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8 CONTESTANTS SEEK VIEWERS VOTES, AS FIRSTBANK-SPONSORED THE VOICE NIGERIA SEASON 3 ENTERS LIVE SHOWS

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By Bolaji Israel

With an electrifying mix of pulsating musical performances, music training, glamorous fashion and life enriching entertainment, the The Voice Nigeria 3 continues to dazzle to the very grand finale.The fate of eight amazing music talents now lies with the viewers votes for a chance to fight for the grand prize as the world acclaimed music talents reality series, the Voice Nigeria 3 sponsored by FirstBank, Baba Ijebu and Airtel entered the much awaited Live Shows stage in Nigeria. The music show is produced by UN1TY Limited and Livespot360.Out of the twelve talents that made it to the live shows, the four celebrity coaches cum judges only picked one each following spectacular performances, leaving eight badly in need of the voters life-lines.The lucky four were Eazzie, Naomi Mac, Esther and Kitay while the highly gifted and promising Dapo, Kpee, Inioluwa, Nuel Ayo, Jeremiah, Toeseen, Anu and Tamara can now only be saved by the viewers votes by dialing *894*7*talent’s code#. More details of the show can be gotten via this link https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/the-voice-nigeria/ Fifteen weeks into the FirstBank- powered world-class show, eight outstanding talents had earlier emerged from the pack while viewers saved Toeseen, Jeremiah, Nuel Ayo and Tamara offering them an opportunity to perform at the live shows and raising the tally to twelve.All four saved talents are now in need of a second chance as they are part of the eight that needs viewers votes again.Meanwhile, all twelve talents had given their best with the performances of various songs at the live shows witnessed for the first time by not only judges but also a small audience.It was team Waje that first opened the live show kicking off with a powerful singer, Eazzie in a vibrant performance of Omawumi’s “If You Ask Me” then Inioluwa with a soulful delivery of “Essence” by Wizkid featuring Tems followed by Nuel Ayo with an angelic delivery of Diamonds by Rihanna. Coach Waje chose Eazzie leaving Inioluwa and Nuel to the viewers vote.Team Darey then took over the stage first with Esther who wowed the audience with a superb delivery of another Omawumi classic, “In the Music” followed by Jeremiah with a princely delivery of Teni’s Billionaire and the flamboyant Kpee in a different mode singing Roju by a Voice Nigeria alumni, Chike. At the end, Darey chose Esther, leaving Kpee and Jeremiah.It was soon Team Yemi’s turn to dazzle with Toeseen performing “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, then Kitay delivering an emotional Luther Vandross classic, “Dance with My father” followed by Anu’s rendition of “Feeling Good” by Nino Simone. Expectedly, Yemi saved Kitay.Tamara’s rendition of Beyonce’s “Halo” ushered in Team Falz, followed by Dapo’s performance of John Legend ‘s classic, Ordinary People, and Naomi Mac’s delivery of John Legend’s revolutionary song, Glory. At the end, Naomi was saved by Falz, leaving Dapo and returnee Tamara to the viewers votes.With an electrifying mix of pulsating musical performances, music training, glamorous fashion and life enriching entertainment, the The Voice Nigeria 3 continues to dazzle to the very grand finale.Lead show sponsor, FirstBank in a statement by its Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, reiterated that The Voice Nigeria 3 is a Reality TV show designed to discover and promote talented singers to actualise their dreams of becoming international stars which aligns with FirstBank’s commitment to providing a platform for nurturing and showcasing talents and driving social cohesion.The Financial giant added that its support for The Voice Nigeria 3 is a demonstration of FirstBank’s commitment to contributing to the projected revenue of US$86m by 2021 from Nigeria’s music industry aimed at promoting a diversified economy in line with the Federal Government’s diversification policy.

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GTCO Plc Releases 2025 Full Year Audited Result …Declares Another Record Dividend of 12.76k;

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Re-affirming Unrivalled Capacity to Creating Value₦ Lagos, London – 31st March 2026Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Audited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE).The Group reported profit before tax of 1.23trillion underpinned by strong growth in core earnings, with interest₦ income and fee income increasing y-o-y by 23.2% and 25.9%, respectively. The performance reaffirms its capacity to generate sustainable earnings and builds on the momentum from 2024, when GTCO delivered a record profit of 1.27trillion, driven in part by 517.5billion in fair value gains, which did not recur in 2025.₦ ₦The Group’s 2025 profit after tax came in at 865.75billion against 1.02trillion recorded in 2024. The profit after tax₦ ₦ reflects the impact of recent fiscal policy adjustments to the taxation of investment securities, notably withholding tax on short-term instruments. However, when normalised for this effect, underlying earnings remain robust, driven by growth in core operating income. The Group continues to maintain a well-structured, healthy, and diversified balance sheet in all the jurisdictions wherein it operates a Banking franchise, as well as across its Payments, Pension and Funds Management business verticals. Total assets and shareholders’ funds closed at 1₦ 7.8trillion and 3.₦ 4trillion, respectively. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very robust and strong, closing at 43.8%, likewise asset quality improved as evidenced by IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans which closed at 3.4% and 5.0% at Bank and Group level in FY-2025 (Bank, 3.5%, and Group, 5.2% in December 2024). Cost of Risk (COR) also improved to 2.2% from 4.9% in December 2024. In specific terms, the Group’s loan book (net) grew by 12.4% from 2.79trillion as of December 2024 to₦ 3.13trillion in December 2025. Similarly, deposit liabilities grew by 23.8% from 10.40trillion to 12.87trillion during₦ ₦ ₦ the same period.Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Our 2025 result underscores the resilience and depth of our earnings capacity. Following a record 2024, which included significant fair value gains, our focus has been on strengthening the sustainability of our earnings by driving growth across our core banking and ecosystem businesses. The strength of our underlying earnings, despite a stronger Naira and tighter regulatory parameters, reflects the quality of our franchise and the discipline with which we execute our strategy. Importantly, this strong core earnings performance underpins our capacity to sustain and grow shareholder returns. Our record dividend payout this year is not only a reflection of our current profitability but also of our confidence in the Group’s long-term earnings potential. Looking ahead, we remain focused on scaling our ecosystem, driving innovation across our financial services platform, and delivering consistent, high-quality earnings that support superior value creation for our shareholders.”Overall, the Group continues to post one of the best metrics in the Nigerian Financial Services Industry in terms of key financial ratios i.e., Post-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 28.3%, Post-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 5.3%, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 43.8% and Cost to Income Ratio of 27.9%.Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc is a leading financial services group with operations across Africa and the United Kingdom. Renowned for its strong corporate governance, innovative financial solutions, and customer-centric approach, the Group provides a wide range of banking and non-banking services including payments, funds management, and pension fund administration. GTCO Plc is committed to delivering long-term value to stakeholders while driving growth and development across its markets.

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Zenith Bank and Ford Foundation Honour Unsung ‘Sheroes’ with Inaugural Woman of Power Award

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On  Saturday, March 28 2026, Zenith Bank held the climax of its month-long activities to commemorate March as women’s month. The event which held at The Civic Centre, was the second of such activity at the Centre, having held the International Women Day Seminar on the 9th of March, 2026. The event was to honour and give awards to exceptional women who have shown resilience in their communities with heir vocation impacting lives sustainably.Speakers after speakers eulogized Zenith Bank for its people-centred activities and appreciated the Ford Foundation for identifying the Bank as a worthy partner in its push to support women in their peculiar cultural and economic conditions across the world.Themed “Celebrating Resilience, Leadership, and Generosity” the award recognised 19 women who were selected from the six geo-political zones in trade, petty manufacturing, education, and agriculture. These women demonstrated extraordinary strength, leadership, and impact despite the significant challenges posed by the difficult economic situation in the country.According to the organisers, the initiative provided a platform to showcase unsung “Sheroes” — everyday women who are making meaningful contributions in their communities and fields. These include market women, small-scale business owners, community leaders, educators, healthcare workers, and many others whose vital roles often go unnoticed.The sponsors of the event noted that each awardee exhibited excellence in several key areas, including leadership and initiative, community impact, innovativeness and resourcefulness, perseverance, integrity, community trust, and philanthropy.Among those honoured were: Mrs Regina Amankulor, a retired nurse empowering young people in Umuode-Nsulu community, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Abia State; Mary Matanmi, Coordinator of the Nigeria Association of Hairdressers, Barbers and Cosmetologists, Lagos State chapter; Ifeanyi P. Ugwueze, a Guidance Counsellor and Life Coach who continues to thrive despite blindness and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree.

Others include: Amina Musa, a trade educator based in Karonmajiji, AMAC, Abuja; Adenike A. Lambo, the Iyaloja of Ilorin; Sadiya Abubakar, an educator in Jibi (Deidei), Bwari Area Council, FCT; Erikan Idem Andrew, a market woman with significant community impact in Port Harcourt; Ngozi B. Nwankpa, an Aba-based fashion designer; Hadiza Umar, a Development Specialist based in Kaduna, Kaduna State; Joy C. Ezenwa (aka Mama Amala), a trader at Sabon Gari Market, Kano; Shola Esther Babalola (Mama Sho), promoter of natural honey and founder of the Mama Sho Honey brand in Lagos; Josephine Ugwu, a staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), honoured for her honesty in recovering and returning millions of naira mistakenly dropped by passengers at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. And many others.In her keynote address, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, who was represented by Executive Director, Adobi Nwapa, praised the awardees and reaffirmed the bank’s strong commitment to women’s empowerment. She noted that “Zenith Bank’s commitment to gender inclusion is not a rhetoric but one of the ethos that the bank holds very dearly”. In her words, she also said, “Zenith Bank has a 50-50 gender ratio with women occupying strategic positions in the bank’s management and Board up to the current Group Managing Director being the very first female to hold that position.The Regional Director of the Ford Foundation, Dr Chichi Aniagolu, described the Woman of Power Award as an eye-opener, noting that her team’s journey across the country revealed the vast and often overlooked facets of human potential among Nigerian women.Both the Ford Foundation and Zenith Bank Plc have pledged to sustain and grow the initiative in the coming years.Zenith Bank used the forum to notify the women of their various women-targeted products and initiatives, including the Z-Woman initiative, and the Bank’s 19-year sole sponsorship of the NBBF Women’s Basketball League; thus, further highlighting its position at the forefront of women empowerment and economic inclusion across the country.

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ZENITH BANK APPOINTS KENNEDY OKWUDILI AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Zenith  Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Kennedy Onuwa Okwudili as an Executive Director of the bank effective May 1, 2026. The appointment, which is consistent with the bank’s tradition and succession strategy of grooming leaders from within, will further strengthen the bank’s Executive Management.Mr. Okwudili graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Accounting in 1998 from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, with a Second Class Upper division. He obtained a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria in 2008 and a Masters of Science in Accounting from Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria in 2021.Mr. Okwudili has over twenty-five years of cognate banking experience spanning credit and marketing, treasury, compliance as well as operations and had at different times worked in various zones and departments of the bank. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), 2013, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), 2024 and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), 2016. He has attended several Executive Education Programmes both within and outside the country, including: Senior Leadership Development Programme at the Lagos Business School, Corporate Directorship Programme at the Harvard Business School and Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford, SAID Business School.He is currently the President of Catholic Bankers Association of Nigeria (CBAN) and a member of the Noble Order of the Knights of St. John International (KSJI).

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