The African Development Bank’s Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA) has provided funds totaling nearly US $2 million to its Jobs for Youth in Africa initiative.
FAPA, of which the Government of Japan is a major donor, along with the Austrian Government and the African Development Bank, will contribute $923,570 and $988,202 to finance the Bank’s Fashionomics Africa Digital Marketplace and Entrepreneurship & Innovation Lab (eLab) programs, respectively.

Both programs form key components of the Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which invests in high-growth sectors with potential to promote youth and women’s empowerment, as well as create 25 million jobs over the next decade.
“Africa hosts the world’s youngest population, which will double to almost one billion by 2050. The continent needs to create jobs much faster, particularly for women and youth,” said Vanessa Moungar, Director of Women, Gender and Civil Society Department at the Bank.
“FAPA’s generous support will go a long way to accelerating the Jobs for Youth Entrepreneurship & Innovation Laband Fashionomics Africa Digital Marketplace programs that contribute to meeting these needs,” Moungar further remarked on Thursday, 13 September 2018, during the funding announcement event, which was themed “Entrepreneurs 2.0 – When fashion meets technology”.
Attended by bank staff, dignitaries, public and private sector stakeholders, the event was also graced by fashion designer PatheO’, known for making the distinctive, colorful shirts worn by the late Nelson Mandela and Salimou Bamba, Managing Director of Abidjan-based SME development firm, AGENCE CI PME.
The Fashionomics Africa Digital Marketplace and Entrepreneurship & Innovation Lab (eLab) programs align with FAPA’s vison to create an investment-friendly climate for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) on the continent. They will also provide platforms for strengthening and promoting entrepreneurship that target women and youth-led businesses.
Launched in 2015, the Bank’s Fashionomics Africa initiative supports its “High 5” priorities, in particular, the Jobs for Youth in Africa and Industrialization agenda. FAPA’s latest support for this initiative will enable the development of the digital platform and application designed to increase and facilitate access to markets and finance; provide access to relevant information, mentorship and networking opportunities as well as develop the skills, competencies and qualifications of African designers and fashion entrepreneurs. 
The eLab program will provide innovative young entrepreneurs with financing, technical assistance and broader ecosystem support. With eLab, “We aim to support the next generation of business owners across the continent,” said Babatunde Olumide Omilola, Manager for Public Health, Security and Nutrition at the Bank.

“Target beneficiaries are businesses started by young people and intermediaries that support business development, focusing on the three sectors identified as priorities by the Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy, namely agriculture, Information and Communication Technology and industry.”
Addressing Bank staff and guests, Mr. Takuji Yano, the Bank’s Executive Director for Japan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Austria and Brazil said:

“Both projects focus on promoting entrepreneurship and ICT tools as drivers for development. By leveraging technology, African countries can enhance understanding of markets, expand education and employment, and deliver monetary benefits for the informal sector and government alike. We are happy to see this diverse, innovative and creative portfolio of FAPA’s proposals.”

Heritage Bank Plc has stressed the need for sustained collaboration between banks and financial technology companies (fintechs). This will support Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) drive for financial inclusion and promote economic growth.
Managing Director of Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, said this while delivering a goodwill message at the 2018 Annual National Conference of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) held in Lagos, recently.
Sekibo, was represented at the event by the bank’s Divisional Head, Corporate Compliance, Mr. Wumi Adeniyi.
Sekibo, pointed out that over the years, Heritage Bank has developed solutions to promote financial inclusion.
He said Heritage Bank had taken bold steps to boost the CBN’s initiative of reducing the numbers of unbanked Nigerians the country, by offering financial services to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria thus providing access to the under-served markets.
“We all agree that our target is to achieve acceleration of financial inclusion. Those who are financially excluded are majorly technologically excluded.
“That means that we cannot push financial inclusion if we do not also push technology inclusion. We believe that by partnering fintechs, the financial services industry will push for inclusion and improve the economy. “That is because the financially excluded persons actually constitute a gap in the financial system and there is no way we can create a perfect economy except we bring all these people on board.
“Another issue is that the older generation is averse to technology because they have not been exposed to it and the fear of fraud. The CBN and the banks will continue to improve on our technology space.
“We might still have issues, but with the creation of the Consumer Protection Department of the CBN, the customers are sure of protection.”

Opportunities for investment in Africa outweigh the obstacles, according to a report by leading African companies covered in the African Development Bank’s new Africa-to-Africa (A2A) Investment Report, the first ever report on inter-African trade published by the Bank.
The report unearths the realities African companies face when investing in the continent, the emerging trends in A2A investment and the steps African policymakers can take to accelerate intra-African investment.
Africa-to-Africa Investment Report: A first look, finds that more African companies are investing in Africa. These companies have confidence in the continent’s long-term growth potential; they are at the cutting edge of their industries, and are capitalizing on their knowledge of local markets to generate higher returns and impact.
In line with the Bank’s High 5s for transforming Africa and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the A2A Report aims to take the conversation on investing in the continent a step further. It shows what African multinationals are doing to drive investments in Africa, d how they are expanding their African footprint, and gives insights into how to scale-up investments more widely.
“As global foreign direct investment to Africa falls, intra-African investments are picking up pace,” said Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group. “Africa’s big companies are increasingly on the move and expanding their African footprint. It is through more investments that the continent can build inclusive, sustainable growth and development. We have made this our collective commitment in the High 5s”.
The A2A Report features eight publicly-listed and privately-owned African companies operating in consumer services, finance, industry, media and diversified portfolios and investment, with home bases in North Africa (Morocco), West Africa (Nigeria, Togo), East and Central Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya) and Southern Africa (Mauritius, South Africa).
Highlights from the Report’s intra-African investment stories include the importance of having a clear long-term vision, getting up-to-date investment facts, building local partnerships to deliver on the ground and tapping into talent in the local labour force.
The business case for A2A investment is strongly connected to the continent’s integration, growth and prosperity. Although challenges remain, the A2A Report is the start of a broader discussion to fast-track investments, move beyond the wish list and make deals happen. The continent’s policymakers can inspire a greater level of confidence and promote A2A investments by highlighting their role as dependable business partners for African investors.
The Report is part of the Bank Group’s continued championing of investment across Africa, along with the firstAfrica Investment Forum (AIF) (AfricaInvestmentForum.com), scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 7-9 November 2018.

When the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sacked the management of Skye Bank Plc in 2016 and named a new management to run the bank, the apex bank and the new managers promised that all was well with Skye Bank.

That promise however unraveled last Friday when the CBN once again intervened in the affairs of Skye Bank, this time revoking its operating license along with change of name to Polaris Bank Limited and new logo.

The next day, the retained management of the ‘NEW’ Polaris Bank issued this promise:

“Polaris Bank Limited shall continue to pay interest on all deposits in accordance with any deposit agreement formerly existing between each depositor and Skye Bank Plc. as at the date of assumption of such deposit by Polaris Bank Limited. In the event that Polaris Bank Limited seeks to make any changes to interest payable on any deposits, any such changes shall be notified in writing to each depositor and shall only take effect after a reasonable time following the giving of such notice.”

The statement was signed by Mr. Adetokunbo M. Abiru and Muhammad K. Ahmad, Group Managing Director/ CEO and Chairman, Polaris Bank Limited respectively.

However, worried customers of Skye Bank are asking one crucial question: Is the present promise by the CBN and Polaris Bank Limited genuine or fake? Or is it another ploy to keep worried customers from fleeing the bank for good before the roof finally crashes to the ground given past experiences?