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Femi Kuti, Jesse Jagz, Niniola Thrill at Etisalat’s Abuja Concert

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*Afrobeat Legend, Femi Kuti with his Positive Force Band Dancers performing at the Femi Kuti Live in Abuja Concert sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria at the weekend.
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It was a full dose of home-made musical hits at the weekend for the music loving residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja when Afrobeat legend and four time Grammy Awards nominee, Femi Kuti, stormed the political capital for his first ever live concert in the city.

The high-profile event, put together by Chocolate City Group in partnership with Nigeria’s most people-friendly network, Etisalat, was a musical experience with the Afrobeat legend and some other acts including established performers like Niniola and Jesse Jagz as well as upcoming ones like Dunnie, Keline, ArrowMafia, Ricky Sani, Cheso and Anderson Afrolover.

Signs of a memorable night had filled the air once news about the concert broke into the public dormain, and so it turned out as many fun seekers, love birds, business partners, friends and families as well as foreigners swarmed around the Sheraton Field to be part of the historic outing.

Expectedly, the evening began with performances from several upcoming stars like Anderson Afrolover, Ricky Sani, Cheso, Dunnie, Keline and ArrowMafia, with the last four giving very impressive accounts of themselves as they perform singles upon singles upon different genres of music

With the ticking hours clawing the late evening hours steadily towards the midnight zone, and expectations rising, the show swung into life with the coming to stage of singing sensation, Niniola who got down to real dancing with some of the fans.

Hip Hop crooner, Jesse Jagz did not need any introduction as vibes from his hit singles such as Murder Dem, Boom, Jaga Love, Bend Down Low, Bad Girl and Sugarcane Baby proved his popular with the audience.

With the right atmosphere already created, and members of the Positive Force Band arrayed on stage, it was self-evident what a night awaited the fans.

Full of the energy that has remained a standout feature of his performances, Femi Kuti guided the audience through a music journey beginning with some of his smashing hits like Wonder Wonder, Survival, Plenty Nonsense, Live for Today, Sorry Sorry, Truth Don Die, BengBengBeng, The World is Changing, No Place for my Dream and Changes.

The social crusader in him was let out intermittently as he spoke out against social injustice, corruption and indeed any form of social vices bedeviling the Nigerian state, to the admiration of the fans who sang along some of the hit tracts.

One of the high moments of the night came on the heels of his mastery of the saxophone. He had played a long mono-note on this for over ten minutes without breaking, thus confirming his rating as one of the most sought after and best live performers in the world.

Some of the fans who spoke about the Concert expressed delight at the opportunity to be part of the musical experience.

“Being in Abuja, we have always expected something like this. Coming here tonight is one of the happiest moments of the year to me because most times that I have anything to do in Lagos, I always go to the Shrine. So, seeing Femi in Abuja is fantastic, “enthused Omar Lawal, a Civil Servant

For Norwegian, kaspark, thye night was an opportunity to see Femi perform live after he could not do so on a previous visit to the Afrikan Shrine in Lagos. “I have heard about Femi Kuti before now because he is very popular in Norway. I have also been to the Shrine in Lagos but I never got to see him there Tonight is going great for me and I am enjoying myself,” he said so elatedly.


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EFCC Arraigns Two FSDH Bank Officials Over $307k, €50k Fraud

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Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, arraigned two bank officials, Bakare Oladimeji Surajudeen and James Olukayode Imokwede, over an alleged $306,667.81 and €50,250 fraud before Justice Ismaila Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
EFCC Arraigns Two FSDH Bank Officials Over $307k, €50k Fraud

EFCC

The defendants, who are both top officials of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged stealing and retention of stolen property to the tune of $306,667.81 and €50,250.
The petitioner, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, alleged that an internal audit uncovered unauthorized debits totaling $306,667.81 and €50,250, equivalent to N527,406,916.66 (Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Sixty Six kobo), from its Letters of Credit (LC) payable accounts.
Investigations revealed that the defendants processed fraudulent transfers through the SWIFT platform to third parties.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, BAKARE OLADIMEJI SURAJUDEEN and JAMES OLUKAYODE IMOKWEDE, sometime in 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly took the sum of N527,406,916.66 (Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Sixty Six kobo), property of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited.”
Another count reads:
“That you BAKARE OLADIMEJI SURAJUDEEN AND JAMES Olukayode Imokwede sometime in 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly took sum of $306,667. 81 (Three Hundred and Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty Seven dollars, Eighty one cents) property of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited”.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, H. U. Kofarnaisa, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in a Correctional facility pending trial.
Counsel to the first and second defendants, Oluwaseun Akintunde and Olajide S. Onasanya, informed the court that bail applications had been filed on behalf of the defendants and also urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.
They also prayed that the defendants be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The prosecution counsel, however, opposed the prayers of the defence seeking the remand of the defendants in the EFCC custody, saying that “the EFCC detention facilities are overstretched.”
After listening to both parties, Justice Ijelu granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2 million each, with two sureties in like sum.
The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a relative, who is gainfully employed.
The sureties must provide evidence of tax payment in the last three years and must show proof of livelihood, with their residences verified.
The defendants were ordered to deposit their international passports with the court, and must not travel outside the country without the leave of the court.
The judge subsequently remanded the defendants in a Correctional facility pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Justice Ijelu adjourned the matter till March 25, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

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AfDB Supports Francophone Africa Start-ups with €6.5M

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The African Development Bank Group last week approved an investment of €6.5 million in the Saviu II fund in order to support technology start-ups through their seed phase and first institutional fundraising, mainly in French-speaking Central and West Africa.

The Bank will invest €4.5 million as equity and €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission, under the Boost Africa Programme.

This participation of the Bank Group will enable the Saviu II fund to give priority to companies with a strong technological or digital component.

Saviu II, the second investment vehicle of Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-oriented business-to-business start-ups in the seed phase or carrying out first institutional fundraising.

The Saviu II venture capital fund aims to make at least 60% of its commitments in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa: Côte d ‘Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.

The fund can also co-invest in promising technology companies in East Africa that have a strong team and business model, and whose strategy includes entering the market in French-speaking West African countries and establishing a strong presence there.

In addition, the fund will devote a dedicated envelope to pre-seed investments, focusing on minority equity investments, usually in co-investment with studios, incubators or other ecosystem partners.


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Nigeria Inks $1.3bn MoU with AFC for Alumina Refinery, Mining Push

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Nigerian Government has signed a $1.3 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to fund an alumina refinery, national geoscience mapping, and a strategic investment vehicle for mining growth.

Nigeria Inks $1.3bn MoU with AFC for Alumina Refinery, Mining Push

Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the refinery will process one million tonnes of bauxite yearly using a modern Bayer process, powered by an on-site gas-fired cogeneration plant.

Minister Dele Alake called it a transformative milestone boosting GDP, aligning with reforms that improve investment climate, regulations, and licensing to attract private capital. He directed agencies to fast-track permits.

The 20-year project at 95% utilization eyes 19 million tonnes total output, $1.2 billion annual GDP addition, $25 billion economic impact, and $8 billion forex earnings, per feasibility studies.

SMDF Executive Secretary Fatima Shinkafi termed it the agency’s biggest funding deal, supporting value-addition policy.

The partnership extends to geoscience mapping for mineral data, de-risking exploration, and a joint vehicle for mining assets.

Permanent Secretary Engr. Farouk Yabo praised the reforms. Shinkafi signed for government; AFC’s Franklin Edochie for the corporation, witnessed by AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu.

Tomori positioned it as Nigeria’s largest private mining investment and FDI magnet.


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