything.

“FCMB’s commitment to customer safety and trusted communication by embracing Truecaller Customer Experience Solution, FCMB is setting a new bar for what responsible, modern customer communication should look like — and we’re excited to support them on this journey.