FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and the leading financial inclusion service provider, has announced its strategic sponsorship of the second edition of ChessMasters, Africa’s largest school chess tournament. The announcement was made at the official press conference of the tournament held on 16 March 2026 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. ChessMasters is an annual chess tournament designed to equip the next generation with critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills. The competition targets children in primary school aged between 6 and 11 years old. Organised by Eko Hotels and Suites & KEY Academy , ChessMasters was created to…
Author: Orientalnews Staff
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised the Lagos state government for the quality of projects embarked on. Tinubu who spoke proudly of his vision for sustained development of Lagos — the State he governed for eight years during which he laid the foundation for its modernisation inaugurated the newly constructed Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge, a project envisioned by the then Governor Tinubu administration in 2002 but now delivered by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The bridge, a 5.04-kilometre transport corridor, is one of the three key Lagos projects inaugurated on Wednesday by Tinubu in the first of his two-day official visit…
As conversations around money become more complex in a fast-evolving digital world, the need to Building Financially Smart Future and equip young people with the right financial knowledge, has never been more urgent. From spending habits to saving culture, digital transactions, and entrepreneurial thinking, financial literacy is increasingly becoming a life skill, not just a nice-to-have. It is against this backdrop that Polaris Bank is participating in this year’s Global Money Week (GMW), a global financial awareness campaign which kicked off from Tuesday, April 7 through Thursday, April 30, 2026. Global Money Week is an annual initiative led by…
Sterling Bank, through its women focused initiative, OneWoman, convened a powerful gathering of women entrepreneurs, development finance institutions, ecosystem leaders, and business stakeholders at the Funding Her Future Breakfast Dialogue in Lagos. The session brought together voices from across sectors for a focused and necessary conversation on how to unlock more inclusive and effective financing pathways for women led businesses in Nigeria. At its core, the dialogue was not just about access to capital. It was about building the right systems around women entrepreneurs. Conversations explored how financing, business readiness, ecosystem support, and institutional partnerships must come together to…
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) last week donated an Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) system and a Body Plethysmograph to the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH), enabling one of Nigeria’s foremost health institutions to provide advanced diagnostics in pulmonary or respiratory care. The EBUS system will enable doctors to perform real-time guided biopsies and accurately stage lung cancer—an essential step in determining treatment options and timelines. The Body Plethysmograph facilitates better diagnosis of asthma, restrictive lung diseases and related ailments. “This is more than a donation—it is…
The 2026 Inspenonline Retirement Summitis set to bring experts together to discuss and provide answers to stakeholders on how to turn dreams into reality through insurance; pension and other financial instruments. The 2026 edition, themed “Meeting Retirement Dreams of Informal Sector Workers With Insurance and Pension Instruments,” is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, starting at 9:00am prompt. The summit which is the third edition aims to address a critical vulnerability in the Nigerian economy, where over 90 per cent of the workforce operates within the informal sector without structured retirement…
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, has underscored the strategic importance of Dangote Industries Limited -particularly Dangote Fertiliser Limited—in addressing Africa’s mounting food security challenges, while calling for stronger global partnerships to scale its impact. Speaking during a visit to the company’s industrial complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Mohammed said the United Nations would prioritise amplifying scalable solutions capable of mitigating the continent’s food crisis, describing Dangote’s integrated industrial model as a critical pathway. “I think the UN’s job here is to amplify and to put visibility on the possibilities of mitigating a food…
Yemisi Izuora The Executive Director, IT & Digitalisation at Access Holdings Plc, Lanre Bamisebi, has called on technology leaders and professionals to rethink how progress is defined in the digital age, asserting that the future will belong to those who simplify best and not who build the most. Bamisebi made this call recently at the Inaugural Guest Lecture Series organised by Quest Merchant Bank Technology Academy, where he presented a thought-provoking address titled “Less, But Better: Why the Future of Technology Will Belong to Simplifiers (Process Reengineering, Discipline, and Building Systems That Actually Work)”. In his address, he challenged…
Precious Obogo The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on governments, partners, health workers and communities across the Eastern Mediterranean Region to unite under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science.” This year’s campaign celebrates the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants and the planet, and highlights the importance of translating evidence into action through strong partnerships and multilateral cooperation. Countries across the Eastern Mediterranean Region face complex overlapping challenges, including conflict, displacement and climate-related threats. They place immense strain on health systems and communities and underscore the urgent need for sustained…
Yemisi Izuora Nigeria Capital Market performed better in the first quarter of 2026, recording over 30 per cent all in dollar terms. In a report published by Africa.com detailing Africa stock market performance at the end of the first quarter of the year, Telecommunications giant Airtel Africa spearheaded a strong rebound on the Nigerian stock market, rallying by 10 per cent to lead gains on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and lifting investor confidence after heavy selloffs. The Nigerian bourse is going to be further boosted by the Dangote refinery’s intended IPO later this year. The much-awaited listing on the NGX is expected to positon…