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Western Digital Extends Product Portfolio in Nigeria

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L-R: Nigel Edwards, Vice President of Sales, EMEAI, Western Digital; Ghassan Azzi, Senior Sales manager, Africa, Western Digital and Tareq Husseini, Senior Sales Director, Africa and Turkey, Western Digital at the media briefing session on the extended product portfolio.
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A global data infrastructure leader, Western Digital Corporation, has reinforced its commitment to the Nigerian market with the introduction of a range of data storage solutions.

The firm, in a statement Tuesday, said the products are poised to expand its existing product portfolio in Nigeria and allow local consumers access a wide range of WD®- and SanDisk®-brand products.

It said the SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card, the first 1TB card in the world; SanDisk Ultra Loop with capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB; and the SanDisk Ultra Trek USB 3.0 is also available with capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB and enhance overall drive capacity and performance for customers across Nigeria.

The statement said that each product was specifically tailored to address capacity needs and provide convenient on-the-go, reliable storage solutions for customers.

Western Digital’s product line, according to the statement, also includes the SanDisk mobile storage solutions portfolio, with storage devices such as the iXpand flash drive, SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0, microSD and SD cards (SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO), adding that the portfolio also encompasses a wide variety of SanDisk external SSD and WD internal SSDs, including the new addition to the award-winning WD Blue solid state drive (SSD) portfolio, the WD Blue SN500 NVMe SSD.

It also explained that with such a diverse portfolio, Western Digital strives to deliver a complete experience to its Nigerian customers through its efficient aftersales services.

The statement quoted the Vice-President of Sales for EMEAI Western Digital, Nigel Edwards, while speaking on the product portfolio expansion as saying: “Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive; we help our customers capture, preserve, access and transform data. As a country with a significant percentage of digital savvy individuals, Nigeria is an important country for us.

“We aim to create value to consumers and stakeholders by providing innovative storage solutions. The introduction of an extended product portfolio is a step in the right direction – as we continue to provide improved performance and efficiency for our customers.

“We are offering new innovation to store and preserve data for today and beyond. With recent advancements in 3D NAND, our journey of innovation continues to inspire those who dare to think big about the possibilities of data.”

Corroborating Nigel, the statement quoted the Director of Marketing for EMEA Western Digital, Gerry Edwards, explaining that the new products would enhance diversification of Western Digital’s offerings in Nigeria.

According to Gerry, “We understand the magnitude of this market, which is why we have expanded our distribution channels, so that more people can have access to our products.

“Nigeria has millions of individuals who use data digitally, one way or the other – we have recognized this opportunity and provided storage solutions for their needs. We offer high-performance, high-capacity and high-quality storage solutions to fit the increasingly digital lifestyles of consumers.”

Western Digital is enabling a bigger, faster experience in its portfolio with new solutions that give consumers an excellent combination of performance and capacity so they can do more with the rich content they capture.


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EFCC Arraigns Two FSDH Bank Officials Over $307k, €50k Fraud

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Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, arraigned two bank officials, Bakare Oladimeji Surajudeen and James Olukayode Imokwede, over an alleged $306,667.81 and €50,250 fraud before Justice Ismaila Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
EFCC Arraigns Two FSDH Bank Officials Over $307k, €50k Fraud

EFCC

The defendants, who are both top officials of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged stealing and retention of stolen property to the tune of $306,667.81 and €50,250.
The petitioner, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, alleged that an internal audit uncovered unauthorized debits totaling $306,667.81 and €50,250, equivalent to N527,406,916.66 (Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Sixty Six kobo), from its Letters of Credit (LC) payable accounts.
Investigations revealed that the defendants processed fraudulent transfers through the SWIFT platform to third parties.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, BAKARE OLADIMEJI SURAJUDEEN and JAMES OLUKAYODE IMOKWEDE, sometime in 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly took the sum of N527,406,916.66 (Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Sixty Six kobo), property of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited.”
Another count reads:
“That you BAKARE OLADIMEJI SURAJUDEEN AND JAMES Olukayode Imokwede sometime in 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly took sum of $306,667. 81 (Three Hundred and Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty Seven dollars, Eighty one cents) property of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited”.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, H. U. Kofarnaisa, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in a Correctional facility pending trial.
Counsel to the first and second defendants, Oluwaseun Akintunde and Olajide S. Onasanya, informed the court that bail applications had been filed on behalf of the defendants and also urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.
They also prayed that the defendants be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The prosecution counsel, however, opposed the prayers of the defence seeking the remand of the defendants in the EFCC custody, saying that “the EFCC detention facilities are overstretched.”
After listening to both parties, Justice Ijelu granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2 million each, with two sureties in like sum.
The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a relative, who is gainfully employed.
The sureties must provide evidence of tax payment in the last three years and must show proof of livelihood, with their residences verified.
The defendants were ordered to deposit their international passports with the court, and must not travel outside the country without the leave of the court.
The judge subsequently remanded the defendants in a Correctional facility pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Justice Ijelu adjourned the matter till March 25, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

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AfDB Supports Francophone Africa Start-ups with €6.5M

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The African Development Bank Group last week approved an investment of €6.5 million in the Saviu II fund in order to support technology start-ups through their seed phase and first institutional fundraising, mainly in French-speaking Central and West Africa.

The Bank will invest €4.5 million as equity and €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission, under the Boost Africa Programme.

This participation of the Bank Group will enable the Saviu II fund to give priority to companies with a strong technological or digital component.

Saviu II, the second investment vehicle of Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-oriented business-to-business start-ups in the seed phase or carrying out first institutional fundraising.

The Saviu II venture capital fund aims to make at least 60% of its commitments in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa: Côte d ‘Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.

The fund can also co-invest in promising technology companies in East Africa that have a strong team and business model, and whose strategy includes entering the market in French-speaking West African countries and establishing a strong presence there.

In addition, the fund will devote a dedicated envelope to pre-seed investments, focusing on minority equity investments, usually in co-investment with studios, incubators or other ecosystem partners.


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Nigeria Inks $1.3bn MoU with AFC for Alumina Refinery, Mining Push

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Nigerian Government has signed a $1.3 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to fund an alumina refinery, national geoscience mapping, and a strategic investment vehicle for mining growth.

Nigeria Inks $1.3bn MoU with AFC for Alumina Refinery, Mining Push

Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the refinery will process one million tonnes of bauxite yearly using a modern Bayer process, powered by an on-site gas-fired cogeneration plant.

Minister Dele Alake called it a transformative milestone boosting GDP, aligning with reforms that improve investment climate, regulations, and licensing to attract private capital. He directed agencies to fast-track permits.

The 20-year project at 95% utilization eyes 19 million tonnes total output, $1.2 billion annual GDP addition, $25 billion economic impact, and $8 billion forex earnings, per feasibility studies.

SMDF Executive Secretary Fatima Shinkafi termed it the agency’s biggest funding deal, supporting value-addition policy.

The partnership extends to geoscience mapping for mineral data, de-risking exploration, and a joint vehicle for mining assets.

Permanent Secretary Engr. Farouk Yabo praised the reforms. Shinkafi signed for government; AFC’s Franklin Edochie for the corporation, witnessed by AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu.

Tomori positioned it as Nigeria’s largest private mining investment and FDI magnet.


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