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UNCTAD Says Continent-Wide Policy Coherence can Yield Employment, Growth Benefits

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L-r: Founder, Centre for Values and Leadership, Prof Pat Utomi; Chief, Trade and Poverty Branch, UNCTAD Switzerland, Dr Patrick Osakwe and the Officer-in-Charge of United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, Mr Oluseyi Sotremekun.
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Better leveraging of services trade in Africa could yield major employment and growth benefits, the UNCTAD Economic Development in Africa Report 2015 argues, while ongoing negotiations towards a continental free trade agreement offer a unique opportunity to align national and regional policies on services trade to that end.

The report, subtitled “Unlocking the Potential of Africa’s Services Trade for Growth and Development”, and officially launched in Lagos Nigeria, also argues that building continent-wide policy coherence in financial services would boost economic productivity and help reduce poverty.

“Africa must bridge the policy disconnect of services trade in order to unlock the sector’s potential for the continent’s growth and economic transformation,” Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD Secretary-General said.

“Furthermore, the impact of a continent-wide free trade area will only be meaningful for Africa if services are opened up in parallel with trade in goods. This is because services, such as transport and storage services, are necessary components of trade in goods.”

The establishment of a continental free trade agreement, most recently on the agenda at an African Union summit in June 2015, is in itself a unique opportunity for African countries to align their existing national, regional and global policies on services trade, the report argues.

The report finds that many national development plans mention services trade as a vehicle for development but fail to link it to existing regional plans or regulation on services in the context of their regional economic communities.

For example, several countries such as Burkina Faso have become leading exporters of cultural services, and Kenya and Senegal of business process outsourcing, but these sectors are not integrated with the countries’ commitments made at the World Trade Organization.

Another major area identified by the report where African Governments need to make efforts in aligning the existing national, regional and multilateral regulatory frameworks is in the financial services sector.

The report argues, for example, that it is important for African countries to extensively examine how to align their domestic financial sector regulation with existing regional regulation, as some regional economic communities already have some protocols in place covering aspects of financial sector integration and/or investment at the regional level.

This is the case of the Arab Maghreb Union, the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community.

These protocols envisage the free movement of capital in their respective subregions and will need to be adequately reflected in national policy and regulation so that financial market integration becomes a reality.

At national level, the report recommends that services trade be adequately mainstreamed into national development plans.

This requires that a policy formulation exercise be informed by country-wide consultations with all the major stakeholders.

At regional level, the report notes that greater coherence could be achieved if a pan-African mechanism is established to allow for the continuous consultation and coordination of a regional agenda and concerns relating to services trade that arise within the regional economic communities and the African Union.


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Pawnith Appoints Martina Ogbebor as Managing Director to Lead Strategic Launch into Nigeria’s Fintech Ecosystem

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The Board of Directors of Pawnith Limited has announced the appointment of Martina Ogbebor as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. The appointment coincides with the official launch of Pawnith as a sophisticated new entrant in Nigeria’s financial services and alternative investment landscape.

Pawnith Limited is a technology-enabled financial services platform established to address critical gaps in access to capital by delivering transparent, dignified, and scalable financing solutions.

The Board confirmed that Ms. Ogbebor’s appointment is central to a long-term strategy that combines the operational rigor of traditional finance with the speed, efficiency, and innovation of modern fintech.

Ms. Ogbebor brings over 15 years of senior leadership experience across the telecommunications and digital infrastructure sectors, where she has led brand transformations and nationwide revenue growth initiatives.

Her appointment signals Pawnith’s intent to build a high-trust financial institution anchored on strong governance, regulatory discipline, and long-term value creation.

“The Board is confident that Martina’s experience in building high-trust, regulated brands positions her uniquely to lead Pawnith at this critical stage,” said the Chairman of the Board.

“Her mandate is clear: to establish a disciplined capital platform that delivers rapid access to funding while upholding the highest standards of ethics, risk management, and corporate governance.”

Under Ms. Ogbebor’s leadership, Pawnith is launching a multi-segment capital model designed to evolve into a comprehensive financial services and alternative investment ecosystem.

The company’s initial portfolio spans personal credit solutions, offering short- to medium-term loans for salaried professionals with transparent pricing and rapid disbursement, alongside SME and business lending focused on working capital and growth financing to help entrepreneurs stabilise cash flow and scale operations.

The portfolio also includes asset-backed lending, providing secure, collateralised facilities that support fair valuations and flexible liquidity, as well as structured lending through a forthcoming private credit arm aimed at delivering institutional-grade financing to growing enterprises.

In addition, Pawnith offers private equity investment solutions, providing strategic growth capital to select businesses and partnering with founders to drive long-term value creation, stronger governance, and operational scale.

Pawnith’s digital infrastructure prioritises speed, security, and control. The platform features secure onboarding, automated Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, and structured repayment tracking to ensure a seamless and compliant experience for both individual and corporate clients.

“Pawnith is being built as a disciplined financial platform—one that customers, partners, and regulators can trust,” the Board added. “We are not a quick-win lender; we are building a cornerstone institution for Nigeria’s evolving credit and investment market.”

 


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PalmPay Deepens Its Long-Term Commitment in Nigeria with New Office @ Yaba

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PalmPay has opened a new office at 33 Old Yaba Road, Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, customer service, and operational growth in Nigeria.

The new office represents a continued investment in PalmPay’s people, operations, and infrastructure, supporting the company’s ability to deliver reliable financial services at scale. Designed to accommodate PalmPay’s growing team, the workspace enables closer cross-functional collaboration while strengthening service delivery nationwide. Located in Yaba, one of Lagos’s most established commercial and technology corridors, the office further anchors PalmPay within Nigeria’s innovation and financial ecosystem.

Speaking at the office launch, Managing Director Chika Nwosu highlighted that the new workspace reflects PalmPay’s long-term vision and dedication to excellence. “This new office represents an important step in our growth journey and our commitment to building secure, reliable, and inclusive financial solutions for our users,” he said.

The launch event was attended by PalmPay’s leadership team, employees and customers, who toured the facility and marked the company’s continued growth and progress.

With the opening of its office at 33 Old Yaba Road, PalmPay continues to strengthen its presence in Nigeria and reaffirm its mission to drive financial inclusion through innovative digital solutions.

PalmPay is a leading digital banking platform 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.

Since launching in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has grown to over 35 million app users and processes up to 15 million transactions daily. PalmPay has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.


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NAHCO Signs New Ground Handling Deals

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The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc has announced the signing of a chain of contracts with major airlines for the provision of total handling solutions.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company announced the signing of contract renewals with Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic, as well as the African operator, RwandAir.

NAHCO also signed fresh contracts with United Nigeria – Regional, Bellagio and Malaikair.

According to the statement, the contracts with Air France and KLM are for three years and will run till 2028, respectively. The duration of the contract with Virgin Atlantic was also put at three years.

The duration for the RwandAir contract is for three years, effective 1 October 2025.

The statement read, “The new contract with United – Regional would be for a period of five years, effective from 1 August 2025. For Bellagio and Malaikair, the contracts are for three and five years, respectively.

“Bellagio Air, Nigeria’s rising star in aviation, is redefining air travel with a blend of luxury, efficiency, and reliability. Headquartered in the vibrant city of Ikeja, Lagos, Bellagio Air is committed to providing world-class service across key domestic and regional routes.”

The Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, NAHCO Plc, Saheed Lasisi, who expressed his delight with the new contracts, said NAHCO is already ready to exceed customers’ expectations.

According to Lasisi, NAHCO’s more than 46 years of unblemished excellent service delivery puts it heads and shoulders above any other service provider in the industry.

“This is what we have been doing for almost half of a century. We will continue to delight our customers and make our stakeholders happy by exceeding expectations in all aspects of our service offerings. We are always willing and ready to do more,” Lasisi added.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NAHCO Plc, Olumuyiwa Olumekun, added that with the new fleet of equipment the company is deploying, service delivery will only be better.

 


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