Business
Wellness, Wealth Creation Confab: Heathgarde Rewards Distributors, Unveils Rugby Star As Brand Ambassador
Healthgarde International held its third year anniversary in Lagos on Saturday, January 28, with attendees cutting across Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, aiming at boosting the company’s market penetration for 2023.
The network marketing firm, with over 50,000 distributors across countries, is an African company dedicated to improving people’s quality of life by creating wealth through healthcare and wellness promotion.
In a chat with journalists at the event, the chief operating officer of the company, Lovelyn Bassey, stated that the convention is a way to reward top achievers.
“Every year, we have an international convention, where we recognise top achievers in our company from around the world. We look at the body of work they’ve done within one year and then reward the top performers as we have done today,” Bassey said.
Speaking further on the importance of Healthgarde in an African society, Bassey stated that the company also targets self-sufficiency for women as one of its focal points.
“One of the biggest messages that we try to send across as a company is that women have a voice and can also bring the bacon home. They don’t have to be a burden to their husbands, but a partner, by also contributing in the home. This way, the husbands don’t need to drop dead by overworking themselves to cater for the financial needs of their families alone.”
L-R; Healthgarde South African Public Relations, Manager, Tshego Kekana; Marketing Executive, Christine Borrett; Healthgarde Brand Ambassador, Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira, CEO, Nneka Nwarueze; and the COO, Lovelyn Bassey at the 2023 Convention of Healthgarde International
On her part, the chief executive officer of the company, Nneka Nwarueze, revealed that HealthGarde is neither a ponzi nor a get-rich-quick scheme.
“Healthgarde network marketing follows best global practices. It is the first major network marketing company owned by an African woman. I’ve been in network marketing for over 20 years with majority of those years spent representing SwissGarde for 17 years until it ceased operation.
“In order to provide an alternative for entrepreneurs who depended on SwissGarde business for sustenance, when it closed shop, we started Healthgarde,” Nwarueze revealed.
The founder also disclosed that aside from the empowerment provided by the network marketing company, an affiliated foundation has successfully empowered over 300 women.
“Healthgarde is also the first network marketing company owned by a Nigerian that has a foundation. And with it, we have been able to empower over 300 women on various programmes. Also, we have four university graduates and about 15 pupils in primary schools who graduated through our scholarship programme.
“The genuineness of our network marketing company is one of the reasons we’ve been expanding rapidly in the last three years of operations. I can authoritatively say that we have bases in Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Ghana and United States, while we already have our eyes set on Cameroon.”
The founder also spoke on the uniqueness of Healthgarde products.
“Our products are exceptional as they are organic (non-synthetic) and we know their origin; they are mainly from African herbs, and are pocket-friendly” Nwarueze said.
The company’s brand ambassador who was unveiled at the event, a Zimbabwean-South African, professional rugby union player and current world champion, just recently retired, Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira, said he provided a balance for a company predominantly seen as a woman organisation.
“The services rendered by Healthgarde shouldn’t be seen as only for the female gender. Through my endorsement, men are encouraged to come onboard too and make money selling wellness,” Mtawarira submitted.
According to Healthgarde, the manufacturing of their products has received International Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) registration which ensures that proper methods, equipment, and controls are in place to produce the highest quality dietary supplement products.
Sterling Bank, on Wednesday, announced the removal of account maintenance fees on all personal accounts, describing the decision as a “gift” to Nigerians in celebration of the country’s 65th Independence Day.
The decision, which follows the abolition of transfer fees on local online transactions in April 2025, was outlined in a statement shared by the bank. The bank said the policy would allow customers to keep more of their earnings, framing it as a step toward financial freedom.
“Every fee we remove is one less barrier between our customers and true financial freedom. This was the rationale behind eliminating transfer fees in April, and it is the same principle we uphold as we eliminate account maintenance fees,” Sterling Bank’s Managing Director, Abubakar Suleiman, said.
The statement highlighted that in 2024 alone, tier-1 banks in Nigeria earned over ₦650 billion from account maintenance and e-banking charges. “This decision cuts at the heart of a revenue model that has long cost Nigerian customers dearly,” the bank noted.
Obinna Ukachukwu, Sterling’s Growth Executive for Consumer and Business Banking, said the initiative was intended to strengthen long-term relationships with customers. “This initiative is about building lasting relationships that fuel sustainable growth. We put transparency and customer value first, and in doing so, we are building a foundation that serves both our customers and Sterling’s future,” he said.
Sterling Bank also framed the removal of fees as part of a broader strategy to make banking more inclusive and customer-focused. The April 2025 transfer fee abolition had already eliminated charges on all local online transactions, easing costs for individuals and small businesses. At the time, Ukachukwu described the move as a values-driven decision aimed at ensuring fair access to money.
“Access to your own money shouldn’t come with a penalty. This is more than a financial decision—it’s about redefining banking to put customers first,” Ukachukwu said.
The latest move aligns with Sterling’s positioning as a bank committed to transparency, customer value, and digital innovation, and it signals a continued effort to reshape banking practices in Nigeria.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc has reported a profit before tax of N600.9 billion for the half year ended June 30, 2025.
The figure is contained in the company’s audited consolidated and separate financial statements, which were released to the Nigerian Exchange Group and the London Stock Exchange.
The group stated that the performance was driven by growth in core earnings lines, including interest income and fee income, which rose year-on-year by 31.5% and 33.0%, respectively.
It explained that the growth helped to cushion the absence of N493.01 billion in fair value gains recorded in 2024, resulting in a 40 per cent decline.
GTCO stated that its total assets stood at N16.7 trillion, while shareholders’ funds totaled N3.0 trillion during the review period.
It added that its balance sheet remained strong, diversified, and de-risked across operating jurisdictions, as well as its payments, pension, and funds management businesses.
The group disclosed that its Capital Adequacy Ratio closed at 36.2 per cent, while asset quality improved with IFRS 9 Stage 3 loans declining to 3.2 per cent.
At the group level, Stage 3 loans stood at 4.5 per cent, compared with 5.2 per cent in December 2024.
Similarly, the cost of risk improved to 1.7 per cent from 4.9 per cent recorded in December 2024.
The company stated that its net loan book increased by 20.5 per cent, from N2.79 trillion in December 2024 to N3.36 trillion in June 2025.
Deposit liabilities also increased by 16.6 per cent from N10.40 trillion to N12.13 trillion during the same period.
The board of GTCO approved an interim dividend of N1.00 per share for the half year ended June 30, 2025.
Commenting on the results, Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer, said the half-year performance reflected business strength and progress towards building a diversified financial services ecosystem.
He said beyond last year’s extraordinary one-off gains, the group was now driving sustainable growth with recurring earnings that demonstrated the resilience and scalability of its model.
Mr Agbaje noted that continued investment in technology, particularly in core banking upgrades, was delivering stronger uptime, efficiency, and greater capacity to scale with a growing customer base.
He added that across banking, funds management, pension, and payments, GTCO was leveraging a de-risked balance sheet to reinforce its market position while maintaining strategic flexibility. According to him, this foundation positions the group to seize emerging opportunities and deliver lasting value for all stakeholders.
Mr Agbaje stressed that GTCO had continued to post some of the best metrics in Nigeria’s financial services industry in terms of key financial ratios. He said the group recorded Pre-Tax Return on Equity of 60.4 per cent, Pre-Tax Return on Assets of 10.6 per cent, Capital Adequacy Ratio of 36.2 per cent, and Cost-to-Income ratio of 30.1 per cent.
NAN
In line with its commitments of promoting sports and developmental initiatives at all levels, First Bank of Nigeria Limited is partnering the organizers of the first of its kind E1 Lagos GP an all-electric powerboat racing championship, set to hold between the 3rd and 5th of October 2025.
Disclosing this at the E1 Lagos GP Stakeholder Immersion session in Lagos recently, Olayinka Ijabiyi, the Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication of FirstBank, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives that engender human development across the country while cementing legacies.
“Our involvement in the E1 Lagos GP is about driving legacy and enabling the passions and aspirations that unite Nigerians. We are a bank that has been in business for over 131 years and we recognize that sports drives us as a country, which is why through our First@Sports initiative, we continue to invest in platforms that inspire and elevate our people. We have been supporting legacy sport tournaments like the Georgian Polo Cup which we have hosted for 105 years, and the Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship for 64 years now,” Ijabiyi said.
With the event slated for the start of the fourth quarter, FirstBank is aligning its partnership with the annual DecemberIssaVybe initiative, a campaign that celebrates the vibrant spirit of Nigerians during the festive season by curating unforgettable experiences that blend culture, entertainment and lifestyle. “FirstBank is deeply woven into the fabric of society and the lives of our customers. As presenting partner, we are creating meaningful touchpoints with customers and prospects, offering them a world-class experience of relaxation and celebration that captures the true essence of Lagos during the festive season,” he added.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who was also at the event, described the initiative as an event that will grow not just the sports but also showcase Lagos’s vibrant culture, dynamic people, and global relevance, while commending FirstBank for their support.
The teams owned by notable stars like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Didier Drogba, Will Smith, Marc Anthony, Steve Aoki, Rafael Nadal will compete in the Lagos leg before the 2025 season of the competition terminates in Miami in the United States.
