Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) has joined the trillion-naira exclusive club of firms, marking its first entry in its two decades of being listed on the Nigerian Exchange.

The Pan-African lender saw its valuation surge more than the N1 trillion mark on Monday, January 5, 2026. As of the close of trade on Monday, January 12, the stock had gained 7.4 percent, with its share price hitting N45. ETI has accrued 23 percent over the past four-week period alone, making it the 40th best on NGX.

“Ecobank Transnational Inc. is currently the 23rd most valuable stock on the NGX with a market capitalisation of N 1.07 trillion, which makes up about 1.02 percent of the Nigerian Stock Exchange equity market,” according to African Stock Exchange data, a market analytics platform.

This historic feat follows the early repayment of $245 million of Ecobank’s $300 million Eurobond issuance to bondholders who validly tendered their notes ahead of the February 2026 maturity date.

This must have led to an improved confidence in the bank’s operation, which gained 61 percent a year ago despite the sell-off that rattled the bank’s stock in 2025.

More Nigerian lenders are seeing their market capitalisation cross the N1 trillion mark, suggesting renewed investor confidence in the sector that’s undergoing a recapitalisation exercise.

GTCO remains the most capitalised, with its valuation reaching N3.62 trillion as of January 12, followed by Zenith Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa, Access Bank, and Stanbic IBTC with N2.75 trillion, N2.16 trillion, N1.94 trillion, N1.23 trillion, and N1.7 trillion, respectively. By crossing N1 trillion, Ecobank now sits among the country’s biggest lenders within the trillion-naira club.

Fidelity Bank, on April 4, 2025, saw its market value shoot above N1 trillion, making it the first tier-2 bank to cross the threshold. However, it slipped below the mark on May 20 following a Supreme Court ruling that pressured its share price. The bank’s valuation currently stands at N957 billion.

The membership of the exclusive club of listed companies with at least N1 trillion valuation has increased to 24, compared to 17 a year earlier, according to data from the Nigerian Exchange Limited.

The top five members include BUA Foods with a market cap of N14.38 trillion, MTN Nigerian Communications with N12.70 trillion, Dangote Cement with N10.71 trillion, Airtel Africa with N8.53 trillion, and BUA Cement with N6.2 trillion.

Premier Cool, Nigeria’s leading antibacterial cooling bar soap, has announced the launch of its nationwide consumer promotion, “10K for 10K”, in partnership with Palmpay, Nigeria’s leading digital bank.

This promo is designed to reward 10,000 Nigerians with ₦10,000, amounting to a total of ₦100 million in cash rewards paid instantly via PalmPay wallets. Running from January 12 to April 11, 2026, 111 winners will emerge daily throughout the three months.

Speaking on the campaign, the MD PZ Cussons Africa, Mr Oghale Elueni, said ‘At a time when financial pressure is real for many households, this promo is our way of easing the load and refreshing Nigerians, emotionally and financially, with a brand they already know and trust.

Participation is straightforward, and reward is instant on your PalmPay wallet

Consumers can take part in three easy steps:

1. Buy a promo-coded pack of Premier Cool 110g (Ultimate or Black) and unwrap to reveal a unique code inside.
2. Scan the QR code on the pack, which leads directly to the campaign microsite and the PalmPay app.
3. Enter the unique code on PalmPay for an instant draw and a chance to win ₦10,000 instantly.

New PalmPay users participating in the campaign will also enjoy a welcome bonus of up to ₦5,550, further reinforcing PalmPay’s commitment to delivering practical value and smarter everyday banking.

Also speaking at the launch, Managing Director of PalmPay Nigeria, Chika Nwosu, noted that this campaign reflects PalmPay’s commitment to delivering real, everyday value to Nigerians. By partnering with a brand that families have trusted for decades, we are reinforcing our promise of smarter banking that supports daily living, saving, and financial growth.”

Rewarding Loyalty, the Premier Cool Way

Premier Cool understands the value of loyalty and believes freshness should come with real rewards. With the 10K for 10K Promo in partnership with PalmPay, Premier Cool reinforces its commitment to consumers through meaningful engagement, proving that staying fresh pays.

With decades of heritage under PZ Cussons, Premier Cool remains a symbol of reliability, family well-being, and consistent quality in Nigerian homes.

PalmPay is driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.

PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.

Terra Industries, a Nigerian defence technology startup, has raised $11.75 million to expand its development of defensive systems that protect critical facilities across Africa.

The fundraising round was led by Silicon Valley venture firm 8VC, which was founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.

Other investors in the round include Valour Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, and Nova Global, as well as African-focused funds Tofino Capital, Kaleo Ventures, and DFS Lab.

Terra Industries, founded in Abuja by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, provides multi-domain security solutions for both air and land. Its solutions are intended to detect and respond to threats including terrorism, sabotage, and armed attacks on infrastructure.

The company’s product portfolio includes surveillance drones, ground-based robotic systems, and fixed monitoring towers deployed around sensitive locations.

Co-founder and CEO Nathan Nwachuku said the company has now fully embraced its identity as a defence-focused startup, citing the growing urgency of security challenges across Africa.

He said safeguarding critical infrastructure from terrorist threats has become unavoidable.

Nwachuku argues that protecting Africa’s infrastructure requires a different approach, one that combines local manufacturing, end-to-end system control, and software capable of independently identifying and responding to threats over large areas.

The company aims to position itself as a defence prime, similar to the role played by firms such as Anduril Industries and Palantir in the United States.

Nwachuku also disclosed that the company had earlier raised $800,000 in pre-seed funding.

With the new funding, Terra plans to increase manufacturing capacity within Africa, establish additional defence production facilities, and expand its artificial intelligence and software teams.

While software offices are planned for San Francisco and London, the company said manufacturing operations will remain on the continent.