L-R: CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, STERLING BANK PLC, DAPO MARTINS; A NIGERIAN WRITER OF SHORT STORIES AND AUTHOR, AFRICANWRITER.COM, EGHOSA IMASUEN; ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, TEMILADE AINA; MODERATOR, FANIYI KAYODE; A NIGERIAN WRITER OF SHORT STORIES AND NOVELS, ADRIAN IGONIBO BARRETT; AND PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE BY NAJA, GIFT OSIOMWAN, DURING THE PRESENTATION A POSSIBLE FUTURE IN LAGOS.

Sterling Bank Plc has collaborated with Farafina Books, Nigeria’s leading independent literary publishers, to launch a premier anthology of the best of Nigerian writings spanning 200 years, from 1789 to 2018.

The anthology, titled: “A Possible Future,” was curated to preserve the gems of Nigeria’s literary history, promote a reading culture in the country as well as to support featured authors in the distribution of their timeless books.

The 411-page book features some of the best works of 46 literary authors in the country.

Featured authors include Olaudah Equiano, D.O. Fagunwa, Gabriel Okara, Cyprian Ekwensi, Obotunde Ijimere, Chinua Achebe, Duro Ladipo, Chukwuemeka Ike, Christopher Okigbo, Elechi Amadi, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, J.P. Clark-Bekederemo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Isidore Okpewho, Mobolaji Adenubi, Buchi Emecheta, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide, Odia Ofeimun and Ben Okri.

Others are Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Dulue Mbachu, Ikeogu Oke, Biyi Bandele, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Aisha Osori, Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi, Yemisi Aribisala, Lola Shoneyin, Teju Cole, Yejide Kilanko, Eghosa Imasuen, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Niran Okewole, A. Igoni Barret, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Taiye Selasi, Jowhor Ile, Tope Folarin, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Helen Oyeyemi, Uche Okonkwo, Gbenga Adesina and Wale Lawal.

Addressing lovers of literature, authors, influencers, and other stakeholders at the event, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, Chief Executive of Sterling Bank said the institution decided to collaborate with Farafina on the project because ensuring continued literacy, being a key component of education, is in line with the education component of the bank’s HEART strategy.  The other sectors are health, agriculture, renewable energy, and transportation.

He said besides this, the Bank has for some time now been supporting the literary arts through the Ake Arts and Books Festival, an initiative of the Book Buzz Foundation, which is driven by Lola Shoneyin, an award-winning writer and poet among others.

Also, in the foreword to the book, Mr. Suleiman noted that, “In the long stretch of time between 1947 when Professor Molly Mahood declared that Nigeria, at the time, had no literature and today, the country’s literary tradition has established itself as a force in the world.

“This is not to agree with Mahood that Nigerian literature is only as old as British involvement in the country’s affairs. In fact, by the time British colonialism invaded the geographical space that would later become Nigeria, there was already a deep-rooted literary tradition in the north of the region going as far back as the 15th century. So, we had literature long before we practiced the art in the colonial tongue.”

He said, “Modern Nigerian literature may have been ‘founded’ by the English based on an assumption – a falsehood, in fact – but the lie does not have to hold any longer. When we decided to believe in ‘A Possible Future,’ we did so with the understanding that Nigerian literature was already of age. While its story is still unfolding and the yardage of its potential still vast, nay infinite, the baby Emecheta, Nwapa and Tutuola once nurtured in verse, prose and on stage, no longer crawls.

A possible Future is a primer for anyone – and I cannot imagine who, in this age – just getting introduced to Nigerian literature.”

According to him, “Kachifo Limited and Farafina Trust have created a definitive, yet not conclusive text that summarises our literary journey and gestures to its destination. The details of which we do not know yet except that, in that future, everything is excellent, anything is possible and we are here for it.”

The Sterling Bank CEO also read excerpts from Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe, which featured on pages 41 to 42 of the anthology. Temilade Aina, a lietrature curator, took the second reading from the works of Biyi Bandele’s Burma Boy.

The event also featured a panel session made up of Professor Niyi Osundare, Eghosa Imasuen, A. Igoni Barrett, Wale Lawal and Temilade Aina. The session was moderated by Faniyi Kayode, a writer, book critic and editor.

The panel commended the anthology and described it as a premier national work and expressed the hope that subsequent ones will accommodate the works of other writers which are not covered now.

Union Bank of Nigeria has rewarded the first set of winners in the second edition of its Save & Win Palli promo.

The first live draw of this season, which took place at Union Bank’s Head office in Lagos, saw 50 customers win cash prizes of ₦105,000 each. The winners were selected randomly through a transparent, and electronically generated draw supervised by relevant regulatory bodies.
Save & Win Palli Promo is a nationwide campaign aimed at rewarding customers with cash prices and other exciting gifts worth over N55,000,000. The goal is to encourage and promote a healthy savings culture. The promo is open to new and existing customers who save a minimum amount of N10,000 monthly.

Savers who qualify to participate in the monthly draws stand a chance to win N105,000 each, while 5 winners will go home with N500,000 each in two of the quarterly draws. One lucky customer will snag the star price of N5,000,000 during the grand finale set to hold in December alongside other consolation prices.

Speaking concerning the draw, the Head of Retail Deposits at Union Bank, John Obichie, said: “Union Bank is pleased to reward our customers through initiatives like this that encourage them to save. This promo was introduced to support our customers during these trying times and to reward them for being consistent with their saving habits.

The savings promo which kicked off in July will run until the end of the year and will see more winners emerge during the monthly, quarterly and end-of-year draws so there’s still a chance to participate and win!

If you are an existing Union Bank customer you can continue to top up your savings in multiples of N10,000 monthly to increase your chances of winning.

Prospective customers can download the UnionMobile app on their mobile phones to open an account or they can simply walk into any Union Bank branch. To reactivate existing accounts, returning customers can call the 24-hour Contact Centre on 07007007000 or also visit any of Union Bank’s branches across the country.

The Bank currently offers a variety of banking services to both individual and corporate clients including current, savings and deposit account services, funds transfer, foreign currency domiciliation, loans, overdrafts, equipment leasing and trade finance.

The Bank also offers its customers convenient electronic banking channels and products including Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Debit Cards, ATMs and POS Systems.

Retail lender, Unity Bank Plc has deployed a new marketing campaign targeted at reaching millions of women entrepreneurs, especially the underbanked across Nigeria with its new retail product, the Yanga account.

Starting this August, the lender shall deploy strategic marketing campaigns leveraging several channels including the traditional and digital media to drive value proposition and increased adoption of the Yanga product.

The Yanga account, which was launched by the lender in November 2021 in line with Unity bank’s strategic vision of being “Nigeria’s retail bank of choice” debuted in four geographical locations: Mararaba/Nassarawa state, Ibadan/Oyo state, Uyo/Akwa Ibom State and Gombe/Gombe State.

Commenting on the new Yanga Market Penetration Campaign, the Divisional Head, Retail and SME, Mr Olufunwa Akinmade stated that “having launched the Yanga Account, unveiled Veteran Actress, Sola Sobowale as “Mama Yanga’’, the new campaign is intended to further provide the engagement platform to empower core target of the product existing in our communities and found amongst millions of underbanked women”.

The product targets women entrepreneurs in the Micro, small and medium enterprises, MSME space, especially the underbanked, offering savings and investment, capacity building, agency banking, dedicated agents, medical insurance and microloans to the women, thereby deepening financial inclusion.

The marketing drive includes a well-targeted television commercial featuring the Bank’s brand ambassador, the award-winning Nollywood actress, Sola Sobowale who was crowned “Mama Yanga” at the launch of the product in November last year because of her strong appeal to the target market. Across the multiple channels deployed for the campaign, “Mama Yanga” will be sharing the stories of how Yanga is empowering women and changing lives across Nigeria.

Yanga is available to all women entrepreneurs nationwide, even as the Bank continues to drive strategic activations of the product across various locations in the country. So far, the activation train has been to Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt and Ibadan.

Seeking to promote financial inclusion and cater to the unbanked women entrepreneurs, the new retail product is designed to deepen its beneficial impact on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs operated by women in the mass-market retail space.

The product comes on the heels of Nigeria’s growing imperative to boost access to financial services by women as a recent EFInA report, suggests:

“There are 51 million Nigerian women above 18 years of age, with over 41% of them unbanked.”

In a bid to keep inspiring Nigerians to develop a healthy savings culture, Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, held its seventh Reward4Saving promo draw at its head office on Monday, 08 July 2022.

The July draw is the fourth of the second season of the promo and the seventh since inception.

The promo, which has rewarded 287 customers in the second season is expected to reward customers with cash prizes ranging from ₦100,000 monthly, ₦1 million quarterly prize, and ₦2 million grand prize, from seven zones.

Adenike Nubi, Head, Mobile Financial Services, Stanbic IBTC Bank, stated that the July draws were carried out to encourage Nigerians to save while creating funds for their summer expenditures.

“Saving is a necessity, especially in our economic clime. Having funds can bring about peace of mind, as there is comfort in knowing that there is a pool of funds somewhere to fall back on when there is an urgent financial need. The Reward4Saving promo adds value to Nigerians, as it allows them to earn funds in their savings accounts while promoting a savings culture. Part of our strategic priority at Stanbic IBTC is to transform our customer experience, by aiming to do valuable things for our customers,” Adenike noted.

Olufunke Isichei, Head, Established Markets, Stanbic IBTC Bank said the promo is aimed at engraining a savings culture in the minds and hearts of Nigerians.

He said: “For this month’s draws, we have rewarded 70 winners across different states with N100,000 cash prize each, as a way of appreciating individuals who have saved their funds in their accounts and e-wallets. The act of saving requires dedication, consistency, and discipline. As a financial institution committed to improving the lives of its customers, we will continue to reward the diligence and dedication of savers in Nigeria.”

“I congratulate our customers for emerging as winners in our July summer monthly draw. We understand that every fund received in their accounts will put a smile on the faces of our customers and we urge them to put their winnings to good use. To the public, we urge you to keep saving, to earn larger rewards.”

L-R – Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank’s Group Executive, E-Business and Retail Products; Olakunle Animasaun, grand prize winner; Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director Verve; and Folasade Femi-Lawal, Head of Card & Messaging Business First Bank, during the presentation of a brand-new Suzuki S-Presso car to Olakunle Animasaun at the recently concluded First Bank & Verve Transact and Win Promo.

Africa’s leading payment cards and digital tokens brand, Verve, in partnership with First Bank has rewarded the grand prize winner of the Transact and Win Promo, Mr. Olakunle Animasaun, the Chairman of Kanwal International Limited, with a brand-new Suzuki S-Presso car during the prize presentation ceremony at First bank’s head office in Lagos.

The Verve Transact and Win Promo organized in collaboration with First Bank was designed to reward loyal Verve cardholders with cash and exciting prizes during the 14-week period of the promo.

Over 2,500 cardholders were rewarded with more than N50 million worth of prizes, such as; a brand-new car, Generators, Refrigerators, Television sets, Gas cookers, loads of airtime rewards and an array of cash prizes.

Aside the grand prize winner driving away the brand-new car, 100 monthly winners emerged, winning N50,000 cash each and another 100 winning either Gas cookers, Refrigerators or Generator sets. Over 2,400 lucky cardholders were also rewarded weekly with either TV sets, N20,000 cash, N10,000 cash or N10,000 airtime each. It was indeed a season of rewards and merriment for the First Bank Verve cardholders.

Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director of Verve International, said the firm partnered with First Bank to reward loyal customers because they both shared a similar vision of delivering world-class payment solutions to their esteemed customers.

He further said beyond the overarching goals of providing secure and innovative solut​​ions to its customers, Verve is committed to creating unique customer experiences and rewarding customers for their continued patronage. “We congratulate all the lucky cardholders, and we will be taking the excitement a notch higher with the presentation of the gift items and a brand-new car to lucky winners.”

Mr. Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank’s Group Executive, E-Business and Retail Products, said that the aim of the promo was to appreciate the bank’s over eight million Verve Debit Cardholders. He stated that the bank will continue to partner with Verve to reward the patronage of customers.

Mr. Olakunle Animasaun, said he never expected to win the grand prize and he was overwhelmed with the excitement of winning the car.

He said, “Initially I doubted the credibility when someone called me from ​F​irst ​B​ank, informing me I had won a car. I did not believe it, until I got here, saw the car and the key was handed over to me. I thank FirstBank and Verve for this opportunity given to me. I pray that God will continue to bless them.”

He urged other cardholders to continue to use Verve cards to enjoy seamless payment solutions.

The presentation ceremony had representatives from the Regulatory bodies; National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB) among others in attendance.

L-R DCP. Ayoola Ajala, Co-ordinator, Financial Malpractices Investigation Unit; Mohammed B. Abubakar, Director Public Prosecution of the Federation; Hassan Bello, FCA, MD/CE, NDIC; Michael Oladele, Director Bank Examination Department, NDIC; Henry E. Fomah, Head, Legal Department, NDIC; Ahmad Muhammad Ghali, representative of Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the 2022, Capacity Building Workshop for Law enforcement agencies with the theme: Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Banking Malpractices that led to Failure of Banks organised by NDIC.