Business
2021 NCOY: FirstBank Partners Junior Achievement Nigeria, Reiterates Commitment to Innovation, Education
For 11 years, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has partnered with Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) to host its annual flagship event; the National Company of the Year competition (NCOY), which convenes winners of the JA Company Regional Competitions across Nigeria to compete for the National Company of the Year Award.
This year, the event will bring together outstanding ‘student business teams’ across Nigeria to compete for prizes and an opportunity to represent the country at the national competition – JA African Company of the Year Competition (ACOY). The 2021 edition of the NCOY competition will be held virtually via Zoom meetings at 10am on Saturday, 27th November 2021. Interested participants are to register via the link https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtd-qvqz4pE90NXOHcy-tve6aEXpY_yYAE
The competition themed ‘Innovation with Grit’ will have 12 teams from 12 schools pitch their innovations to a team of 5 guests judges. The represented schools at the competition include: The Seer company from Alvana High School; Sonic Informatics company from Heritage Global Academy; Nexus Queens company from Queens School; JA Stars from Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN); Amazing Amazon Students from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Abaji; KereTerra Company from Secondary School Etoi, Uyo and The Exploit thinkers from Taidob College.
Other teams competing include: Mystic Global Company from Rosa Mystica High School, Agulu; PetraMech Tech from Petra Schools; The Amazing Inventors from Government Secondary School Tudun Wada; Blue crystal company from Methodist Girls school and the Artisans from Igbobi College.
Judges at the event include: Oludolapo Adigun, Group Head, Retail Banking Lagos & West First Bank of Nigeria Limited; Chidimma Juliana Okparah, Project Management Consultant (PMIEF); Sheila Ojei, Head of Communications Jobberman; Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative and Simbo Olatoregun, Policy Programs Manager for Facebook in Africa. In attendance also is the Honourable Commissioner for Education Lagos State, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo as a Special Guest.
The 2021 National Company of the Year Program will also feature SPARK Competition. SPARK as an initiative of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, is an acronym for Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness. SPARK reiterates the Bank’s commitment to institutionalise kindness in Nigeria by encouraging and amplifying a culture of kindness.
The SPARK competition will feature 15 finalist schools across Nigeria, whose CSR projects align with the Bank’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability pillars of Education, Welfare and Health, Financial inclusion and Responsible Lending and Procurement.
Speaking on the event, the Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney said “FirstBank’s partnership under its Future First initiative with JA Nigeria Company programme has positively impacted over 100,000 people in different locations across the country in preparing and teaching them how to generate wealth, effectively manage it and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Our commitment to fostering entrepreneurial development amongst youths is mainly the driving force behind our support of the National Company of the Year (NCOY) and Africa Company of the Year (ACOY) competitions in past 11 years”.
According to the Executive Director, JAN, ‘’the National Company of the Year Company competition provides our students with a platform to show how innovative they are while displaying their dexterity and grit especially as it relates to creating sustainable business solutions to problems in their immediate community. The students have learned critical skills during the implementation of the Company Programme and we are proud to celebrate them as they compete in the National competition. I would like to specially appreciate FirstBank Nigeria for their continued support and belief in the boundless potential of young Nigerians.’’
First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank), Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced the launch of the Verve Flash Promo, a special initiative rewarding customers with free Verve cards.
The campaign, which commenced on 6 October 2025, and will run until 30 January 2026, is exclusively targeted at FirstBank customers whose ATM cards have expired.
The free cards will be issued daily to 131 customers on a first-come, first-served basis across the Bank’s branches, nationwide. FirstBank’s unwavering commitment to convenience, accessibility, and customer satisfaction.
Speaking on the rewards to FirstBank customers, Chuma Ezirim, the Group Executive, e-Business and Retail Products at FirstBank, said: “The Verve Flash Promo is not just about rewarding customers with free verve debit cards; it is about celebrating our legacy of 131 years of trust, resilience, and innovation in the Nigerian financial services industry. At FirstBank, we remain committed to providing customer-centric solutions that enable secure, seamless, and convenient payment experiences. Partnering with Verve International on these initiatives, including the Verve Good Life promo, underscores our shared vision of deepening financial inclusion while rewarding our loyal customers for their continuous patronage.”
Also commenting, Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve International, noted:
“Through strategic collaborations like this with FirstBank, we continue to demonstrate Verve’s commitment to enhancing access to seamless payment solutions for every Nigerian. The Verve Flash Promo not only rewards loyal customers but also reinforces our vision of making everyday transactions more rewarding, secure, and convenient. As we extend the Good Life Promo, we remain steadfast in our goal of deepening financial inclusion while delivering real value to Verve cardholders across the country.”
Meanwhile, the ongoing Verve Good Life promo, designed to reward Verve debit card holders for using their cards at specific merchant points, has been extended to 30 November 2025.
During the period, Verve Card holders enjoy 10% cashback at The Place Restaurant, Quickteller, Buypower, Filmhouse, AlliExpress, Addide Supermarkets, and Chowdeck app every Thursday to Sunday.
Verve cardholders can now enjoy a 10% cashback on the Google Play Store any day of the week throughout the Good Life Promo, which runs until 30 November 2025. Moreso, every transaction made with a Verve card whether on ATMs, POS terminals, or online platforms automatically earns customers a chance to win up to ₦1,000,000.
Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, Globacom, has announced enhancement of its data bundles to give subscribers more data volume at the same affordable prices.
The upgrade reinforces the company’s commitment to providing superior value and exceptional customer satisfaction.
The upgraded Glo Data Bundles are enhanced versions of the existing daily, weekly, and monthly plans, giving subscribers more data at no additional cost.
These improvements offer users greater freedom and convenience to enjoy their favourite online activities from streaming and gaming to social media, video calls, and more.
For daily users, the ₦100 plan has been upgraded from 105MB to 125MB, giving light internet users even more data to browse, chat, and stream short videos conveniently.
The weekly bundles have also received notable boosts, such as the ₦1,500 plan, which now offers 6GB instead of 5.9GB, enabling subscribers to stay connected longer.
Heavy data consumers will also enjoy remarkable value on the monthly plans. The ₦2,000 bundle now gives 6.25GB, while the ₦10,000 package has been enhanced from 38GB to 42GB, allowing users to do more from video streaming and large file downloads to remote work and virtual meetings.
Students are not left out, as the Campus Booster Plan has been upgraded with higher data allowances, ensuring seamless access to academic resources and social networks while on campus.
Globacom noted that the revised bundles are available to all Glo customers prepaid, postpaid, and hybrid and can be activated by dialing *312#, using the Glo Café app (available on Android and iOS), or visiting hsi.glo.com.
The company added that subscribers can use, share, or gift data through *312# or the Glo Café app. Customers will also continue to receive data usage alerts at 75% and 100% consumption levels to help monitor usage effectively.
Unused data is automatically rolled over upon renewal before expiry or when a new plan is purchased within the grace period (ranging from one to seven days, depending on the plan).
Globacom reaffirmed its commitment to empowering Nigerians with reliable and affordable data access, urging customers to take advantage of the revised data bundles that combine affordability, quality, and more browsing power ensuring every Glo subscriber enjoys more data without paying more.
Fidelity Bank Plc has congratulated Air Peace on the successful launch of its maiden direct flight from Lagos to London Heathrow, describing the milestone as a significant achievement for Nigeria’s aviation sector and a testament to the power of indigenous partnerships.
The commendation was delivered by Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, managing director of Fidelity Bank, during a special event held in Lagos to celebrate the airline’s expansion into the European market.
“This is not just a win for Air Peace, but a win for Nigeria,” Onyeali-Ikpe said. “It reflects the strength of home-grown businesses and the impact of strategic financial support in enabling national champions to thrive on the global stage.”
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek reports that Fidelity Bank has played a pivotal role in Air Peace’s growth, providing early financial backing and advisory services that helped the airline become the largest carrier in West Africa. The bank continues to support Air Peace through payment processing and other financial services
The launch of the London route marks a new chapter for Air Peace, which now joins a select group of African airlines operating direct flights to Heathrow.
The development is expected to boost tourism, trade, and connectivity between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the event, Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, expressed gratitude to Fidelity Bank for its unwavering support and reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to excellence and service.
“This partnership has been instrumental in our journey,” Onyema said. “We are proud to fly the Nigerian flag across international skies.”
Industry stakeholders present at the event praised the collaboration between the two companies as a model for sustainable business growth and national development.
