The Board of First HoldCo Plc (First HoldCo) has completed its divestment from its merchant banking subsidiary, FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited to the EverQuest Group.

This strategic decision positions the company to optimise resource allocation and further reinforce its commitment to providing comprehensive financial solutions.

The proceeds from this divestment will be utilised to strengthen the capital base of the Group’s flagship subsidiary, FirstBank. In line with the strategic objectives, the Group is also investing in technology-driven innovations to enhance customer engagement, improve service delivery, and redefine the overall client experience.

The divestment from the merchant banking subsidiary is a strategic initiative to optimise capital efficiency and concentrate efforts on key growth sectors within the Group. Through reallocating resources to strengthen commercial banking operations while deepening offerings across subsidiaries, FirstHoldCo is enhancing its ability to innovate, provide exceptional customer value, and achieve sustainable returns for shareholders.

After this divestment, the First HoldCo Group still has the following subsidiaries in its fold; FirstBank, FirstCap, First Asset Management, First Trustees, First Securities Brokers and First Insurance Brokers.

Speaking on the divestment, the Chairman of First HoldCo Plc, Mr Femi Otedola, CON stated that “This divestment is fully consistent with our long-term strategy to enhance the Group’s performance and create additional value for both shareholders and stakeholders. It represents a strategic action that positions us for improved returns and sustainable growth.”

While providing further context on the positive impact of the divestment, the Group Managing Director of First HoldCo Plc, Wale Oyedeji said “By divesting from the merchant banking, we are reallocating resources to strengthen our commercial banking operations and drive growth across the Group. This strategic decision enables us to concentrate on executing our objectives more effectively and reinforces our commitment towards market leadership.”

As we progress beyond this important milestone, First HoldCo Plc looks forward to the opportunities enabled by this divestment. The enhancement of our commercial banking services represents not only an operational advancement but also reaffirms our commitment to adapting with our clients and delivering customised financial solutions in today’s evolving market landscape.

Barring any last-minute change, MRS and other partners of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are set to begin selling petrol at N739 per litre.

This comes two days after the refinery slashed its petrol gantry price from N828 to N699 per litre. Speaking at a press briefing at the Lekki refinery on Sunday, the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said he was aware that despite lower gantry prices, some filling stations often choose to keep pump prices high, thereby sabotaging his efforts.

According to him, MRS would commence the sale of petrol at N739 per litre from Tuesday, while other partners would follow. Dangote alleged that some officials had met with certain marketers and encouraged them to keep prices high in order to frustrate the price reduction, stressing that he would fight to enforce the new price regime.

“I was told that the marketers have met with (some officials) and were told to make sure that the price is maintained high. But this price we are going to introduce, we are going to start with MRS stations most likely on Tuesday in Lagos; that N970 per litre, you won’t see it again. We have also asked members of IPMAN to come now.

We have asked anybody who can buy 10 trucks to come and buy 10 trucks at N699.

“We are going to use whatever resources that we have to make sure that we crash the price down. We will get these sales; maybe it will take us a week to 10 days. But first of all, within a week to 10 days, we will be able to deliver. For this December and January, we don’t want people to sell petrol for more than N740 nationwide. Those who want to keep the price to sabotage the government, we will fight as much as we can to make sure that these prices are down. That’s not the price. If you have money to come and buy, you can pick up petrol at N699,” he said.

Dangote said transporting petrol from the refinery costs no more than N15 per litre, questioning why pump prices would rise as high as N900 per litre. He also accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority of issuing 47 import licences to bring in more than seven billion litres of petrol in the first quarter of 2026, a move he said was killing local investments.

“Freight within Lagos is N10 or N15, maximum. So if it’s N10 to N15, everything is going to cost you N715. Why do you want to sell at N900? People should get the real price. I cannot come now and take the hit. Did we make money? No, we didn’t make money. But as we speak now, even our tanks are full because the NMDPRA has issued reckless licences. And we have to now go and complain to the government.

“They normally issue licences in the middle of the month. So, they are now ready to issue licences for about 7.5 billion litres for the first quarter of 2026, despite the fact that we have guaranteed to supply enough quantity.

“If you are talking about monopoly, did we stop anybody? They issued 47 licences. Let those people come and put up a refinery here, or let them go and buy even NNPC’s and operate them. If it’s profitable, they should go and do that now. NNPC was the only business that was bringing in fuel before.

“Now, we are the only one and one of the few modular refineries that are producing. Those modular refineries, I can tell you for nothing that they are almost on the verge of collapse. None of them is making a dime,” he added.

The billionaire businessman assured Nigerians that the N739 per litre price would be enforced, beginning with MRS stations on Tuesday. “Starting from Tuesday, MRS will start selling petrol at N739/litre. Definitely, we will enforce that low price. We will make sure that it’s implemented. If you have your truck, you can come here and buy it. We are selling at N699. The N699 includes the percentage of NMDPRA. So what actually comes out to us is about N389 or so,” he stated.

Contacted for his reaction, the NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita, said, “For now, no comment.”

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased further in November 2025 as consumer price pressures moderated under the new base year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The NBS said the Consumer Price Index rose to 130.5 points in November 2025 from 128.9 points in October, reflecting a 1.6-point increase month on month, but the headline inflation rate declined to 14.45 per cent year on year, compared with 16.05 per cent recorded in October 2025.

This came as the organised private sector stated that the sustained easing of Nigeria’s inflation rate to 14.45 per cent in November 2025 would boost consumer purchasing power and support business activity, while urging the Federal Government to provide targeted credit facilities to micro, small, and medium enterprises.

“The Consumer Price Index rose to 130.5 in November 2025, reflecting a 1.6-point increase from the preceding month (128.9).

In November 2025, the headline inflation rate eased to 14.45 per cent relative to the October 2025 headline inflation rate of 16.05 per cent.

“Looking at the movement, the November 2025 headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to the October 2025 headline inflation rate,” the NBS report read.

On a month-on-month basis, headline inflation stood at 1.22 per cent in November, higher than the 0.93 per cent recorded in October, indicating that average prices still increased at a faster pace during the month despite the moderation in annual inflation.

The statistical agency noted that on a year-on-year basis, headline inflation in November 2025 was 20.15 percentage points lower than the 34.60 per cent recorded in November 2024, largely reflecting the effect of the rebasing exercise, with the new base year set at 2024 instead of 2009.

Data from the report showed that the average CPI for the twelve months ending November 2025 increased by 20.41 per cent compared with the average of the preceding twelve months, representing a sharp slowdown from the 32.77 per cent recorded in November 2024.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the largest contributor to headline inflation on a year-on-year basis, accounting for 5.78 percentage points, followed by restaurants and accommodation services at 1.87 percentage points and transport at 1.54 percentage points.

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels contributed 1.22 percentage points, while education services and health accounted for 0.90 and 0.88 percentage points, respectively.

At the month-on-month level, food and non-alcoholic beverages also drove price increases, contributing 0.49 percentage points, followed by restaurants and accommodation services at 0.16 percentage points and transport at 0.13 percentage points.

A breakdown of inflation across locations showed that urban inflation stood at 13.61 per cent year on year in November 2025, representing a steep decline of 23.49 percentage points from the 37.10 per cent recorded in November 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, urban inflation slowed to 0.95 per cent from 1.14 per cent in October, while the twelve-month average urban inflation rate eased to 20.80 per cent.

In contrast, rural inflation was higher at 15.15 per cent year on year in November, although this was still 17.12 percentage points lower than the 32.27 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. Month-on-month rural inflation accelerated sharply to 1.88 per cent from 0.45 per cent in October, reflecting stronger price pressures in rural areas during the month.

Food inflation also moderated significantly on an annual basis. The NBS reported that food inflation stood at 11.08 per cent year on year in November 2025, down by 28.85 percentage points from 39.93 per cent recorded in November 2024.

However, month-on-month food inflation rose to 1.13 per cent from a contraction of 0.37 per cent in October, driven by price increases in items such as dried tomatoes, cassava tubers, shelled periwinkle, ground pepper, eggs, crayfish, egusi, oxtail, and fresh onions.

The average annual food inflation rate for the twelve months ending November 2025 was 19.68 per cent, compared with 38.67 per cent in the corresponding period of 2024. Core inflation, which excludes volatile agricultural produce and energy prices, stood at 18.04 per cent year on year in November 2025, down from 28.75 per cent in November 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, core inflation eased slightly to 1.28 per cent from 1.42 per cent in October, while the twelve-month average core inflation rate fell to 20.76 per cent. Other sub-indices showed that farm produce inflation stood at 0.79 per cent in November, compared with zero per cent in October, while energy inflation rose to 1.08 per cent from 0.50 per cent.

Services inflation increased to 1.82 per cent from 1.54 per cent, and goods inflation rose to 0.79 per cent from 0.63 per cent in the previous month. At the state level, Rivers recorded the highest year-on-year all-items inflation rate at 17.78 per cent, followed by Ogun at 17.65 per cent and Ekiti at 16.77 per cent.

Plateau recorded the lowest year-on-year inflation at 9.13 per cent, alongside Kebbi at 10.32 per cent and Katsina at 10.60 per cent. On a month-on-month basis, Bayelsa recorded the highest increase at 6.58 per cent, followed by Gombe at 5.11 per cent and Edo at 4.45 per cent, while Plateau, Delta, and Kaduna recorded declines.

Food inflation at the state level showed that Kogi recorded the highest year-on-year increase at 17.83 per cent, followed by Ogun at 16.52 per cent and Rivers at 16.11 per cent.

Imo, Katsina, and Akwa Ibom recorded the slowest rise in food prices on a year-on-year basis. Month-on-month food inflation was highest in Yobe at 9.52 per cent, Katsina at 6.61 per cent, and Ondo at 6.04 per cent, while Imo, Nasarawa, and Enugu recorded declines.

The NBS cautioned that interstate comparisons should be interpreted carefully, noting that CPI weights vary across states based on consumption patterns, which can make direct comparisons of inflation baskets misleading.

OPS speaks

Reacting to the development, the organised private sector said the sustained easing of Nigeria’s inflation would boost consumer purchasing power and support business activity, while urging the Federal Government to provide targeted credit facilities to micro, small, and medium enterprises.

In separate phone interviews with The PUNCH, stakeholders welcomed the slowdown with cautious optimism. These stakeholders, including the President of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, Dr Femi Egbesola, and the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Leye Kupoluyi, stated that the government must sustain the reforms while providing credit to small businesses.

The President of ASBON said, “The Nigerian economy, particularly MSMEs, still needs support, especially access to funding through government intervention. Targeted credit facilities are critical to ensure small businesses can compete and grow.”

Kupoluyi stated that the continued moderation in inflation would leave more money in the pockets of Nigerians and support consumption.

He said, “When inflation keeps going down, firstly, it will impact the purchasing power of people, and when people can spend money, that is what the business, that is the private sector, wants. We want people to have an income that they can spend on all other items, not just on food.”

Kupoluyi attributed the easing to the fading impact of fuel subsidy removal shocks, improved stability in the petroleum market, and marginal improvement in oil prices, which support foreign inflows.

“The stability in the petroleum market is part of the reason for the inflation to go down,” he said, adding that sustained infrastructure investment and reopening agriculture to large-scale participation would further moderate prices.

LCCI’s president called for structured support for agriculture, noting that food prices remained central to inflation outcomes. Kupoluyi explained: “Everywhere in the world, you need to subsidise agriculture. It may not be direct; it may be an input subsidy or creating a market so farmers do not lose the value of their labour. The more food we make available, the more inflation will keep going down.”

He added that if the trend persisted, Nigerians would begin to feel broader economic improvements by the first quarter of 2026. “There will be a convergence of the Consumer Price Index going down and the Gross Domestic Product going up,” he said.

Also speaking, National Vice President of the National Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, described the sustained slowdown as a positive signal of policy discipline, even as he cautioned that it did not immediately translate to higher disposable income.

Kuti-George said, “The sustained slowdown of the inflation rate is a good development. Although it does not mean more money in the pocket of the people, it is a reflection of disciplined fiscal and monetary policies.”

He cited the retention of key monetary policy parameters, increased supply of agricultural products, stability in energy prices, and a relatively stable exchange rate as major drivers of the disinflation.

“Stable inflation rates are good for everyone, not only businesses, but consumers also,” he said, explaining that lower inflation would reduce input costs for manufacturers and improve profitability, while easing pressure on household spending.

President of the ASBON, Dr Egbesola, stated that the inflation data indicated that the recent policy reforms were beginning to gain traction and restore confidence among investors and consumers.

He explained that the relative stability in the foreign exchange market and improved food supply contributed to the easing of inflation. “When we have more supply than demand in terms of food, prices will naturally come down, and this affects a whole lot of things,” he said.

He added that easing inflation would lift consumer purchasing power and support MSMEs through higher sales. “For us in the Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises space, it is good news because when inflation comes down, consumer purchasing power will go up. That means we will sell more of our products, make more profits, retain jobs and stabilise our businesses,” he said.

However, Egbesola warned that improved macroeconomic stability could disproportionately favour large corporations unless the government intervened deliberately to support smaller firms.

“When investment comes into a stable economy, it often goes to more structured companies, the big corporations. That can leave MSMEs behind,” the ASBON president noted, urging the government not to withdraw support prematurely.

He called for sustained intervention through access to affordable funding. “The Nigerian economy, particularly MSMEs, still needs support, especially access to funding through government intervention. Targeted credit facilities are critical to ensure small businesses can compete and grow,” Egbesola stressed.

He added that overall, MSMEs would benefit from lower inflation through improved planning and predictability. “It helps us to forecast costs and revenue better, stabilise prices and create a more predictable business environment,” he said.

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased further in November 2025 as consumer price pressures moderated under the new base year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

In the report published on its website on Monday, NBS said the Consumer Price Index rose to 130.5 points in November 2025 from 128.9 points in October, reflecting a 1.6-point increase month on month, but the headline inflation rate declined to 14.45 per cent year on year, compared with 16.05 per cent recorded in October 2025.

“The Consumer Price Index rose to 130.5 in November 2025, reflecting a 1.6-point increase from the preceding month (128.9).

“In November 2025, the Headline inflation rate eased to 14.45 per cent relative to the October 2025 headline inflation rate of 16.05 per cent.

“Looking at the movement, the November 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to the October 2025 Headline inflation rate,” the NBS report read.

On a month-on-month basis, headline inflation stood at 1.22 per cent in November, higher than the 0.93 per cent recorded in October, indicating that average prices still increased at a faster pace during the month despite the moderation in annual inflation.

The statistical agency noted that on a year-on-year basis, headline inflation in November 2025 was 20.15 percentage points lower than the 34.60 per cent recorded in November 2024, largely reflecting the effect of the rebasing exercise, with the new base year set at 2024 instead of 2009.

Data from the report showed that the average CPI for the twelve months ending November 2025 increased by 20.41 per cent compared with the average of the preceding twelve months, representing a sharp slowdown from the 32.77 per cent recorded in November 2024.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the largest contributor to headline inflation on a year-on-year basis, accounting for 5.78 percentage points, followed by restaurants and accommodation services at 1.87 percentage points and transport at 1.54 percentage points.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels contributed 1.22 percentage points, while education services and health accounted for 0.90 and 0.88 percentage points, respectively.

At the month-on-month level, food and non-alcoholic beverages also drove price increases, contributing 0.49 percentage points, followed by restaurants and accommodation services at 0.16 percentage points and transport at 0.13 percentage points.

A breakdown of inflation across locations showed that urban inflation stood at 13.61 per cent year on year in November 2025, representing a steep decline of 23.49 percentage points from the 37.10 per cent recorded in November 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, urban inflation slowed to 0.95 per cent from 1.14 per cent in October, while the twelve-month average urban inflation rate eased to 20.80 per cent.

In contrast, rural inflation was higher at 15.15 per cent year on year in November, although this was still 17.12 percentage points lower than the 32.27 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

Month-on-month rural inflation accelerated sharply to 1.88 per cent from 0.45 per cent in October, reflecting stronger price pressures in rural areas during the month.

Food inflation also moderated significantly on an annual basis. The NBS reported that food inflation stood at 11.08 per cent year on year in November 2025, down by 28.85 percentage points from 39.93 per cent recorded in November 2024.

However, month-on-month food inflation rose to 1.13 per cent from a contraction of 0.37 per cent in October, driven by price increases in items such as dried tomatoes, cassava tubers, shelled periwinkle, ground pepper, eggs, crayfish, egusi, oxtail, and fresh onions.

The average annual food inflation rate for the twelve months ending November 2025 was 19.68 per cent, compared with 38.67 per cent in the corresponding period of 2024.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile agricultural produce and energy prices, stood at 18.04 per cent year on year in November 2025, down from 28.75 per cent in November 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, core inflation eased slightly to 1.28 per cent from 1.42 per cent in October, while the twelve-month average core inflation rate fell to 20.76 per cent.

Other sub-indices showed that farm produce inflation stood at 0.79 per cent in November, compared with zero per cent in October, while energy inflation rose to 1.08 per cent from 0.50 per cent.

Services inflation increased to 1.82 per cent from 1.54 per cent, and goods inflation rose to 0.79 per cent from 0.63 per cent in the previous month.

At the state level, Rivers recorded the highest year-on-year all-items inflation rate at 17.78 per cent, followed by Ogun at 17.65 per cent and Ekiti at 16.77 per cent.

Plateau recorded the lowest year-on-year inflation at 9.13 per cent, alongside Kebbi at 10.32 per cent and Katsina at 10.60 per cent.

On a month-on-month basis, Bayelsa recorded the highest increase at 6.58 per cent, followed by Gombe at 5.11 per cent and Edo at 4.45 per cent, while Plateau, Delta, and Kaduna recorded declines.

Food inflation at the state level showed that Kogi recorded the highest year-on-year increase at 17.83 per cent, followed by Ogun at 16.52 per cent and Rivers at 16.11 per cent.

Imo, Katsina, and Akwa Ibom recorded the slowest rise in food prices on a year-on-year basis. Month-on-month food inflation was highest in Yobe at 9.52 per cent, Katsina at 6.61 per cent, and Ondo at 6.04 per cent, while Imo, Nasarawa, and Enugu recorded declines.

The NBS cautioned that interstate comparisons should be interpreted carefully, noting that CPI weights vary across states based on consumption patterns, which can make direct comparisons of inflation baskets misleading.

The Nigerian Exchange closed last week on a positive note, gaining N1.54tn as the All-Share Index rose by 1.63 per cent despite a decline in trading volume. Financial services stocks dominated activity, followed by ICT and oil and gas, reflecting selective investor interest across key sectors. Analysts said the market’s resilience, supported by strong sector participation and new listings, signalled sustained investor confidence amid mixed performances across indices and equities. TEMITOPE AINA writes.

Investors on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited traded a total of 4.373 billion shares valued at N97.783 bn in 110,736 deals last week, reflecting a slowdown compared with the preceding week when 6.617 billion shares worth N113.224 bn were exchanged in 109,590 deals. Despite the lower volume, the market recorded significant gains, as the All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 1.63 per cent and 1.64 per cent to close the week at 149,433.26 points and N95.264 tn, respectively.

The Financial Services Industry led market activity in terms of volume, accounting for 2.252 billion shares valued at N47.204 bn traded in 44,808 deals. This represented 51.49 per cent of total equity turnover by volume and 48.27 per cent by value. The Information and Communication Technology sector followed with 1.118 billion shares worth N13.148 bn in 10,413 deals, while the Oil & Gas Industry recorded a turnover of 233.891 million shares valued at N4.726 bn in 7,515 deals.

Trading in the top three equities, E-Tranzact International Plc, Access Holdings Plc and FCMB Group Plc, accounted for 1.921 billion shares worth N22.218 bn in 9,558 deals, representing 43.93 per cent and 22.72 per cent of total turnover by volume and value, respectively.

Market breadth closed mixed, with 49 equities appreciating in price, lower than the 55 recorded in the previous week, while 41 equities depreciated, higher than the 29 recorded earlier. Fifty-seven equities remained unchanged, compared with 63 in the preceding week. Most indices closed higher, although the Banking, AFR Div. Yield, MERI Growth, MERI Value, Oil and Gas, Sovereign Bond and Commodity Indices declined by between 0.12 per cent and 2.02 per cent.

In the corporate space, Chapel Hill Denham Management Limited listed an additional 140,100,000 units of its Series 11 Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund at N109.50 per unit under its N200 bn Issuance Programme. With the listing on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, total outstanding units of the fund on the NGX increased from 1,056,257,953 to 1,196,357,953 units. Analysts said the expanded fund would enhance investor access to infrastructure-focused instruments and improve liquidity in the fixed-income market.

Market analysts noted that although turnover declined week-on-week, the overall gains point to renewed investor confidence, particularly in the Financial Services and ICT sectors. They added that the rise in the All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation underscores the resilience of the equities market despite mixed sectoral performances.

United Bank for Africa has announced strategic appointments to its executive board, effective 1 January 2026.

In a statement made available to The PUNCH on Sunday, it was indicated that the appointments followed the completion of tenure by four long-serving Executive Directors.

The retirements, which take effect on 1 January 2026, include Deputy Managing Director Mr. Muyiwa Akinyemi and Executive Directors Mrs. Abiola Bawuah, Mr. Alex Alozie, and Mrs. Sola Yomi-Ajayi.

To replace the retiring directors, the UBA Board has approved the appointment of three new Executive Directors—Mr. Emmanuel Lamptey, Mr. Tosin Adewuyi, and Mr. Chidi Okpala—effective 1 January 2026, subject to regulatory approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Lamptey, appointed Executive Director, Digital Banking, is said to bring 25 years of multinational and cross-functional experience spanning retail and corporate banking, asset management, securities brokerage, pensions, insurance, and microfinance, with operations across more than 30 African countries.

He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK), and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Adewuyi, the new Executive Director, Corporate Banking, has over 25 years of experience across Sub-Saharan Africa, including more than 15 years in senior management and FCA- and CBN-approved roles in London and Lagos. He has driven senior client engagement across a broad corporate and sovereign clientele.

Adewuyi is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and Accounting from the University of Manchester. He is an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and an alumnus of The Wharton School.

Okpala will serve as Executive Director, UBA Nigeria. Prior to his appointment, he served as Executive Director for Payments, Group Integration, and Strategy at Heirs Holdings, where he provided leadership across the Group’s payments businesses while overseeing strategic investments in technology and healthcare.

Okpala has more than 20 years of banking experience and holds a BSc in Finance, an MBA in Banking and Finance, and an MSc in Leadership and Strategy from London Business School, where he is a Sloan Fellow.

Commenting on the new appointments, Group Chairman Tony Elumelu said: “I congratulate the incoming Executive Directors on their appointments. The Board is confident that they will bring the experience, depth, and execution capability needed to build on the solid foundation laid by their predecessors and to propel UBA into its next phase of growth.”

Elumelu also expressed appreciation to the retiring executives, saying: “I extend my sincere gratitude to our retiring Executive Directors for their years of dedicated service and unwavering commitment. Each has played a significant role in UBA’s growth and success. On behalf of the Board, I thank them for their contributions and commend the impact they have made. They remain cherished members of the UBA family and enduring ambassadors of our values.”

Africa’s global bank also announced other Group Executive Management appointments, including that of Mr. Vikrant Bhansali as Group Executive, International Banking. Before his appointment, Bhansali served as Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa Plc in Dubai, where he led the bank’s Middle East operations and strategic expansion across the region. With more than 25 years of international banking experience spanning Sub-Saharan Africa, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, North Africa, and India, he brings deep expertise in cross-border financial services and emerging markets.

Mr. Joel Owoade, who has been approved as Group Chief Risk Officer, brings over two decades of experience in the financial services industry, with a strong background in credit risk management, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance. He holds an MSc in Banking and Finance from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 1991. He also serves as Vice President of the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria. His academic background and professional qualifications have equipped him with a deep understanding of the financial landscape, enabling him to make significant contributions to the institutions he has served.

Mr. Samuel Ocheho, appointed Group Executive, Treasury and Financial Institutions, is a seasoned financial markets executive with over 27 years of experience spanning banking, trading, and investment management. Throughout his distinguished career, Ocheho has successfully led diverse financial portfolios and large teams across Nigeria and West Africa. His expertise covers liquidity management, fixed income, derivatives, and foreign exchange. Renowned for his results-driven leadership, he has consistently delivered exceptional performance, driving revenue growth, shaping market behaviours, and sustaining operational excellence.

UBA operates in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. The bank provides retail, commercial, and institutional banking services and is a leader in financial inclusion and technology-driven banking solutions.

UBA is one of the largest employers in the African financial sector, with 30,000 employees across the Group and more than 50 million customers globally.

Barring any last-minute change, MRS and other partners of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are set to begin selling petrol at N739 per litre.

This comes two days after the refinery slashed its petrol gantry price from N828 to N699 per litre. Speaking at a press briefing at the Lekki refinery on Sunday, the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said he was aware that despite lower gantry prices, some filling stations often choose to keep pump prices high, thereby sabotaging his efforts.

According to him, MRS would commence the sale of petrol at N739 per litre from Tuesday, while other partners would follow. Dangote alleged that some officials had met with certain marketers and encouraged them to keep prices high in order to frustrate the price reduction, stressing that he would fight to enforce the new price regime.

“I was told that the marketers have met with (some officials) and were told to make sure that the price is maintained high. But this price we are going to introduce, we are going to start with MRS stations most likely on Tuesday in Lagos; that N970 per litre, you won’t see it again. We have also asked members of IPMAN to come now.

We have asked anybody who can buy 10 trucks to come and buy 10 trucks at N699.

“We are going to use whatever resources that we have to make sure that we crash the price down. We will get these sales; maybe it will take us a week to 10 days. But first of all, within a week to 10 days, we will be able to deliver. For this December and January, we don’t want people to sell petrol for more than N740 nationwide. Those who want to keep the price to sabotage the government, we will fight as much as we can to make sure that these prices are down. That’s not the price. If you have money to come and buy, you can pick up petrol at N699,” he said.

Dangote said transporting petrol from the refinery costs no more than N15 per litre, questioning why pump prices would rise as high as N900 per litre. He also accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority of issuing 47 import licences to bring in more than seven billion litres of petrol in the first quarter of 2026, a move he said was killing local investments.

“Freight within Lagos is N10 or N15, maximum. So if it’s N10 to N15, everything is going to cost you N715. Why do you want to sell at N900? People should get the real price. I cannot come now and take the hit. Did we make money? No, we didn’t make money. But as we speak now, even our tanks are full because the NMDPRA has issued reckless licences. And we have to now go and complain to the government.

“They normally issue licences in the middle of the month. So, they are now ready to issue licences for about 7.5 billion litres for the first quarter of 2026, despite the fact that we have guaranteed to supply enough quantity.

“If you are talking about monopoly, did we stop anybody? They issued 47 licences. Let those people come and put up a refinery here, or let them go and buy even NNPC’s and operate them. If it’s profitable, they should go and do that now. NNPC was the only business that was bringing in fuel before.

“Now, we are the only one and one of the few modular refineries that are producing. Those modular refineries, I can tell you for nothing that they are almost on the verge of collapse. None of them is making a dime,” he added.

The billionaire businessman assured Nigerians that the N739 per litre price would be enforced, beginning with MRS stations on Tuesday. “Starting from Tuesday, MRS will start selling petrol at N739/litre. Definitely, we will enforce that low price. We will make sure that it’s implemented. If you have your truck, you can come here and buy it. We are selling at N699. The N699 includes the percentage of NMDPRA. So what actually comes out to us is about N389 or so,” he stated.

Contacted for his reaction, the NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita, said, “For now, no comment.”

Haelsoft Digital Limited has been named one of Nigeria’s Top 100 Fastest Growing SMEs for 2025 by BusinessDay, spotlighting the company’s rapid expansion in digital services and technology training.

Founder and CEO Michael Onyeka Ezeadichie, who also launched Inside Haelsoft and Haelsoft EdTech, has spent over a decade delivering software development, digital consulting, and online education solutions. Ezeadichie said the company’s growth stems from identifying gaps in digital skills and readiness.

“We began as a digital services company,” he said, “but the market quickly showed that the bigger gap was in skills, structures, and digital readiness. Our growth has largely come from responding to those gaps.”

Haelsoft’s EdTech arm now offers courses in software development, cybersecurity, UI/UX design, digital marketing, and data science, addressing rising employer demand for practical digital competence.

In 2025, the firm partnered with Heligande to provide advisory support to family-owned businesses, focusing on digital adoption, operational restructuring, and strategy execution.

“Many companies recognize the need to transform,” Ezeadichie said, “but the real challenge is knowing where to begin and how to sustain the process. That is where our work with Heligande became important.”

Receiving the BusinessDay award on December 4, 2025, Ezeadichie described it as a benchmark rather than a celebration.

“For us, the award is simply data, it tells us we are moving in the right direction, but it also tells us how much more work is ahead,” he said.

Haelsoft’s recognition highlights the growing role of technology-driven SMEs in Nigeria’s digital economy and the impact of founders with strong technical backgrounds in driving growth.