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Risk management practitioners, economic experts and industry leaders have called for urgent institutional reforms, stronger data systems, and ethical governance to safeguard Nigeria’s economy from recurring global disruptions and internal vulnerabilities.

The call was made at the 24th Annual International Conference of the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria (CRMI) held in Lagos, according to a communiqué issued by the institute at the end of the event.

The conference, themed ‘Global Risks, Local Solutions,’ brought together policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions.

In his opening address, Kevin Ugwuoke, president and Chairman of CRMI Council, noted the need for Nigeria to move from reactive policymaking to a proactive, risk-based framework that anticipates and mitigates shocks. ‘Nigeria’s competitiveness and fiscal stability depend on how we anticipate, prepare for, and mitigate shocks,’ Ugwuoke said. ‘When managed intelligently, risk becomes the foundation for sustainable growth. CRMI’s ongoing advocacy, including the National Risk Management Bill before the National Assembly, seeks to institutionalise risk governance across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), with annual risk reporting becoming mandatory for transparency and accountability.’

Delivering a paper on ‘Global Risk Outlook,’ Chinyere Almona, Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), identified climate shocks, inflationary pressures, and weak governance as major factors undermining investor confidence and economic stability.

She warned that inequality and low institutional trust continue to widen Nigeria’s poverty gap, with over 133 million Nigerians multidimensionally poor and 30 million facing acute food insecurity.

‘Resilience is not built on slogans but on deliberate investments in people, systems, and governance,’ Almona said. ‘Subnational leaders, businesses, and communities must proactively assess and mitigate risks. Effective Nigerian responses must be homegrown and tailored to local realities.’

The Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Semiu Adeniran, also underscored Nigeria’s structural imbalances, revealing that the services sector contributed 55.52 percent of GDP in 2024, followed by agriculture and industry. He noted that the informal sector still accounts for 42 percent of output, limiting fiscal capacity and policy reach.

Adeniran described the ongoing brain drain as a ‘human capital risk,’ noting that Nigeria lost about 3.6 million professionals to migration between 2022 and 2023, weakening productivity and innovation.

‘Global risks such as slowing GDP growth, inflation, and migration are affecting Nigeria’s economy,’ he said. ‘Technological disruptions like AI threaten low-skilled jobs, while climate change and insecurity in the Sahel have reduced agricultural productivity. Local solutions include investing in data, formalising the economy, and developing industrial value chains.’ He urged policymakers to use the rebased GDP data as a guide for reforms, saying it provides clearer insights for inclusive growth.

During a panel on Food Security and Agricultural Resilience, Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BOI) disclosed that the bank is expanding climate adaptation financing and dry-season farming programmes to support smallholder farmers. He said BOI’s cluster-based lending model links farmers with processors and cooperatives to improve market access and credit availability.

Similarly, Oluwaseun Faleye, Managing Director/CEO of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) represented by Dayo Alao, urged institutions to adapt to fast-evolving global risks such as wars, cyberattacks, pandemics, and climate change.

‘Our social and economic resilience depends on strong governance systems, effective data use, and ethical leadership,’ he said.

Also speaking, Bonaventure Okhaimo, Managing Director of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC) called for collaboration between chief risk officers and financial institutions to support underserved sectors through inclusive financial risk management.

‘By partnering with NCGC, institutions can help drive sustainable support for local businesses and contribute to national economic resilience,’ Okhaimo stated.

On regulatory safeguards, Emomotimi Agama, Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a presentation titled ‘Unravelling Ponzi Schemes: Protecting Investors and Strengthening the Regulatory Framework,’ urged risk managers to collaborate with regulators to detect and prevent fraudulent schemes. Represented by John Abel Briggs, SEC’s Lagos Controller, Agama noted that the 2025 Investment and Securities Act now prescribes a minimum 10-year jail term or N20 million fine for Ponzi operators, empowering the SEC to freeze assets and work with the EFCC.

‘Risk managers must identify early warning signs – unrealistic returns, fake documentation, and referral-based recruitment are key red flags,’ Briggs warned.

Regional speakers from Ghana, Benin, and Togo also shared insights on Africa’s vulnerabilities, calling for stronger regional integration and policy stability to navigate global economic shifts.

Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the country’s lead agency responsible for the promotion of non-oil export, has observed that Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings will increase if cashew farmers add value to their produce.

Nonye Ayeni, executive director/chief executive officer of NEPC, made this observation in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, at a day workshop on development and production of quality cashew nut for export, organised by the Abia State Coordinating Office of the Council.

Currently, Nigeria is the 6th largest producer of cashew, and the global demand for cashew has been growing at 7-10% annually, which provides great opportunities for local investors to leverage on.

The NEPC Chief Executive noted that the cashew business is rewarding and more profitable, especially with value addition, through effective processing to global quality and standard, including other specific market buyer requirements, namely, packaging and kernel grade.

Ayeni, who was represented at the forum by Okechukwu Amaechi, acting State coordinator, NEPC, Abia State, however, regretted that despite huge potentials inherent in cashew nut and its derivatives, the sub-sector is yet to experience the required growth, due to lack of skills, aged plantations and inability to add value to the product.

In order to increase production and develop its markets, she noted that cashew nuts and their production, technology have to be promoted among the farmers, processors and other stakeholders.

According to her, adding value to Cashew nuts by processing them into cashew kernels and packaging them for export would reduce exploitation by the foreign buyers and other middlemen.

‘It is patinent to note that if cashew nut is properly processed, packaged and exported, it would not only generate foreign exchange, but also create jobs for the unemployed youths’.

Ayeni explained that the NEPC, over the years, has employed several promotional strategies aimed at motivating stakeholders in the oil sector, stressing that the hosting of the export workshop was a strategy to educate stakeholders in the cashew nut sub-sector on how to progress from exporting raw cashew nuts to processed cashew (kernels).

‘Certainly, stakeholders in the sub-sector will discover the hidden treasure in the sub-sector and so redevelop and adapt their production techniques and products to meet requirements of the international markets in terms of hervesting processing, storage, preservation and packaging’, she stated.

Chioma Nnorom, State coordinator, Raw Materials Research Development Council (RMRDC), Umuahia, Abia State, said that the RMRDC recognises the potential of cashew as a strategic non-oil export commodity capable of driving industrial growth, job creation and rural development.

She said that the workshop aligns perfectly with RMRDCs. mandate to promote value addition and ensure sustainable utilisation of Nigeria’s raw materials.

She said that RMRDC has made some key achievements towards the development and production of Cashew in Nigeria, like the donation of a Cashew Nutshell Oil Extractor to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU).

She noted that the donation was part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between RMRDC and ABSU, aimed at enhancing value addition in extracting oil from cashew nut shells.

Also in 2015-2016 and also in 2020 planting seasons, RMRDC distributed ‘Jumbo’ cashew seeds/improved cashew varieties across States to replace old/low-yielding trees, thus boosting production.

Policy advocacy and strategic value chain planning.

‘RMRDC has emphasized utilization of non-kernel parts of Cashew (shell liquid, kernel oil among others) for industrial uses (Paints, propeliants , feed among other products), thereby briadning what ‘Value’ means beyond just exporting raw kernels’, she stated.

The well-attended workshop attracted leaders of the National Association of Cashew Farmers, Abia State chapter and cashew farmers from Umunneochi and Isukwuato LGAs.

Illegal miners, white-collar convicts, remorseful drug offenders, and foreigners are amongst those granted pardon and clemency and approved by the National Council of State, on Thursday.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement containing the list of those granted clemency, said Mamman Vatsa, Akubo, and Magaji Garba, amongst those granted pardon by President Bola Tinubu.

The list of capital offenders, including Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro Wiwa, and the other Ogoni Eight, was also among the 175 convicts and former convicts who received President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mercy on Thursday.

President Tinubu had granted clemency to most of them based on the reports that the convicts had shown remorse and good conduct.

The statement said the President forgave some due to old age, the acquisition of new vocational skills, or enrollment in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

According to him, ‘President Tinubu also corrected the historic injustice committed by British colonialists against Sir Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists. In all, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General and Justice Minister, had recommended pardon for two inmates, 15 former convicts, 11 of whom have died.

The committee recommended clemency for 82 inmates and commutation of sentences for 65 inmates. Seven inmates on death row also benefited from the Presidential reprieve. The committee recommended that the President should commute their death sentences to life imprisonment.

Fagbemi presented the committee’s report at the Council of State meeting, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The list includes Nweke Chibueze, aged 44, serving a life sentence at Kirikiri for cocaine, and Nwogu Peters, aged 67, serving a One-year jail term for fraud. Sentenced in 2013, Anastasia Nwaoba, aged 63. Already served a sentence for fraud.

Others include Hussaini Umar, aged 58. Sentenced in 2023 to pay a fine of N150M in the case by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) case, Ayinla Alanamu, age 63, who was sentenced to seven years for bribery in 2019 and has served the sentence.

Farouk Lawan, aged 62, who was also sentenced to five years in 2021 for corrupt practices and had served the sentence, was also granted a pardon, amongst others.

Sanya, a book by Oyin Olugbile, has won the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, which is focused on prose fiction.

The book beat two other shortlisted titles to clinch the NLNG-sponsored Prize valued at $100,000.

Sanya’s feat at the Prize, which is one of Africa’s most prestigious literary honours, came from its selection among the 252 novels by the judges, further making it to the 11 longlist and the three shortlisted titles.

While announcing the novel as the winner at the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Grand Award Night in Lagos, on October 10, 2025, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, a professor and chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize, noted that Sanya won because of Olugbile’s mythology retelling approach, which she described as distinct and daring for casting Sango as a female and for the projection of Yoruba mythology through a story that captivates and meanders into a fantastical world.

She noted further that Olugbile achieved this through lucid and straightforward language, making for easy reading.

‘We were impressed by the quality of the shortlisted books written by three writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The books, Sanya by Oyin Olugbile; The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma, both published by Masobe Books; and This Motherless Land by Nikki May, published by Narrative Landscape, indicate an improvement in the quality of local publishing,’ she said.

‘After much careful assessments and deliberations, we concluded that very little separates the novels and each is a potential winner of the award. However, Oyin Olugbile’s Sanya slightly takes the edge and is therefore our pick as the winner of the 2025 ‘Nigeria Prize for Literature’.

Also, Masobe Books, a Nigerian publishing company, was in the spotlight as two of its published novels made the 3 shortlist, while one of them eventually won the prestigious literary prize.

It would be recalled that five novels from Masobe Books were among the 11 longlisted in this year’s Prize, speaking volumes on the reputation of the publishing firm.

Apart from the Nigeria Prize for Literature, earlier, Okwudiri Anasiudu emerged as the winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. Anasiudu won for his submissions titled Afropolitan Identity and Afrodiasporic Otherness in Selected African Novels; Allegorical Conjectures in Helon Habila’s Measuring Time; and Mimetic Designs in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water. The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism comes with a $10,000 prize money.

Sadly, there was no winner for the Nigeria Prize for Science this year, according to Barth Nnaji, a professor and chairman of the Advisory Board for the science prize.

Speaking at the awards, Philip Mshelbila, managing director and CEO, NLNG, highlighted the enduring influence of literature, describing The Nigeria Prize for Literature as ‘a reminder of the power of words to shape identity and deepen understanding.

‘Winning the Prize is recognition of scaling the highest heights of literature. All the shortlisted books this evening are works of the highest calibre,’ he said.

He also revealed that The Nigeria Prize for Science will be renamed ‘The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.’ He said the new name reflects NLNG’s belief that progress depends as much on creativity and fresh thinking as on technology and infrastructure.

In another revelation, Mshelbila announced that NLNG would be resting The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism and introducing a new Prize category, ‘The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts,’ with a focus on Documentary Film. He stressed that the new Prize would inspire a new generation of storytellers to inform, challenge, and connect Nigerians more deeply to who they are as a nation and who they can become.

The NLNG boss also unveiled a new book, ‘Voices of Our Leaders,’ a commemorative book on NLNG’s history and progress over three decades. He noted that the book captures the voices of some of those who have guided NLNG’s journey from dream to reality.

Industry leaders and government representatives have urged young innovators to transform their clean-energy ideas into scalable, sustainable businesses capable of driving Africa’s transition to a green economy.

The call came as the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) and Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA) celebrated the graduation of the inaugural cohort of the GreenLabs Renewable Energy Innovation Challenge in Lagos.

Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, executive director, CADEF, while delivering her keynote address, praised the graduates for their creativity and commitment to building sustainable solutions that address Nigeria’s energy and environmental challenges.

‘This embodies my vision of a Nigeria where we become producers, not just consumers; innovators, not imitators. We must go beyond the narrative and become the narrative leading innovation that drives sustainable growth across our country’, Ndukwe-Okafor said.

She announced that applications for Cohort 2 of the GreenLabs Innovation Challenge Incubator will soon open under the theme ‘Food Systems – Green Energy, Green Economy, and Food Security.’

Engr. (Mrs.) Ibilola Olufolake Kasunmu, the permanent secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, congratulated the graduates for their creativity and encouraged them to keep developing technologies that support Lagos State’s green economy and smart city agenda.

‘Your contributions are vital to Lagos’ vision of becoming a smart, energy-efficient city,’ Kasunmu, who was represented by Engr. Kanike Ahmed Abayomi, assistant director, engineering and IT infrastructure unit, affirmed.

Mrs. Sorun Sayo Olohejeveri, deputy director, Lagos state Ministry of Youth and Social Development, delivered the goodwill message of Pharm. (Mrs.) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, the permanent secretary. Oke-Osanyintolu commended the graduates’ commitment to mastering renewable-energy skills and positioning themselves as leaders in Nigeria’s sustainable future.

‘Renewable energy is not just beneficial, it is essential,’ she said, assuring participants of the Ministry’s continued support in fostering youth-driven innovation and entrepreneurship. In her remarks, Sellah Bogonko, co-founder and chief executive officer of Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), hailed the graduates as pioneers of Africa’s green future.

‘Africa’s greatest resource is its people especially its young innovators. What we are seeing here today is not just a graduation; it is a movement of young Africans designing the future of clean energy and sustainability,’ Bogonko said.

She reaffirmed JLA’s commitment to scaling the GreenLabs model across Africa, empowering youth to transform ideas into sustainable businesses that drive green growth and climate resilience.

Adding a private-sector perspective, Mr. Olufunsho Peters, chief executive officer of Infinion Technologies Limited, delivered a deeply inspiring address that resonated with the young entrepreneurs. He described the graduates as energy architects with the potential to reshape Nigeria’s renewable-energy landscape, urging them to approach their next phase with innovation, resilience, and agility.

‘Your graduation today is not an ending, it’s the beginning of a new sprint. Every business must evolve. Keep innovating, because the market will catch up faster than you expect,’ Peters said.

Reflecting on his own entrepreneurial journey, Peters shared how starting a tech business in Lagos years ago without structured incubation or mentorship came with daunting challenges, from limited funding and infrastructure to a lack of business guidance. He explained that initiatives like GreenLabs are now bridging those gaps by providing mentorship, exposure, and access to networks that help startups succeed faster and smarter.

‘What you have today, the structure, mentorship, and support are game changers. Use them well. Technology and innovation will keep redefining industries. The ability to adapt, reinvent, and collaborate will determine who leads the future,’ he advised.

Peters encouraged the graduates to embrace lifelong learning and to use technology as a tool for solving Africa’s most pressing energy and development challenges. ‘Don’t wait for ideal conditions. Innovation thrives on imperfection. Build, fail fast, learn faster, and keep pushing boundaries,’ he added.

A new player is emerging in Africa’s growing beauty-tech space. Dorasilk, founded by entrepreneur Onaopemipo Monica Akintunde, has unveiled what it calls the first Wig Revamp Ritual System, a structured care process designed specifically for wigs and donor hair.

Positioned at the intersection of science and beauty, Dorasilk’s approach applies technology and research to a segment often overlooked in the wider hair care industry. The system aims to help users maintain the quality, texture, and lifespan of their premium hairpieces.

‘We’re merging African beauty traditions with modern cosmetic science to create a new experience for women who invest in quality hair,’ Onaopemipo said. ‘Dorasilk is built on research and a commitment to make luxury care more accessible.’

According to market data, Africa’s wig and hair extension industry is valued at over $6 billion and continues to grow rapidly. Dorasilk’s patent-pending ritual system, registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), positions it among the few beauty brands in the region focused on innovation-led formulation and user education.

Onaopemipo, who launched the brand after years of frustration with limited wig care solutions, says her experience as both a consumer and researcher shaped Dorasilk’s creation. The company is headquartered in Abuja, which she describes as ‘a rising hub for African beauty innovation.

Dorasilk is currently raising $2 million in growth capital to support restocking, research and development, marketing, and distribution. The company says the funds will enable it to meet early demand, advance its proprietary complexes, and expand access across key African cities.

The brand has attracted significant early interest, with hundreds joining its waitlist within weeks of pre-launch. Dorasilk’s first retail collection is expected to roll out by November 2025.

Dorasilk is a beauty-tech company based in Abuja, Nigeria, developing technology-powered rituals for wigs and donor hair. The brand combines research, formulation science, and accessible luxury to create structured systems for hair maintenance and longevity.

Moody’s Ratings raised Ghana’s sovereign credit rating, citing improved prospects for debt reduction.

The West African nation’s long-term foreign currency debt was upgraded to Caa1 from Caa2, the ratings agency said on Friday. The outlook was changed to stable from positive.

‘Greater macroeconomic stability and favourable external dynamics are supporting more controlled funding costs and foreign exchange reserve replenishment,’ Moody’s said. The agency cited budgetary previous budget overruns, but noted that ‘nascent improvements to the fiscal framework will help anchor fiscal adjustment.’ Ghana’s new leadership under President John Mahama has pursued fiscal consolidation since coming to power in January to stabilize an economy recovering from a debt restructuring.

That’s helped to reduce public debt to 629 billion cedis ($51.6 billion) or 44.9% of gross domestic product at the end of July, from 764 billion cedis or 64.9% of GDP a year earlier.

Supported by a surge in bullion prices, Africa’s top gold producer also grew its gross international reserves by 43% to $10.7 billion at the end of August, bolstering its ability to meet external payments.

Omoyele Sowore, on Friday, said former President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to engage President Bola Tinubu over the travails of Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in security custody, since August, 2021.

Sowore stated this after meeting with the former President in Abuja, where they discussed the continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu.

Sowore, a renowned human rights activist, and politician, while writing on his X handle, said former President Jonathan agreed that there is an urgent and compelling need to address this matter decisively and justly.

Sowore had in August 2018, founded the African Action Congress (AAC), a political party on whose platform he contested the presidential elections, both in 2019 and 2023 and lost to the incumbent President Bola Tinubu, in 2023.

Sowore expressed his gratitude to the former President for recognising the importance of resolving Kanu’s case in the interest of peace, fairness, and national healing.

According to him, ‘Particularly assuring was that he promised to meet @officialabat to discuss this issue as soon as possible.

‘With this, former President Jonathan joins a growing list of Nigerians who have called for justice in Nnamdi Kanu’s case, a list that already includes ex Vice President @atiku, Femi Falana SAN, Senator @ShehuSani , and many others across political and regional divides.’

He said ‘Kanu remains in detention today because he took up the just cause of confronting the long-standing issue of marginalization in Nigeria.

‘Like other ethnic and regional activists whose politically motivated cases have been withdrawn or dismissed, Nnamdi Kanu should also be released without further delay.’

He appealed to all political, cultural, ethnic, and religious leaders across Nigeria to join this noble cause.

Recall that Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on June 27, 2021, allegedly with the help of the Interpol in Kenya, for prosecution in Nigeria, over alleged treasonable offences.

Interpol however denied involvement in his arrest in 2023.

Since then, he had remained in the custody of the federal government and appeared in courts several times, facing various charges.

Sowore who believes that Nnamdi Kanu should be set free, vowed that he ‘remain firmly committed to peacefully mobilising for justice and freedom in this matter.

‘In particular, I invite my brothers and sisters from the South East @PeterObi, @CCSoludo , @alexottiofr , @FrancisNwifuru , @PeterMbah, @HopeUzodinma , @ObyEzekwesili , John Mbata of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, as well as Nigerians of conscience everywhere, to lend their voices to the call for justice and freedom.’

Sowore had in August 2018, founded the African Action Congress AAC, a on whose platform he contested the presidential election in the 2019 Nigeria, both in 2019 and 2023 and lost to the incumbent President Bola Tinubu .

The Borno State Supervisory Councillors Forum has thrown its towel behind the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for the 2027 presidential election, noting it would consolidate success recorded so far.

Briefing journalists in Maiduguri, Alhaji Kellum Gashau, the chairman of the forum, said the forum is satisfied with President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and the progress of the Renewed Hope Initiative.

The forum commended Vice President Kashim Shettima for his dedication, loyalty and capability, urging President Tinubu to retain him as his running mate in 2027 for continuity and sustained socio-economic gains.

‘We express our profound satisfaction with the progress of the government under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu. We see the Renewed Hope Initiative gradually yielding fruits for Nigerians. We specifically thank the president for the confidence and trust in our son, His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima,’ the forum said. The forum also lauded Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, for his administration’s unprecedented achievements in the 27 local government areas of the state, saying that the governor has recorded tremendous strides by facilitating the safe return of countless internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes.

The chairman of the forum noted that the administration has aggressively driven post-conflict recovery by commissioning thousands of resettlement homes in high-risk areas like Baga, Marte, Gamborun Ngala, Malam Fatori, Damasak, Boso in Niger Republic and some parts of Bama, Ngrosuye, Banki, Pulka and Kirawa in Gwoza local government area.

Olusegun Alebiosu, the Managing Director of FirstBank Group, says the bank is committed to bridging financing gaps and leveraging digital solutions to tackle business challenges across key sectors of the economy.

Alebiosu stated this at a breakfast session during the 31st Nigeria Economic Summit, themed ‘Expanding Access to Finance and Driving Growth Across Middle Market and Emerging Corporate Segments,’ held in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that a prosperous nation is built on the backbone of its real sector, adding that access to finance remains fundamental to unlocking the sector’s full potential.

‘That is why we have placed this subject at the heart of our discussion – to catalyse sustainable growth and inclusion where it matters most,’ he said.

According to him, FirstBank empowers Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and emerging corporates through tailored products and services designed to stimulate growth across their value chains and support Nigeria’s economic evolution.

He stressed that collaboration among policymakers, industry players, and technology partners was vital to achieving lasting impact.

‘By forging partnerships across policy, industry, and technology, we can create an enabling environment that unlocks new opportunities for businesses to thrive. That is the driving purpose of today’s session,’ Alebiosu said.

He highlighted that with a legacy spanning 131 years, FirstBank remains a trusted partner to SMEs and large corporates, offering comprehensive banking solutions that enhance innovation, resilience, and diversification in the economy.

Also speaking, Aishatu Bubaram, the Group Executive, Commercial Banking, North Division, said the middle market and emerging corporates are central to Nigeria’s future prosperity.

She described these enterprises as vibrant drivers of job creation, innovation, and diversification across key sectors such as agribusiness, healthcare, digital services, and light manufacturing.

Bubaram noted that despite their potential, these businesses face persistent challenges, including limited access to finance, inadequate advisory support, and fragile operational ecosystems.

‘FirstBank recognises that addressing these barriers is not just a banking imperative; it is a national imperative,’ she said.

According to her, the bank has continued to support enterprise growth and resilience over its 131-year history, reaffirming its commitment to expanding access to financial solutions, deploying technology to unlock opportunities, and forging partnerships that empower businesses.

‘This session is not merely about banking; it is about reimagining how finance can accelerate inclusion, how policy can create enabling environments, and how collective action can turn Nigeria’s vast entrepreneurial energy into shared prosperity,’ Bubaram added.