Business
Emefiele Shuns Reps’ Summons As Banks Ration New Notes
An ad hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives to investigate the scarcity of the new naira at commercial banks on Wednesday has frowned at the failure of the management staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria to appear before it on Thursday just as the House has insisted on January 31 deadline set for the exchange of the old notes with the new ones
This came barely two months after the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, failed to appear before the House over issues relating to the naira redesign.
The House had on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari over the brewing crisis occasioned by the January 31 deadline.
Apart from asking the CBN to extend the window for swapping the old notes with the newly redesigned one by six months, the House had invited the banks to a meeting on Wednesday over the scarcity of new naira notes.
The managing directors/chief executive officers of the banks, under the auspices of the Bankers’ Committee, were to meet with an ad hoc committee of the House to be chaired by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa.
On Wednesday, the CBN failed to appear before the committee.
However, Ado-Doguwa, at the inaugural investigative hearing of the committee, stated, “For the purposes of clarification, I want to say without any fear of contradiction, that the parliament is always an institution that represents the Nigerian people. For an invitation to any government employee, like it is the case here with the CBN, the governor of the CBN, his directors, deputy directors, all departmental heads, I believe, are employees of the Nigerian people; and when there is a kind of summons from the institution of the parliament like this, we expect every up-and-doing employee to only respect that invitation.”
“On this note, I would like to convey to this committee and members of the public and the press here with us that we have conceded to allow the CBN officials to come tomorrow by 1pm, so that we would engage them. And immediately after the engagement with them, we would engage the bank operators.”
Meanwhile, there was palpable discontent among bank customers in Lagos on Wednesday after some commercial banks shut down their Automated Teller Machines, ostensibly due to paucity or unavailability of new naira notes.
The development came in the wake of threats by the Central Bank of Nigeria that it would sanction any bank that dispensed old naira notes on its Automated Teller Machines.
When our correspondent visited four banks — Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, Access Bank and Stanbic IBTC along Iju road in the Ogba area of Lagos State, it was observed the bank ATMs were neither dispensing the new naira notes nor the old ones.
Meanwhile, a myriad of disgruntled customers were seen lamenting the frustration of not being able to withdraw cash from any of the ATMs in the area.
Our correspondent proceeded to visit Zenith Bank, Access and UBA along Ogunnusi road in the Ojodu axis of the state. The story was no different as a small crowd of frustrated customers was seen lamenting their inability to withdraw cash.
While some of the banks cited technical difficulties for their inability to dispense money via the machines, others said their ATMs had developed faults and could not temporarily dispense cash.
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.
