E-Financial
Sage partners ACCA, to assistant accountants develop technology skills
By peter oluka
Sage (Africa) has entered into partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Nigeria, in a move to add more values to the profession, especially where strategy matters.
The partnership, Director, Partners, Accountants and Alliances, Sage Africa & Middle East, Laurica Kok, said in an interview with our correspondent, is strategic and will help expose Sage’s products to a broader market.
“ACCA is a renowned organisation within our business circle. It is a strategic alliance for us; it is a journey that exposes our products into a broader market which they hold the audience hub. I also see it as a very good fit. Sage is passionate about the accountants. Globally, ACCA holds that connection for us. It is also a partnership that will help drive the message for Sage to be seen as one-stop-shop for accounting solutions; it will impact their profession and businesses.
“Through this partnership we are growing Sage ‘ambassadors’, those who would tell others better about our products in accounting environment”, Kok comments.
According to her, Sage supports business from start-up or entry level to the enterprise level. “Secondly, Business builders are seen across segments; specifically, we can offer accounting, payroll, payment systems as consolidated application. “Thirdly, business model for us is just to serve the customer; empower the community and the environment the customers find themselves in. That is the differentiator for us in the market. We work, in our region, with partners that support that vision.
Relishing the importance of the partnership, Head of ACCA, Nigeria, Mr. Tom Isibor, described it as massive.
“Like I said earlier, five years ago, we started a research which clearly shows what the accounting of the future should be, what competencies, behaviours, skills do you need to have to be able to distinguish ourselves from other profession and make ACCA as a preferred qualification.
“The basic is digitalisation. Sage is global powerhouse in terms of building and delivering accounting software and solutions. We believe they can give us that perfect solution we have been looking; also fill the skills gaps of our members, make them more work ready and more preferred accountants in the market. Thus, it is all about building capabilities, capacity for our members.
“For instance, the Sage University promises to give us access to up our skills. We also look forward to this platform supporting our student-members and others searching for places for industrial (training) attachments.
“The other opportunity which is also very big to me, is giving back the society in terms of what the Sage community believes in; the corporate social responsibility (CSR) is huge. I also see an opportunity that ACCA and Sage can exploit on. In this environment, there is so much to give back to the society. So, we are just at the door-step.
On why ACCA chose to partner with Sage, he said, “If you are choosing a partner, you must have similar DNA. That is the critical element for me and for us in the Nigerian office; to have an organisation that shares our values, professional in its approaches and on ethical grounds. If you look at Sage’s story, it has been around for 36 years. Look at the business turnover, the number of countries they operate and the very customer-centric. They provide solutions that solve critical accounting needs.
How Will the Partnership Impact Entrepreneurs in Nigeria?
Director, Sage Enterprises, West Africa, Mr. Fidelis Isiekwuene, responds “First, technology is shifting; before now, software companies make software available for accountants for use. But, accounts could only implement processes based on the extent provision of the solution. In today’s world, it is a different case. This is customer-focused. Technology companies, on daily basis, are innovating on how to make the works of the accountant easier.
“The present business world tends to query you, ‘what makes you different from others?’ A C-level executive, for instance, who is jumping from one city to the other, trying to make money for the Company, does not have time to sit down and begin to look at the intricacies of the entries; he wants to see everything at a glance.
“He wants to be able to see the business report, no matter where he is. This is where the innovations around SMAC come in- Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud. So, he shouldn’t be tied down to a place before he could see the feasibility of the business. He wants to collaborate with the team, on the go. He wants to use ‘Sage Pegg’ as a communication tool, because just like every time you are sending WhatsApp messages, people respond real time. Also, you should be able to talk to your colleagues and get answers real-time”.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has announced strategic expansion into more African countries even as it plans to open a new office in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone in its mission to connect Africa with key global markets.
Oliver Alawuba, GMD/CEO, UBA group,
This emerged during the Group’s Half Year Business Review held at its global headquarters in Lagos, where Oliver Alawuba, group managing director/CEO, UBA group, met with senior executives overseeing UBA’s 24-country footprint.
The meeting reaffirmed the bank’s pan-African strategy while outlining bold new steps into global markets.
Alawuba highlighted UBA’s continued growth outside Nigeria, with more than 51.7% of Group revenues now generated from its ex-Nigerian operations.
He described the Saudi expansion as a move that positions UBA to support cross-border trade, attract investment flows, and better serve the African diaspora.
“UBA’s vision is clear—we are building a truly global institution anchored in Africa, but serving customers across continents. Our entry into Saudi Arabia signals confidence in new opportunities and commitment to supporting economic connectivity between Africa and the Middle East,” he said.
The Saudi expansion adds to UBA’s international presence, which currently includes the United Kingdom, United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Alawuba also disclosed that the bank is upgrading its operating licence in France to further strengthen its European operations.
“In Europe, UBA has operations in the United Kingdom and is upgrading its licence in France, expanding its capacity to serve cross-border trade, investment flows, and the African diaspora, complementing our over 40-year presence in New York,” Alawuba noted.
Since launching its pan-African journey with an entry into Ghana in 2004, UBA has expanded rapidly across 20 African countries, establishing itself as a leading driver of financial inclusion, innovation, and regional integration.
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announced its plan to raise up to $250m in Additional Tier 1 capital through a private placement of contingent convertible notes.
In a statement filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited recently, the capital raise was approved by shareholders at the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting held in Lomé, Togo. The private placement offer was launched on July 9 and will run for ten days.
“Following the approval of the shareholders at its Extraordinary General Meeting held on May 28, 2025, in Lomé, Togo, to raise up to $250m in additional Tier 1 capital qualifying instruments via a private placement of contingent convertible notes, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated announces the launch of the AT1 effective July 9, 2025, for ten days. Renaissance Capital Africa has been appointed as the transaction adviser to ETI.”
The move is an initiative aimed at strengthening Ecobank’s capital adequacy, enhancing financial resilience, and supporting its long-term growth ambitions across its diversified pan-African banking platform.
Additionally, Madibinet Cisse, Ecobank’s Company Secretary, said, “This proposed capital raise represents a critical step in our efforts to fortify the bank’s financial foundation and support sustainable growth across Africa.”
It would be recalled that Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the parent company of the Ecobank Group, has raised an additional $125m through a Eurobond tap, bringing the total size of its 2029 notes to $525m.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has announced that the body has recovered lost funds from the CBEX fraud scheme.
Olukoyede did not announce the amount recovered, but he assured Nigerians that the EFCC is taking action against the promoters of the scheme.
The EFCC Chairman emphasised that the suspects found are facing prosecution.
“We have found a lot of people culpable. Those who promoted that scheme are within our jurisdiction and have been arrested. So, at this moment, they are being prosecuted. And we can also say that money has been recovered, even though the process is still ongoing for us to finally forfeit it,” he said.
Olukoyede also urged Nigerians to exercise caution when investing their resources into online platforms.
“Ponzi schemes remain one of the most pervasive threats facing unsuspecting investors. The CBEX case is a clear example. We all remember the outcry that followed the collapse of the scheme, but these unfortunate situations are preventable. Nigerians must begin to conduct due diligence before committing their resources to such platforms,” Olukoyede said.
He also stressed that the body remains committed to fishing out the culprits and recovering the lost funds.
“It was only when the bubble burst that people wanted EFCC to perform magic and recover their money. In the case we investigated in Lagos, which we dubbed Operation Flush, we arrested a large number of foreigners involved in various cybercrimes, including CBEX. I want Nigerians to know that as of today, we have secured close to 150 convictions. Some of them are already serving their jail terms. And when they are through with that, we are going to send them back to where they came from. So we are monitoring them,” he added.
He urged the public to stay vigilant, assuring them that the body will see the case to the end.
“We are no longer the EFCC that drops cases halfway. Whatever we start, we will finish. Nigerians should trust us and believe in our capacity to do justice. Some of these cases are complex and may require cross-border investigations, but we are up to the task,” he said.
EFCC Says Corrupt Politicians are Using Crypto Wallets to Launder Money
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