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Bloomberg, Ford Foundation & 5 African Varsities Team up for 2nd Financial Journalism Training

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A new class of financial journalists and professionals interested in financial journalism has begun its Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) Executive Training Program 2015.

The program, which is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, with additional support from the Ford Foundation, brings together the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), Lagos Business School, University of Lagos and three other preeminent business and journalism schools in Africa, to offer journalists and other mid-career professionals the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge about financial and economic reporting.

A new development to the program, which commenced in April 2015, sees participants having access to the Bloomberg Professional service, or terminal, for six months.

The Bloomberg terminal is a software platform providing the world’s most trusted real-time and historical data, market-moving news and analytics to help business and financial professionals make better informed investment decisions.

The service also features execution platforms for every asset class, independent research and a global network to communicate securely and reliably with.

The 325,000 subscribers to the service include investment firms, corporations, commercial and central banks, government agencies and high net-worth individuals.

 “With the real-time flow of data and information through the Bloomberg terminal, the student experience is significantly enriched.  Most investors, brokers, reporters and government decision-makers find access to the terminal indispensable. Student access to the terminal is invaluable,” said Dr Lucy Voss-Price, the program director.

“The Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) is designed to increase the number of journalists , government and civil society professionals  equipped  to strengthen the contribution of business and financial media to the sustainable development of Africa,” says Erana Stennett, BMIA Program Director.  “We are encouraged by the interests and enthusiasm in the program and believe the graduates of this training will be well equipped to make a greater contribution to transparency, governance and accountability,” she added.

The six-month certificate program has been developed primarily for mid-career journalists – especially those with an interest in moving into financial journalism, financial professionals with an interest in financial journalism, government professionals responsible for public policy, communications and banking or financial specialists, civil society and NGO professionals with a stake in the communication of economic and financial data.

The program consists of four intakes and applications for the third intake will open in August 2015.

Joey Mathekga, head of Corporate Disclosure Regulation and Compliance at the Companies and Intellectual Property Organisation (CIPC) said: “Attending the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa training allowed me to recognize the importance of data, in terms of reviewing, analyzing and making informed commentary from financial statements. As part of my job I now have the responsibility of reviewing financial statements with regards to capital markets. It is no longer about a tick-box method but a contextual approach to supervision.”

Interested parties who possess a recognised tertiary qualification (degree or diploma) and have experience in journalism or a related field are encouraged to apply on www.gibs.co.za/bmia or email [email protected] for further information.

Founded in 2000, the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) is an internationally accredited business school, based in Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub.

As the business school for business, we focus on general management in dynamic markets to significantly improve responsible individual and organisational performance, primarily in the South African environment and increasingly in our broader African environment, through the provision of high quality business and management education.

In May 2015 the annual UK Financial Times Executive Education rankings, a global benchmark for providers of executive education, once again ranked GIBS as the top South African and African business school.

In October 2014 the GIBS MBA was ranked among the top 100 business schools globally in the prestigious Financial Times Executive MBA Rankings.

GIBS is the only business school in Africa to appear in this ranking.

GIBS is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and is a member of the South African Business Schools Association (SABSA), the Association of African Business Schools (AABS) and the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS).

Also and aunched by Michael R. Bloomberg in 2014, the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) is a three-year pan-African program that will provide cross disciplinary education programs to strengthen business and economic media capacity, convene African and international leaders to examine worldwide best practices in financial journalism, and improve access to information in order to advance transparency, accountability and governance on the continent.

 


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NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira

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National Reading Culture (NRC), an online investment platform targeting Nigerians has collapsed, resulting in the loss of billions of Naira for investors.

NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira

The website unexpectedly shut down, blocking users from withdrawing their funds and locking in their investments.

Just like all other investment scams, victims were lured with promises of doubling their money in few weeks.

When National Reading Culture eventually crashed, the operators vanished with users’ funds, leaving investors devastated.

How the Platform WorkedTask-Based Earning:

According findings, National Reading Culture lured users with promises of making money by completing simple daily tasks like reading articles, clicking links, or inviting friends.

They also offered investment tiers to  earn higher daily profits, where users had to deposit their own money into the platform.

Evidence showed the website previously operated as a Chinese job search platform before rebranding into an “earning” scheme.


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NSITF Partners South African Insurer on Digital Transformation

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The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) to collaborate on digital transformation aimed at strengthening worker protection systems and support economic growth.

According to RMA, the agreement was concluded during a visit by its delegation to Abuja.

The partnership will focus on institutional capability development, modernising operating models, improving service delivery and sharing knowledge between the two organisations.

Through the partnership, RMA and NSITF will collaborate to strengthen institutional capability, modernise operating models, accelerate digital transformation and improve services for workers and employers.

The organisations will also explore opportunities for knowledge exchange and the adoption of best practices in social security administration.

RMA said the agreement forms part of its broader engagement with governments, regulators and social security institutions across Africa to support improvements in governance, operational resilience and service delivery.

“Our partnership with NSITF reflects much more than the signing of an agreement,” said Mandla Shezi, group chief executive officer of RMA. “This partnership is not simply about sharing knowledge. It is about co-creating the next generation of African social security systems.”

He added: “By combining our respective strengths, we can help build institutions that are more resilient, more responsive and better equipped to protect workers while supporting national development.”

Shezi said the future of social security depends on integrated systems where prevention, insurance, healthcare, rehabilitation, technology, investment management and institutional capability work together.

 


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Senate Rejects Nationalisation of MTN, DStv Over Xenophobic Attacks on Nigerians in South Africa

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Senate on Tuesday rejected calls for the nationalisation of South African-owned companies operating in Nigeria, including MTN and DStv, as a retaliatory measure against renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Senate Rejects Nationalisation of MTN, DStv Over Xenophobic Attacks on Nigerians in South Africa

The upper chamber, however, condemned the attacks and intimidation of Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, urging the Federal Government to intensify diplomatic efforts to secure the safety of Nigerians living in the country.

The resolutions followed a motion titled: “Motion on the Need to Halt the Recurring Xenophobic Attacks and Intimidation Against Nigerians and Other African Nationals in the Republic of South Africa,” sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River South).

The motion was triggered by renewed concerns over attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa following the expiration of a June 30, 2026 deadline reportedly issued by some vigilante groups asking foreigners to leave the country.

During the debate, Senator Wasiu Eshilokun proposed that South African companies operating in Nigeria should be nationalised, while Senator Adams Oshiomhole suggested that profits generated by South African firms could be appropriated to compensate Nigerians who suffered losses if the South African government failed to provide compensation.

Oshiomhole argued that Nigerians should not continue to bear the consequences of attacks against their businesses and lives while South African companies operating in Nigeria continued to make profits.

He said the government should consider using profits from affected companies to compensate victims if South Africa refused to address the losses suffered by Nigerians.

However, the Senate declined the proposal, opting instead for diplomatic engagement and further investigation into the attacks.

Presiding over plenary, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin cautioned lawmakers against relying on unverified social media reports and urged a careful approach to the matter.

Jibrin said Nigeria must condemn attacks against its citizens but should allow relevant committees to complete their investigations before taking further actions.

He directed the Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations to review previous resolutions on the matter and submit a report within two weeks.

The Senate also urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, to obtain written assurances from South African authorities on the protection of Nigerians and demand the arrest and prosecution of persons responsible for violence, intimidation and looting.

The lawmakers further called for collaboration with other African countries and relevant continental institutions to establish effective mechanisms for monitoring and preventing xenophobic attacks.

Senator Ekpenyong had earlier raised concerns that the attacks were no longer limited to undocumented migrants but had extended to Nigerians with valid work and residence permits.

He described the situation as a threat to the dignity and safety of Nigerians abroad, urging the government to take stronger measures to protect citizens.

The Senate’s latest action comes amid renewed public anger over attacks targeting Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa, with lawmakers insisting that diplomatic solutions should be prioritised over economic retaliation.


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