General News
NoViolet Bulawayo Wins £15,000 Etisalat Prize for Literature
The search for Africa’s most prolific debut fiction writer, the Etisalat Prize for Literature, climaxed last weekend in Lagos, with NoViolet Bulawayo carting home the coveted prize of £15,000.
At a befitting celebration of first time writers of published fiction books, Bulawayo with her “We Need New Names” was announced winner of the Etisalat Prize out the shortlist which included Yewande Omotosho with “Bom Boy”, and Karen Jenning with “Finding Soutbek”.
According to Matthew Willsher, acting chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria, the Etisalat Prize for Literature award was designed to recognize and reward debut writers of fiction in the African region, with the objective of discovering new creative talent from Africa and promoting the burgeoning publishing industry on the continent.
“As a rite of passage, published and unpublished literary works of art have been passed down from generation to generation in Africa. Etisalat Nigeria is indeed pleased to celebrate all authors in the African literary spectrum from the greats such as Wole Soyinka, Miriama Ba to Ben Okri, Alain Mabanckou and Chimamanda Adichie. As such, Etisalat Nigeria is proud to use its maiden edition of the Etisalat Prize for Literature pan-African award to recognize and celebrate the amazing work done by these unique individuals,” he said.
The Zimbabwean-born winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature, Bulawayo, in addition to the cash prize of £15,000, was presented with an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen, a Samsung Galaxy Note and will attend the Etisalat Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia as well as being mentored by Giles Foden – Author of the “Last King of Scotland”. She will also have book tours in three African cities and get the chance to start work on her second book.
An elated Bulawayo specially thanked the judges, patrons, and Etisalat Nigeria for the award and for the opportunity the Etisalat Prize for Literature afforded her.
“I am thankful to the organizers of this event, Etisalat Nigeria for this most excellent and necessary prize. We are all aware of the shortage of literary prizes and it is heart-warming to know that Etisalat Nigeria sees and values the significance of such literary works in Africa,” she said.
Runners-up, Yewande Omotosho and Karen Jenning were presented with Samsung Galaxy notes. They also won book tours to two African cities and Etisalat will purchase 1000 copies each of their books which will be distributed across the continent.
To spice up the occasion, there was a special performance from celebrated African music legend, Youssou N’Dour, who performed a number of classics including “Redemption Song”, “7 Seconds” and “New Africa”.
The flash fiction competition winner was also announced as Uche Okonkwo for her entry “Neverland”, taking home the cash prize of £1000 and a Samsung galaxy note. Runners up were Bonaventure Chukwu for “Fear” and Nzere Jeremiah for “Silent Screams”, each winning £500 and Samsung Galaxy notes.
In just 5 years of operations, Etisalat Nigeria has become a major industry player with a growing subscriber base of over 17 million in a highly competitive market. Its portfolio of voice and data-centric products include – easy starter, easycliq, easybusiness, easyblaze and easyflex; all tailor-made to meet the needs of its customers.
For its outstanding performance since the launch of commercial operations, Etisalat has won the Nigerian telecoms industry’s first ever ‘Excellent Service and effective Collaboration with the Consumer Affairs Bureau to ensure access to Customer Care Help line’.
The company has also won several other awards which include ‘Brand of the Year’, ‘Best Telecom Customer Service’, ‘Telecom Innovations Company of the Year’, and ‘Most Innovative Corporate Social Responsibility Company’. Etisalat Nigeria is one of the 15 operations of the Etisalat Group that spans across Africa, Middle East and Asia serving over 140 million subscribers; and it is committed to delivering innovative and quality services to its growing subscribers.
Femi Otedola, chairman, First HoldCo, has revealed that he will invest $100 million in Dangote refinery.
Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola
This is coming ahead of news that the Dangote refinery is planning to raise $2 billion through private placement, by selling its shares to the general public on a stock exchange for the first time.
Otedola, announced his plans on Wednesday after leading top executives of First HoldCo to visit Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, at the refinery in Lagos.
“From on a personal note, I’ve appealed to him (Aliko Dangote). I’ve been here with him 25 times, so my compensation is he’s going to allocate to me shares worth $100 million in the private placement,” the billionaire said.
“That’s one of the reasons why I sold my stake in Geregu plant to come and invest my proceeds in the IPO of Dangote refinery.”
During the meeting, Dangote said, the company is targeting a private placement of about $2 billion for the refinery
Dangote, on October 22, 2025, said the refinery could sell up to 10 percent stake in the listing, which Bloomberg valued to be about $5 billion.
The billionaire is planning to make the IPO a cross-border listing to enable the refinery draw investments from domestic and international investors.
In an earlier report, Dangote said the IPO is designed to democratise wealth creation and give Africans direct access to participate in the continent’s industrial transformation.
On May 12, Bloomberg reported that the billionaire is reportedly aiming for a valuation of up to $50 billion for Dangote refinery.
The Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, has entered into a collaborative partnership with Lasaco Assurance Plc to drive sustainable institutional growth and operational synergy.
According to a statement from the firm, the partnership is a strategic move to bridge the gap between public service efficiency and private sector innovation.
The partnership was solidified during a courtesy visit by top officials of the NIS Lagos Command to the corporate headquarters of Lasaco Assurance Plc in Lagos.
Led by the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration and Passport Control Officer, the NIS delegation engaged the insurance firm’s executive team in high-level discussions aimed at fostering knowledge exchange, strengthening risk management practices, and advancing national development goals.
A major highlight of the strategic engagement was the presentation of an award to the Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Ademoye Shobo.
The NIS delegation honoured the insurance boss for his exemplary leadership in driving product growth, building operational resilience, and introducing innovative risk management solutions to the industry.
While commending Lasaco’s leadership, the NIS delegation noted that the company had consistently distinguished itself through a customer-focused approach and commitment to professionalism.
They emphasised that public-private partnerships were vital to creating value-driven systems that would benefit the larger Nigerian economy.
Reacting to the honour and the partnership prospects, Shobo reiterated the insurer’s readiness to support the immigration office.
“We are deeply honoured by this visit and the recognition from the Nigeria Immigration Service. At Lasaco, we believe that the future of institutional growth lies in deliberate collaboration. We are fully committed to maintaining a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the Immigration Office to improve operational efficiency and deepen trust across both sectors,” Shobo said.
The management of Lasaco Assurance further expressed gratitude, noting that the engagement had set a new benchmark for public-private alignment.
The management stated, “This courtesy visit is not just a ceremony; it is a reinforcement of our shared commitment to institutional excellence. By combining public sector dedication with private sector innovation, we can create stronger avenues for service delivery that ultimately advance our national goals.”
The engagement underscored the growing importance of continuous dialogue between government agencies and private corporations to solve modern operational challenges.
Moving forward, both organisations expressed confidence that the partnership would unlock new opportunities for strategic growth.
Lasaco Assurance Plc reaffirmed its long-term vision to deliver value-driven insurance solutions, sustain stakeholder confidence, and champion impactful collaborations that foster national progress.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has has been confirmed as a Special Guest of Honour at this year’s Africa Beacon of ICT Lectures and Awards.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, NCC
Africa Beacon of ICT Lectures and Awards, is widely regarded as the most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria.
The event according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria Communications Week,“is digital transformation edition” will hold on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
Africa’s BoICT Lecture is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.
It will also to recognise and celebrate organisations and individuals in the ICT and banking industries that have impacted in digital transformation of the economy.
Nwogbo said that Dr. Maida, oversees the regulation, development, and strategic direction of the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
His administration at the NCC, actively drives initiatives to improve telecom consumer experience, enhance infrastructure, and foster collaborations (such as with the Central Bank of Nigeria) to protect citizens from financial fraud
He holds a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, UK.
Prior to joining the NCC, he served as the Executive Director, Technology and Operations at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
At NIBSS, Dr. Maida was responsible for spearheading the technical and operational standardization of all devices deployed in the financial system in Nigeria for interoperability.
He led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.
Prior to his appointment at NIBSS, Maida was the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at the Nigerian-based FinTech Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems, United Kingdom.
As a seasoned technical professional with over 15 years of multi-functional and international experience in FinTech & Telecoms & Enterprise Technology, Dr. Maida between 2010 and 2014, worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of BT Group, and one of the largest mobile communications companies in the UK.
He was also at some point (2006-2010) a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading company in intelligent 3G and LTE small cells, which is now part of Cisco.
Dr. Maida will be joining will join top dignitaries who have graced the event in the past including: Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice-chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Chris Uwaje, chairman, Mobile Software Solutions Ltd; Uche Orji, former managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodun Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Dr. Isa Pantanmi, former DG, NITDA; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, co-founder and COO, Digital Encode Limited; among others.
The highpoint of the BoICT Lecture will be the conferment of awards to companies and individuals for their significant contributions to the growth of technology in Nigeria and indeed Africa.
The event is a five-star event; easily Nigeria’s ICT Oscars.
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