….. Records Over N46 Billion Pre-Launch Transactions

Fidelity Bank Plc has officially launched the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) in Nigeria, following an impressive N46 billion in transactions recorded during its early adoption phase. The launch, which follows the bank’s onboarding of the PAPSS platform in September 2024, marks a major step in facilitating faster, cheaper, and more secure cross-border payments across Africa, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Speaking at the launch event in Lagos, Kevin Ugwuoke, Executive Director and Chief Risk Officer, Fidelity Bank, described the PAPSS partnership as a strategic milestone in removing one of Africa’s biggest trade barriers – cross-border payments.

“As Nigeria’s leading supporter of SMEs, this partnership positions us to serve this critical market segment with even greater efficiency and impact. The role of PAPSS is not just a win for Fidelity Bank, but for the businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals who trade, transfer funds, and make payments across Africa’s borders,” Ugwuoke said.

PAPSS is designed to enable instant, local currency transactions between African countries, eliminating the need for payments to pass through foreign banks. This innovation aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) vision by enabling SMEs to trade directly in their own currencies, fostering growth and expanding market opportunities.

Ugwuoke revealed that Fidelity Bank has commenced a customer awareness campaign to highlight PAPSS benefits and will soon extend the service to its mobile and online banking platforms.

“With PAPSS, we are delivering faster cross-border transactions, reducing reliance on foreign currency, enabling more predictable cash flows, and, above all, empowering our customers to grow their businesses across the continent with greater confidence,” he added.
Katherine Oba, Head of International Operations at Fidelity Bank, disclosed that the bank had processed over N46 billion in PAPSS transactions since adoption. The system completes settlements within 120 seconds, allowing senders to pay in local currency while recipients receive funds in theirs.

“For example, a customer sending money from Nigeria to Ghana will have their account debited in Naira, while the recipient receives Cedis. This also means exporters can now receive payment in Naira for goods sold across Africa, with such settlements recognized under the CBN’s export procedures. Transaction fees are also competitive,” Oba noted.
According to PAPSS, Africa loses more than $5 billion annually in payment processing costs due to reliance on external systems, with intra-African trade accounting for only 13–16% of total trade – far below Asia’s 60% and Europe’s 70%.

Speaking on the launch with Fidelity Bank, Mike Ogbalu, Chief Executive Officer at PAPSS, highlighted that the platform is built to global standards but owned and governed by Africans.
“PAPSS is the realisation of a vision over 60 years in the making – to give Africa its own payment infrastructure, thus curbing the excess processing costs. Today, PAPSS is integrated into the core systems of several central banks and over 150 commercial banks across Africa, with Fidelity Bank as one of the first in Nigeria to meet all requirements,” Ogbalu said.

“We see Fidelity Bank as a key partner in achieving this goal and look forward to extending this collaboration to SMEs, individuals, large corporates, and governments across Africa,” Ogbalu added.
With this launch, Fidelity Bank strengthens its position as a leading driver of innovation in the African financial services landscape, offering its customers a powerful tool to trade, invest, and grow beyond borders.
Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

The Bank is a recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine. Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Good Governance (CCSOGG) has thrown its weight behind the Ogun State Government over the recent controversy surrounding contravention notices served on some properties belonging to former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

In a statement issued on Monday, the group maintained that the state government has both constitutional and statutory authority to regulate physical planning, housing, and urban development across the state. According to CCSOGG, such powers are essential for maintaining order, ensuring public safety, and promoting sustainable development.

The coalition said the reasons cited by the government for issuing the notices were valid and in accordance with established planning and environmental laws.

Describing Daniel’s reaction to the matter as “politicizing a routine and lawful enforcement action,” the group accused him of having a long history of turning legitimate regulatory issues into political battles.

“This is not the first time the former governor has attempted to drag government regulation into the mud of political propaganda,” the statement read. “We recall a similar incident involving a property owned by his wife, where rather than resolving the matter through due process, he launched a campaign of calumny against Governor Dapo Abiodun and his administration.”

CCSOGG further accused Daniel of engaging in “public drama, half-truths, and political blackmail” whenever laws are enforced around him, adding that “no one, regardless of past political office, should consider themselves above the law.”

The group urged Ogun residents to “see through this attempt to twist facts for political gain,” stressing that physical planning enforcement is not persecution but a necessary duty of government.

“If Otunba Daniel believes the notices are unfair, the courts and administrative review processes are available for redress, not the court of public opinion through calculated misinformation,” the coalition said.

Expressing “unreserved support” for Governor Abiodun, CCSOGG called on him to remain focused on enforcing law and order while implementing policies that promote good governance and accountability.

“Ogun State belongs to all of us, and no one’s personal or political interest should override the collective interest of the people,” the statement concluded.

The statement was signed by Comrade Johnson Olalekan, Secretary General of the coalition.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole has commended the transformational strides of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) under the leadership of Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu

The  minister made the commendation, after inspecting NASENI facilities, including the NASENI Innovation Hub, NASENI technology site at the Abuja Technology Village, the NASENI Troment facility and another facility at Abuja Technology Park, Idu Industrial Area respectively on Monday, August 11, 2025.

The visit was part of a broader effort by the ministry to assess local industrial capacity and see high-impact projects that are accelerating the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, an agenda focused on boosting domestic production, encouraging local consumption, and creating jobs through industrialisation.

At each stop, she commended the foresight and commitment of Mr. Halilu in promoting Made-in-Nigeria products. She was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi; the Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi as well as directors of the Ministry and Directors of NASENI.

Speaking during a chat with the media after the tour at the Agency’s headquarters, the Minister said the EVC of NASENI had earlier visited her ministry and briefed her on the activities of the Agency, and invited her to come and see.

“I have come and I have seen many things. What I am seeing today is not in terms of intents, not in terms of MoUs, not in terms of agreement or prospective investors but I have seen actual 100 per cent made-in-Nigeria products.

“I have seen happy investors. I have seen investors who were pushed to work quickly. I have seen investors who are setting the pace in the country, in the region and on the global patterns, loading the way, “she added.

During her tour of NASENI facilities, the minister was shown round the NASENI product showroom at Abuja Technology Park, NASENI Troment factory that will be producing world-class drugs including HIV vaccines, etc and NASENI Innovation Hub and several products delivered by the Agency. She took a ride alongside the EVC/CEO in NASENI’s anti-ballistic missile amoured vehicle.

Dr. Oduwole further described the potentials seen in NASENI as a national economic transformation. She commended the EVC for his vision and appealed to him to keep doing his best, especially on knowledge sharing, inspiration to younger generation as well as to keep the tempo of the Agency’s commercialisation drive, which no doubt supports domestic content development.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Halilu expressed appreciation to the minister, the permanent secretary and directors of the ministry for the visit and called for stronger collaboration with the Ministry to further boost productivity.

He also appealed to the media to embrace developmental journalism and disclosed that NASENI currently has over 40 market-ready products capable of competing favourably in the global market, with more innovations underway.

The Labour Party has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of political victimisation following the National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) decision to withhold the discharge certificate of Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye.

In a statement on Monday by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the party’s Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, the LP alleged that the NYSC’s action was a “vengeful act” emblematic of what it described as the administration’s intolerance for dissent.

The NYSC had claimed that Raye’s certificate was withheld because she failed to attend her mandatory April 2025 biometric clearance. However, according to the party, the singer presented herself at the Local Government Inspector’s (LGI) office with all required documents that month but was unjustly turned away by the official on duty.

The LP further accused the APC government of criminalising freedom of expression, citing Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution, and questioned why Raye was allegedly targeted for criticising the government’s policies.

“What exactly did Raye say that is not already common knowledge? Is there any Nigerian today who does not know that this APC government is ‘terrible’ in its policy initiatives and implementations?” the statement read.

The opposition party urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the NYSC to release Raye’s certificate, warning against what it called a “dangerous descent into authoritarianism.”

The statement also called on Nigerians to remain vigilant, alleging that the current administration’s governance style threatens the nation’s democracy.

A Lagos State District Coroner, Mrs. Temitope Oladele, investigating the death of Mr. Pelumi Onifade, a reporter with Gboah TV who reportedly died in Police custody during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, has ordered the Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital in Lagos to provide the legal representatives of Media Rights Agenda (MRA) with hospital records relating to the deposit, release or current status of his remains within seven days of receipt of the order.

The investigating magistrate issued the order on Friday, August 8, 2025, following an application made by MRA’s lawyer, Mr. Monday Arunsi, leading Ms Jennifer Wala, of the law firm of Charles Musa and Co., who reported to the Coroner that the Medical Director had refused to release the information on the ground that medical records are confidential.

The coroner’s inquest into the death of Mr. Onifade, a journalist who was reportedly arrested by policemen attached to the Lagos State Taskforce while covering the #EndSARS protests in 2020, and whose body was subsequently discovered at the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary, was convened on the orders of the Federal High Court in Lagos. The order followed a wrongful death action instituted by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) against the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Government, seeking, among other reliefs, a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the late journalist’s death.

In his July 19, 2024 judgment in the suit, Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji directed the Attorney-General to take all necessary steps to ensure an investigation into the circumstances of Mr.  Onifade’s death and to conduct a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of death as well as identify and prosecute those responsible for his death.

During Friday’s proceedings at the Coroner’s Inquest, Mr. Arunsi, led Ms Wala on behalf of Mr. Onifade’s family and MRA, while Mr. Adebola Araba represented the Attorney-General of Lagos State.

Addressing the District Coroner, who also sits as a Magistrate of the Lagos State Judiciary—Mr. Arunsi recounted that, pursuant to the court’s directive at the last session on July 8, 2025, he, in company of Mr. Johnson Agbakaba of Charles Musa & Co., visited the Ikorodu General Hospital on July 31, 2025. The purpose of the visit, he explained, was to comply with the court’s order to obtain the hospital’s records indicating the date on which Mr. Onifade’s body was brought to the mortuary, the date of its release or its current status.

However, according to Mr. Arunsi, upon making their request, the Medical Director informed them that the information sought was confidential in nature, being a medical report, and that he could not release the records to them without being ordered to do so by a court.

Mr. Arunsi then made an oral application to the Coroner requesting her to direct the hospital’s Medical Director or any other relevant authority or person to produce the records regarding the deposit, release, or the status of the remains of Mr. Onifade, who allegedly died in October 2020 during the EndSARS protests and was brought to the hospital’s mortuary.

The Coroner granted the application and ordered that the Medical Director, or any other person with the authority or in charge of keeping the medical records, should disclose to the lawyers the records about the deposit, release or status of the body within seven days of receipt of the order

She thereafter adjourned the matter to August 19, 2025, for mention.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the successful upgrade of its diaspora enrolment platform, aimed at enhancing service delivery and ensuring efficient management of the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process for Nigerians abroad.

According to a press release signed by the NIMC Head, Corporate Communications, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, the upgrade will deliver a more secure, robust, and seamless experience for diaspora applicants, while enabling faster and more effective NIN services.

As part of the rollout, NIMC has onboarded all its Diaspora Front-End Partners (FEPs) onto the new system, providing intensive training to equip them with the necessary skills to operate and manage the platform. All FEPs are required to obtain and activate their enrolment licenses within 48 hours, after which compliant partners will be able to serve diaspora applicants.

NIMC apologised for any inconvenience caused during the upgrade process and confirmed that a dedicated service team is in place to handle all diaspora enrolment-related issues. Applicants encountering challenges can reach the Commission via **[nimccustomercare@nimc.gov.ng](mailto:nimccustomercare@nimc.gov.ng)** for prompt assistance.

Meanwhile, enrolment services continue uninterrupted at all NIMC centres across Nigeria. Applicants can locate the nearest centre through the NIMC website: http://www.nimc.gov.ng or carry out NIN data modifications online via the https://selfservicemodification.nimc.gov.ng  portal.

The Commission also urged NIN holders to download the NIMC NINAuth App from iOS or Google Play Store to verify their NINs instantly, control who accesses their information, and enjoy seamless verification and authentication services.

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has approved the appointment of Mr. Ben Solomon Dalhatu Kure as the new Managing Director of the Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC).

Mr. Kure takes over from Mr. Ahmed Maiyaki, who was recently named the Commissioner for Information. The governor urged him to build on the achievements of his predecessor, whose leadership transformed KSMC into a strategic platform for effective public information dissemination and management.

A public communication expert and political strategist, Mr. Kure brings a diverse background in public service, banking, and political advisory roles. His previous appointments include Chairman of Jaba Local Government (2016–2017), Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (2018–2019), and Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Kaduna State Governor (2019–2021). He also held managerial roles in Oceanic Bank/Ecobank Nigeria, Zenith Bank, and Broad Bank.

Mr. Kure holds a Master’s degree in Conflict, Peace and Strategic Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Planning. He is a Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and a Member of the Institute of Management Consultants (MIMC).

Governor Sani congratulated the new appointee and wished him divine guidance and protection in his new role.