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Uzoka, UBA’s GMD Dedicates Prestigious Zik Leadership Award to Staff and Customers

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l-r:   Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Group Managing Director/CEO, Kennedy Uzoka; Member of Board of Trustees, Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre(PPRAC), organiser of Zik Prize, Marc Wabara, during the conferment of Zik Prize for Professional Leadership on Uzoka in Lagos on Sunday  
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Kennedy Uzoka, group managing director/chief executive officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, was on Sunday night presented with The Zik Prize for Professional Leadership.

Uzoka, UBA’s GMD Dedicates Prestigious Zik Leadership Award to Staff and Customers

l-r:  Former Managing Director, Diamond Bank, Alex Otti,; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Group Managing Director/CEO, Kennedy Uzoka; Member of Board of Trustees, Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), organiser of Zik Prize, Marc Wabara,; and Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, during the conferment of Zik Prize for Professional Leadership on Uzoka in Lagos on Sunday

The award was presented by Boss Mustapha, secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), under  Professor Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate as chairman at a glamorous event held at the Civic Centre in Lagos, and organised by Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC)

Uzoka was announced as the winner of the much-coveted award alongside Prof Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman/chief executive officer at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

As he applauded the efforts of the organisers, Uzoka said, “The Late Nnamdi Azikiwe is someone to whom I accord great respect; he is an iconic African statesman (Zik of Africa as he is fondly called). I am proud to be receiving an award that was first conferred on the late premier 25 years ago. I dedicate this award to the staff of the UBA Group in all our 23 countries of operations. They really are the best”.

Uzoka received the award after a thorough, careful and rigorous selection process.

His name was announced by Members of the Advisory Board, PPRAC, Professor Pat Utomi, and executive secretary, Emeka Obasi, who stated that Uzoka was selected as a result of his outstanding contributions to the development and growth of the Banking and Financial Services Industry and also for an unblemished record of service as a banker of international repute.

Apart from Uzoka and Danbatta, other winners in various categories of public service, good governance, business, and professional leadership include Senate President Ahmed Lawan; Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum; Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; SGF, Boss Mustapha; Dr. Stella Okoli amongst others.

As it celebrates the silver jubilee anniversary of the Zik prize in leadership awards, the PPRAC, organisers of the award, reminisced that in the last 25 years, some other notable leaders have been recipients of the prize including: The former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings; former President of Tanzania, Nwalimu Julius Nyerere; former President of Kenya; Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim; former President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma; former President of South Africa, Dr. Nelson Mandela; Former President John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana, and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.

Other past winners include the former Senate President David Mark; former Defence Minister, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; founder, First City Merchant Bank, Otunba Subomi Balogun; former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; former Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Joda and the Nigerian Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele.

The Zik Leadership awards is organised by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC) and was instituted 25 years ago, in 1995, in honour of the first President of Nigeria, Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, primarily to encourage and nurture leadership on the African Continent and in the Diaspora.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than twenty-one million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20 African countries.

Operating in the USA, the UK and with presence in France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services

 

 

 

 

 


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E-Financial

MoneyMaster Enhances App, Rewards Users with Data and Airtime Bonuses

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MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank has introduced a refreshed mobile banking experience designed to make purchasing airtime and data more convenient and straightforward for customers.

As part of the rollout, customers will enjoy added value on their transactions. Airtime purchases on the Glo network come with a 100 percent bonus, while data purchases attract a 10 percent bonus, giving users amazing rewards on each purchase.

With this revamp, the app is now much easier to use, especially for airtime purchases. From selecting accounts to choosing amounts, the process is more seamless, with clearer options and fewer steps. Data plans are now neatly organized into categories such as daily, weekly, and monthly, making it easier for users to find what they need without endless scrolling.

Beyond the improved layout, customers now have more flexibility in how they recharge. Lower airtime denominations have been introduced, giving users the freedom to choose amounts that better suit their needs, while navigation has been adjusted to be quicker and more intuitive.

Speaking on the update, the bank’s Head of Business, Tajudeen Omokhide, explained that the goal is to make payments as simple and seamless as possible. According to him, customers expect speed, clarity, and affordability, and these improvements are part of the bank’s ongoing effort to meet those expectations. He also encouraged both existing and new users to get the latest version of the app.

These updates are a testament to MoneyMaster’s broader mission of developing practical, relevant products for everyday life. Promoted by Globacom and licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the bank offers mobile wallets, savings accounts, individual current accounts, and business banking services.

MoneyMaster continues to position itself as a flexible, customer-centric platform, enabling over 4,000 individual and business billers to manage payments, access financial services, and stay connected with ease.

 


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CBN Directs IMTOs to Open Naira Settlement Accounts

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) operating in the country to open and maintain naira settlement accounts with authorised dealer banks, as part of efforts to tighten oversight of diaspora remittances and improve transparency in the foreign exchange market.

CBN Directs IMTOs to Open Naira Settlement Accounts

The directive was contained in a circular dated March 24, 2026, signed by Dr Musa Nakorji, director of the Trade and Exchange Department, and addressed to IMTOs, authorised dealer banks and the general public.

The circular was published on the apex bank’s website on Tuesday.

The CBN said the measure is aimed at “enhancing diaspora remittances, strengthening transparency, traceability, and effective monitoring of all transactions.”

It stated that “all IMTOs are hereby directed to open naira settlement accounts and ensure that all transactions are routed strictly through their designated settlement accounts, maintained with Authorised Dealer Banks in Nigeria.”

Under the new rule, all inflows, beneficiary payments and related settlements linked to international money transfers are to be processed solely through these accounts.

IMTOs may, however, operate multiple settlement accounts across different banks in line with their operational needs.

The circular also introduced tighter controls on how the accounts can be funded, stating that they “shall only be credited with remittance flows and proceeds of foreign exchange conversions by licensed IMTOs (or their agents)” within the Nigerian foreign exchange market.

Operators are required to clearly designate the accounts and submit the details to the CBN, with updates provided periodically where necessary.

To improve market operations, authorised dealer banks are permitted to process foreign currency transfers from IMTO settlement accounts to other banks and approved participants, including licensed Bureau De Change operators.

The apex bank further directed IMTOs to adopt market-reflective pricing by referencing the Bloomberg BMatch system. It said IMTOs “shall observe real-time market prices from the Bloomberg BMATCH and utilise this as guidance for pricing transactions with their customers and Authorised Dealers.”

According to the CBN, this approach is expected to “improve price discovery, reduce information asymmetry between IMTOs and banks, and encourage increased participation in the official FX market.”

The bank added that all operators must maintain proper transaction records for regulatory checks and comply fully with anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and counter-proliferation financing rules.

“This directive takes effect from May 1, 2026. Please note and ensure compliance,” the circular stated.

The move shows the CBN’s push to channel remittance inflows through formal banking channels, boost liquidity in the official foreign exchange market and strengthen regulatory oversight of cross-border transactions.

 


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DLM Capital Group’s AAA-Rated Sovereign Bond-Backed Composite Notes (“SBCNS”) Strengthens Investor Confidence with Successful First Principal & Interest Payment

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L-r: Kasham Musa Iliya, Non - Executive Director, DLM Global Markets; Kari Tukur, Non - Executive Director, DLM Capital Group; Dr Sonnie Babatunde Ayere, Group Chief Executive Officer, DLM Capital Group; Olayimika Phillips, Non - Executive Director, DLM Capital Group, and Michael Orimobi, Non - Executive Director, DLM Capital Group at the signing ceremony to conclude the ₦9 billion series 1 SBCN issuance in July 2025 at DLM HQ, Lagos.
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Foremost Development Investment Bank, DLM Capital Group has reinforced its position as a leader in innovative fixed income solutions with the successful payment of the first principal and interest (coupon) to investors under its Sovereign Bond-Backed Composite Notes (“SBCNs”) issuance.

This milestone, alongside the consistent delivery of quarterly performance reports, underscores the Group’s commitment to transparency, capital preservation, and investor confidence.

DLM SPV PLC’s 40.62% Hold-to-Maturity return ₦7.30 billion (Tranche A) and 19.07% ₦1.70 billion (Tranche B) Plain Vanilla Series 1 Notes, issued under its ₦30.00 billion Medium-Term Notes Programme and developed by Sonnie Babatunde Ayere, Group CEO of DLM Capital, was recently listed on the FMDQ Exchange with the Tranche A bond becoming the most valuable AAA-rated corporate bond on the market.

This represents a new class of structured debt instruments designed to meet both issuer funding needs and investor expectations. As a platform widely recognised for supporting innovative debt structures, FMDQ provides an enabling environment for instruments like DLM’s SBCNs to thrive.

At launch in July 2025, DLM SBCNs, which achieved a 9-notch upgrade from BBB- (GCR Sponsor ratings at issuance) without securitisation, entered the market with a healthy degree of skepticism, as is typical with pioneering financial instruments. However, after six months of post-issuance, DLM Funding SPV Plc has delivered on its promise by comfortably and successfully meeting its first principal and coupon obligations to its investors.

This performance milestone has significantly strengthened market confidence and validated the robustness of the structure. The notes are rated AAA by Global Credit Rating and AAA by DataPro Limited, reflecting their strong credit fundamentals and low-risk profile. Designed to prioritise capital preservation, liquidity, and above competitive market returns, the instrument stands out as one of the most compelling corporate fixed income offerings for institutional investors currently available in the market.

Investor response has been notably strong and institutional investors who are beginning to recognize the value of a well-structured de-risked, high-return and, high-quality fixed income investment backed by a credible issuer with a proven track record. The combination of timely coupon payments, high credit ratings, and ongoing transparency has positioned SBCNs as a preferred option for investors seeking stability and performance in today’s evolving financial landscape.

As investor interest continues to build towards Series 2, DLM SBCNs are not only demonstrating resilience but also setting a benchmark for innovation in Nigeria’s debt capital markets. In its role as a Development Investment Bank (“DIB”), DLM Capital Group remains committed to delivering structured solutions that align with investor needs whilst maintaining the highest standards of governance and execution.


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