News
Plentywaka gets Backing from Techstars for Global Expansion

Plentywaka the ‘uber-for-buses’ startup in Nigeria that is focused on providing comfort and convenience to daily commuters using technology, launched in 2019 by Onyeka Akumah, Johnny Ena, John Shaibu, and Afolabi Oluseyi has announced a new investment from Techstars as it sets its sights on global expansion after a successful one year of moving over 300,000 riders in Nigeria. The startup will also join 9 other startups in the Techstars Toronto accelerator program, Class of 2021.

Speaking about the new development, Onyeka Akumah, Co-Founder and CEO of Plentywaka says, “We are very excited about this new investment to partner with Techstars. This is the second time a startup I founded will go through a Techstars accelerator program and we are truly happy they have believed in our ability again to execute.
The Plentywaka team will join the Techstars Toronto program to gain further funding, mentorship, and access to a rich network of entrepreneurs and experts in the travel industry. This will also see us expanding globally to other countries, starting with a city in Canada on or before the fourth quarter of 2021”.
“Our only goal is to leverage the broader ecosystem to support and grow these incredible companies. Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, and strong partners and mentors help make this happen,” says Sunil Sharma Managing Director, Techstars Toronto
18 months since Plentywaka started its journey of moving commuters through their daily commute, the trans-tech company has been able to raise prior seed funding of $300,000 from Microtraction, Niche Capital, and EMFATO in the year 2020. Plentywaka also expanded its services into two other cities in Nigeria with its partnership with Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing to solidify its expansion plans.
Today, Plentywaka has taken another giant step to launch its city-to-city service for Nigerians, where commuters traveling from one state to another within the country can now purchase discounted bus tickets from the Plentywaka mobile app.
With this added feature, commuters have the luxury of choosing their preferred bus transportation company from the list of partners listed on the Plentywaka app from the comfort of their homes.
To kickstart this service, Plentywaka would be partnering with some major bus travel companies in Nigeria including Libra Motors with over 300 buses in their fleet along with 4 other players with a capacity of 2000+ buses plying over 100 routes across Nigeria.
Speaking on the new City-to-City service, Johnny Ena, President and Co-founder of Plentywaka said, “This is a major step towards developing a robust and reliable transport system in the country. We want to make the bus booking service a lot easier and accessible for over 20 million Nigerians that commute from one state to the other on a daily basis.
We believe this would change inter-state commuting for not just stakeholders like bus-operators but also the riders themselves with more options”.
With new capital from Techstars, an eye for global expansion, and the launch of its interstate service (city-to-city), Plentywaka is poised for a blitzscaling move to provide the most affordable ‘uber-for-buses’ platform across Africa and the North American market.
There is a growing interest from investors to participate in fueling its growth plans and the company’s CEO, Onyeka Akumah says he is happy to welcome new investors who share a similar vision and hunger for scale as the company does.
News
Guinness Rolls Out Nationwide Consumer Rewards Promotion

Guinness Nigeria has launched a nationwide National Consumer Promotion (NCP) tagged ‘Open For More’. This is a consumer rewards initiative that will see more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes won by consumers across the country.

The promotion, which runs nationwide, offers consumers the opportunity to win ₦1 million every day, ₦100,000 cash rewards for 1,000 winners, and a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado as the grand prize. The campaign is designed to reward loyal consumers while creating more opportunities for everyday Nigerians to celebrate life’s meaningful moments.
To participate, consumers are required to purchase specially marked bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness Smooth, check for the unique code beneath the crown cork, and enter the code at www.guinnessng.com/1759 for a chance to win.
Speaking on the launch, Ramanathan Solayappan, Marketing and Innovations Director, Guinness Nigeria, said the promotion reflects the brand’s longstanding relationship with consumers and its commitment to creating memorable experiences beyond the product itself.
“Nigerians have made Guinness part of their celebrations, milestones, and everyday moments for over seven decades. The ‘Open For More’ promotion is our way of rewarding that loyalty by giving consumers genuine opportunities to win prizes that can make a meaningful difference in their lives.”
Solayappan added that the promotion was deliberately designed to make participation simple and accessible to consumers across the country.
“We believe, at Guinness, that there is always room for more possibilities, more progress, and more reasons to celebrate. Through this campaign, we are inviting consumers and beloved Nigerians over the age of 18 years to take part in an experience that goes beyond enjoying a Guinness. Every eligible purchase could open the door to something more.”
Beyond rewarding consumers, the promotion comes at a time when many Nigerians are placing greater value on opportunities that offer tangible returns. By putting more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes directly into the hands of consumers, Guinness Nigeria is creating a campaign that celebrates loyalty and delivers meaningful rewards that can support personal aspirations, family needs, and everyday goals.
As part of the campaign, winners will emerge weekly throughout the promotion period, with regular winner announcements and prize presentations aimed at ensuring transparency and public confidence in the process.
The Open For More National Consumer Promotion strengthens Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to rewarding consumers while creating excitement around the brand through meaningful and impactful experiences. Consumers are encouraged to look out for specially marked promotional packs and follow Guinness Nigeria’s official communication channels for updates, winner announcements, and further information on participation mechanics.
News
Nigeria Lost N34 Trillion to Import Waivers in 2025, Customs Tells Senate

Bashir Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) approvals granted by the Federal Government rose to about N34 trillion in 2025.

Adeniyi made the disclosure on Monday during an investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja.
He said the import duty exemptions had significantly affected the service’s revenue generation, although many of the waivers were introduced to support critical national priorities.
According to him, about 60 per cent of the approved waivers were granted for the importation of military hardware in response to the country’s security challenges.
He said other beneficiaries included importers of compressed natural gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery, manufacturing inputs and food intervention programmes.
“IDEC approvals reached about N34 trillion in 2025, about 60 per cent of which was rightly granted for military hardware procurements due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges,” Adeniyi said.
The Comptroller-General noted that the introduction of the IDEC scheme in March 2020 had remained one of the major fiscal policies affecting Customs revenue.
He said the service would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government fiscal measures and other external factors that reduced its revenue base.
Adeniyi, however, maintained that fiscal policy should not be evaluated solely on the basis of revenue generation.
He said government interventions through duty waivers were intended to stimulate economic growth, improve healthcare delivery, encourage industrial production and address national security concerns.
He urged the Federal Government to strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure that beneficiaries of import duty waivers achieved the intended objectives, including reducing prices, increasing production and improving access to essential goods and services.
The Customs boss also disclosed that the service generated N7.28 trillion in revenue in 2025.
He added that out of the N11.04 trillion revenue target for 2026, the service had realised N4.5 trillion as of June 30.
Adeniyi expressed optimism that the service would continue implementing measures aimed at improving revenue collection while supporting government fiscal policies.
News
DataPro Upgrades Dangote Cement’s Credit Rating to AA+

DataPro Rating Agency has upgraded the long-term credit rating of Dangote Cement Plc to AA+ from AA, citing the company’s strong financial performance, market leadership and ability to meet its financial obligations despite Nigeria’s challenging economic environment.

In its latest rating report, the technology-driven credit rating agency also affirmed Dangote Cement’s short-term rating at A1, with a Stable Outlook. The ratings are valid until June 16, 2027.
DataPro said the upgrade reflects the cement maker’s sustained financial strength, resilient operating performance and dominant position in Nigeria and across Africa.
According to the agency, the assessment followed a comprehensive review of the company’s capital base, earnings, liquidity, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and the sustainability of its financial performance over the medium to long term.
It noted that Dangote Cement’s strong brand, leading market share, solid earnings, robust asset base and experienced management continue to strengthen its ability to meet financial commitments on time.
The agency also highlighted the company’s outstanding financial performance in 2025.
According to the report, Dangote Cement posted N4.31 trillion in revenue during the year, representing a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. Profit before tax more than doubled, rising 109 per cent to N1.53 trillion, driven by higher sales, improved operating efficiency, lower finance costs and a stronger capital structure.
DataPro said the AA+ long-term rating indicates low credit risk and reflects excellent financial strength, business profile and operating performance relative to its rating benchmarks.
It added that the A1 short-term rating signifies good credit quality and shows that the company has a strong capacity to meet its short-term financial obligations as they fall due.
The rating agency, however, noted that the credit rating has a maximum shelf life of 12 calendar months in line with international best practice and should be used only as a reference, not as an offer to trade in securities or as a substitute for investors’ independent judgement.
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