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UBA Partners Renewvia to Commission Solar Systems Across 25 Branches

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…Strengthening Nigeria–Norway Clean Energy Collaboration

In a significant stride towards deepening economic ties between Nigeria and Norway, Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has partnered with Renewvia Solar Nigeria to deploy renewable energy solutions across 25 UBA branches in five Nigerian states.

The initiative was formalised at the official ribbon cutting ceremony held at the UBA Oba Akran 2 branch, Ikeja-Lagos Nigeria on Wednesday, by the Nordic Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Svein Bæra which followed a walkthrough of the Inverter/Battery Room and Operations by Renewvia team.

This initiative reflects a growing commitment to sustainable investment and innovation, a key message emphasised by UBA Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, during the recent Norway–Africa Business Summit held in Oslo, where he urged global partners to view Africa not as an aid destination, but as a continent of opportunity and enterprise. “Africa needs partners, not charity,” Elumelu stated in Oslo, calling for deeper collaboration built on mutual respect, entrepreneurship, and investment.

The partnership between UBA and Renewvia embodies that call, channelling Nordic investment and African innovation into tangible, long-term impact. Supported by Empower New Energy, a leading Norway-based renewable investment company, and Incremental Energy Solutions (IES), the project will deliver the first phase of 152,000 kWh of clean energy monthly, reducing UBA’s carbon footprint by over 89,000 kilogrammes of CO₂ each month.

Under a 10-year Power-as-a-Service agreement, Renewvia will deploy advanced solar and battery hybrid systems across UBA’s branches, ensuring superior power reliability, operational efficiency, and an enhanced customer experience. Upon full rollout, the project will cover 50 locations across 18 states, representing 3 MWp of solar capacity and 7 MWh of energy storage.

UBA’s Deputy Managing Director, Muyiwa Akinyemi, said, “At UBA, we believe sustainability is not just a responsibility but a key part of building Africa’s future. This project demonstrates how innovation and partnership can deliver lasting impact in terms of growth and advancement as well as reducing our carbon footprint, improving operational efficiency, and contributing to a cleaner environment. Continuing, he said, “We are proud to work with Renewvia Solar Nigeria, Incremental Energy Solutions, and Empower New Energy to make this vision a reality.”

On his part, the Managing Director, Renewvia Solar Nigeria Limited, Adebowale Dosunmu, said, “This partnership with UBA marks a major milestone in our mission to deliver reliable, clean energy to commercial and industrial clients across Nigeria. We are proud to support UBA’s leadership in sustainability and operational excellence.

The CEO, Incremental Energy Solutions (IES) Ltd, Oladipupo Omodara, who also spoke on the project, said, “We appreciate the cooperation and proactiveness of the UBA management team, whose support helped bring this remarkable project and partnership to life. We at IES are particularly pleased that this success reinforces our commitment to helping Africa claim its rightful place in global energy investment and technology deployment.”

Giving his remarks, CEO, Empower New Energy, Terje Osmundsen, stated that Empower New Energy is proud to be the financing partner for landmark project with Renewvia Solar Nigeria, supporting UBA’s commitment to cleaner and more reliable energy. “This partnership reflects our mission to enable African businesses access sustainable power through innovative financing. It also demonstrates the strength of Nordic-African cooperation in accelerating the transition to renewable energy,” Osmundsen explained.

Earlier, in his goodwill message, the Ambassador of Norway to Nigeria, Mr Svein Bæra, noted that the partnership is a shining example of what can be achieved when African ambition meets Nordic investment and innovative practices.

“It also represents not just an energy milestone, but a strong statement of shared commitment to sustainable growth and climate responsibility.”

This collaboration underscores UBA’s position as a bank at the forefront of sustainability, integrating renewable energy to power its operations and reduce emissions. It also highlights the crucial role of Nordic investment through Empower New Energy in accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards cleaner, more reliable energy systems.

Most importantly in terms of Africa’s rapid growth and advancement, it aligns with Tony Elumelu’s broader vision of transforming Africa through entrepreneurship, private sector leadership, and strategic global alliances,  partnerships that build capacity, create jobs, and unlock long-term value for both continents.

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Zenith Bank Opens Digital, Branch Channels for Dangote Refinery Share Subscription

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Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora seeking to participate in the landmark Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals can subscribe conveniently through Zenith Bank, a receiving bank for the historic transaction and a designated electronic application channel for the offer. Subscription is open through the Zenith Bank website, the Zenith mobile app, internet banking, USSD, corporate internet banking and any Zenith Bank branch nationwide.

Across all of these channels, anchored by Zenith Bank’s network of 456 branches and 84 cash centres, investors enjoy a secure, fast and reliable route into the offer from anywhere in the world, at any hour. Whether the application begins on a phone in London, a laptop in Houston or across the counter of a Zenith banking hall in Lokoja, the path to ownership opens with a few taps and carries the investor smoothly through to completion.

Every subscription is linked to the investor’s Bank Verification Number, a seal of identity and security that accompanies each application from submission to allotment.

It is service the Zenith way: first-time and seasoned investors alike enjoy a straightforward and fully protected process, and the quiet confidence that their stake in history is processed through Zenith Bank.

Applications open on Monday, 14 September 2026 and run for 30 days, closing on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. According to the prospectus, the shares are offered at ₦525 each, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares, or ₦5,250. The offer seeks to raise ₦2.15 trillion, the largest equity offering ever undertaken on the African continent, and the prospectus further provides that retail investors who subscribe and hold their shares may qualify for bonus shares under the Retail Investor Incentive Programme, subject to regulatory approvals.

Zenith Bank stands ready to make participation effortless for investors who choose to take part. Nigeria’s largest bank by Tier-1 capital and the country’s most profitable bank, Zenith has built its reputation on combining scale with innovation, and that strength is now at the service of every investor in this offer. This is proven ground for the bank: Zenith Bank’s own most recent public offering was executed mainly through digital channels, a demonstration of digital readiness built on the bank’s robust digital infrastructure. That infrastructure has since been strengthened further through a comprehensive technological overhaul, positioning Zenith to serve its retail customers with the same excellence long enjoyed by its corporate clients, precisely the capability an offer of this scale demands.

Within the wider transaction, Quantum Zenith Capital & Investments Limited serves among the joint issuing houses, while Zenith Bank itself provides the secure and dependable channels through which applications are received and processed. Having successfully taken its own landmark offer to the market through digital channels, Zenith brings that same tested infrastructure and experience to the largest equity offering in African history. It is the same combination of financial strength, digital excellence and customer devotion that has earned Zenith Bank recognition year after year as one of Africa’s foremost financial institutions, trusted by millions of customers and by the corporates and governments behind the continent’s biggest transactions.

For over three decades, Zenith Bank has been the trusted gateway to Nigeria’s defining financial moments, and its channels are open for this one. Investors who wish to participate can fund their Zenith Bank account and subscribe through any of the bank’s platforms before the offer closes on 13 October 2026.

Please note that the details of the offer are provided in the prospectus and guided by extant regulations. Zenith Bank serves as a Receiving Bank and electronic application channel for this offer. Investors are advised to carefully read the Prospectus and, where appropriate, seek independent professional advice before making any investment decision.

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Ecobank Urges Young Nigerian Creatives to Seize ₦20m InnovateX 2026 Opportunity

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Ecobank Nigeria has called on young Nigerians, particularly students, innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives aged 16 to 25, to take advantage of the ongoing registration for InnovateX 2026, the Bank’s flagship youth innovation challenge offering ₦20 million in prizes, mentorship, business development support, and access to industry experts.

Powered by Blaze by Ecobank in partnership with Verve, InnovateX 2026 is designed to identify and support the next generation of innovators and creators developing solutions across inclusive finance, as well as the creative economy.

Beyond the financial support, participants will benefit from an intensive innovation journey featuring hybrid bootcamps, expert-led workshops, mentorship sessions, networking opportunities, and a grand finale pitch competition where finalists will showcase their ideas before a panel of industry leaders and investors.

The competition is open to young Nigerians working on innovative projects in technology, engineering, science, product design, content creation, digital media, entertainment, fashion, and other creative disciplines.

Encouraging young Nigerians to register, Victor Yalokwu, Head, Products & Analytics, Ecobank Nigeria, said: “Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of young talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy. Through InnovateX, we are providing a platform for young people to transform bold ideas into impactful solutions and sustainable businesses. We encourage students, innovators, tech enthusiasts, creators, and entrepreneurs across the country to seize this opportunity and take their ambitions to the next level.”

He added: “The future belongs to young people who are willing to innovate, solve problems, and create value. InnovateX is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, mentorship, exposure, and resources they need to succeed in today’s highly competitive and technology-driven world.”

Yalokwu further explained that InnovateX is not just about rewarding great ideas, but also about building confidence, nurturing talent, and connecting young people to opportunities that can help them grow personally and professionally. “Whether you are developing a tech solution, building a creative brand, or working on an innovation that can improve lives, InnovateX provides a valuable platform to showcase your potential and accelerate your journey towards success,” he said.

As part of its commitment to youth empowerment, Ecobank continues to provide innovative banking solutions through the Blaze Account, a youth-focused offering that gives customers access to exclusive opportunities, a uniquely designed debit card, free monthly transfers, and participation in initiatives such as InnovateX.

Young Nigerians interested in participating are encouraged to submit their applications through www.innovatex.africa before the registration deadline.

With ₦20 million up for grabs and a unique opportunity to gain mentorship, skills, exposure, and industry recognition, InnovateX 2026 is poised to become one of Nigeria’s most impactful youth innovation and entrepreneurship programmes.

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Access Sets New Benchmark for Nigeria’s Finance Talent Pipeline

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New data from CFA Society Nigeria is reshaping how the country’s financial sector thinks about talent development, with Access emerging as the single largest source of CFA candidates in Nigeria, a distinction industry watchers say signals a deeper shift in how leading institutions are building investment expertise from within.

In its Where Nigeria’s Finance Professionals Work series, published in a national daily, CFA Society Nigeria placed Access first among employers of CFA candidates nationwide, with 82 candidates enrolled in the programme, more than double the 38 recorded at the next-placed institution and well ahead of every other bank or financial services firm on the list.

Access also ranked second among employers of CFA charterholders, with 11 professionals who have completed all three levels of the Programme and met its experience and ethics requirements.

For an industry that has long measured itself by balance sheet size and branch count, the rankings point to a different kind of competition: one over who is building the deepest bench of certified, globally credentialed talent. CFA Society Nigeria compiled the data from its Salesforce Membership Database as at June 2026, and described the exercise as a way of recognising employers whose people “bring rigour, integrity and global best practices into the workplace every day.”

Analysts following the sector say the outcome is notable less for the ranking itself than for what it suggests about talent strategy across Africa’s financial services industry. A single institution developing more aspiring charterholders than the rest of the market combined raises the floor for professional standards nationally, not just within one balance sheet. Every candidate who advances through the CFA Programme adds to a shared pool of ethics-trained, analytically rigorous professionals that Nigeria’s capital markets, pension funds and asset managers all eventually draw from.

Access Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer, Innocent C. Ike, commenting on the rankings, framed the achievement in terms of institution-building rather than recruitment: “Every candidate on that list represents our commitment to building institutions and professionals that endure.” The remark echoes a broader thesis increasingly voiced by market observers, that talent depth, not scale alone, is what will determine which African financial institutions earn lasting global credibility.

That distinction sits at the centre of Access’s stated ambition to become the World’s Most Respected African Financial Services Group. If the CFA numbers are any indication, the Group’s route to that goal runs less through square metres of branch network and more through the calibre of the people sitting inside it, a bet that Nigeria’s finance professionals, and the institutions that will one day hire them, are already placing alongside Access.

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