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Corpreneurship Challenge: Unity Bank Splashes N10M Grant on 30 Corps Members
Unity Bank Entrepreneurship Development Initiative – Corpreneurship Challenge, targeted at empowering fresh graduates and Corp Members on one-year compulsory national youth service has, in its ninth edition of the Corpreneurship Challenge held across 10 States recently, doled out N10 million grant to 30 winners.
The winners emerged after a business pitch presentation held across 10 States; namely, Rivers, Delta, Sokoto, Edo, Abuja, Akwa-Ibom, Osun, Kano, Bayelsa, and Enugu, with each state producing three winners who took home cash grants of N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000.
The winners of this ninth edition included Corp Members focusing developing entreneurship in renewable energy, fashion, beauty, agro-processing, confectionaries, etc.
Some of the winners at the Rivers State NYSC Orientation camp at Nonwa Gbam Tai included Muoneke Gift, whose business plan on renewable energy took home the grand prize of N500, 000; followed by Ilesanmi Olamide’s business proposal on beauty services to claim the N300, 000-business grant for first runner up. Ekanem Moses Idoreyin’s confectionary business proposal took home the N200, 000 grant.
The winners emerged after their business plans were assessed by a panel looking out for business ideas that demonstrate originality, marketability, future employability potential of the product, and knowledge of the business.
The Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge has gradually joined the league of some of the most impactful, youth-focused entrepreneurship development initiatives in Nigeria, empowering no fewer than 100 young entrepreneurs over the past three years.
Recently, one of the beneficiaries in Sokoto, Beulah Yusuf, who emerged as second runner-up in one of the editions successfully launched her recycling business with the grant received from the Bank. She unveiled her products widely acclaimed for addressing environmental pollution and waste management inefficiencies, underscoring the Bank’s motivations to sustain the initiative.
Speaking during the finale at Rivers State NYSC Orientation Camp recently, the Group Head, Retail, E-Business, and SME Banking, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Olufunwa Akinmade, said the Bank was delighted with the impressive records the Corpreneurship Challenge has pulled so far.
“When we launched the initiative in 2019, we set out to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs that will disrupt the job market by creating much-needed jobs across all sectors. Today, we have come a long way and the Corpreneurship Challenge has lived up to its billing.”
Represented by Regional Manager, Port Harcourt Region, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Eto Ukpe, Akinmade reiterated the Bank’s commitment to sustaining the initiative and mainstreaming the Corpreneurship Challenge as a reliable and impactful entrepreneurship and business empowerment and mentorship programme in the country.
“What we have today in the labour market is far from the ideal. However, it is not enough to keep complaining. We must make lemonade out of lemon. We believe that the Corpreneurship Challenge has proved to be one of the most creative approaches to tackling the intractable crisis we have in the job market in Nigeria.”
“Our goal is to expand this programme to all 36 states and sustain it for as long as possible to achieve record impact. We continue to encourage the winners to continue to learn the rudimentary lessons necessary to build a successful business. We emphasize that the budding entrepreneurs who take part in this initiative constantly think about the challenges they will face and put the same energy they all have displayed in preparing for this contest in their businesses as they face their post-service year ahead.”
The Corpreneurship Challenge, which has earned the Bank national recognition for its impact on youth empowerment and job creation, has continued to elicit growing interest among the corps members, attracting over 2000 applicants and participation in every edition.
In partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, the initiative prominently features a business pitch presentation that provides the participants with the opportunity to present their business plans and stand a chance to win up to N500, 000 cash in the business grant.
So far, Unity Bank has invested over N100 million in the initiative which has now produced 118 winners since it was launched in 2019.
LAGOS, NIGERIA – Fidelity Bank Plc has successfully redeemed its 5-Year US$400 million Senior Unsecured Notes at maturity, reaffirming its commitment to meeting its obligations to investors and reinforcing its track record in the international debt capital markets.
Issued on 28 October 2021, the 5-year Eurobond matured on 28 October 2026 and carried an annual coupon of 7.625 per cent, payable semi-annually. Fidelity Bank met all scheduled coupon payments throughout the life of the instrument and has now fulfilled its final repayment obligation in full, covering both principal and accrued interest.
The redemption was funded from internally generated liquidity as part of the Bank’s forward-looking liquidity management strategy. Through a dedicated sinking fund, Fidelity Bank progressively provided for the maturing obligation, enabling the Bank to meet its commitment while maintaining business-as-usual operations and compliance with applicable regulatory liquidity requirements.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr/Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the successful redemption reflected the Bank’s disciplined approach to financial management and its commitment to delivering on its obligations.
“This successful redemption demonstrates the strength of our franchise, the discipline of our balance sheet management and our commitment to honouring our obligations to investors and other stakeholders. We anticipated this maturity from the outset and planned accordingly, which reflects our commitment to responsible financial management,” Onyeali-Ikpe said.
The redemption further strengthens Fidelity Bank’s record in the international debt capital markets. The 2021 issuance marked the Bank’s third Eurobond transaction, following earlier issuances in 2013 and 2017, wherein the Bank raised $300 million and $400 million respectively. The 2021 offer attracted investor orders exceeding US$700 million, reflecting strong demand for the Bank’s international debt offering.
The successful Eurobond redemption follows the completion of Fidelity Bank’s recapitalisation programme ahead of the regulatory deadline. The Bank’s capital-raising efforts increased its eligible regulatory capital to approximately ₦533 billion, exceeding the ₦500 billion minimum capital requirement for banks with international authorisation.
The completion of these milestones underscores Fidelity Bank’s strong capital position, prudent liquidity management and disciplined approach to financial execution. It also reinforces the Bank’s capacity to meet its financial obligations while pursuing its strategic growth objectives across domestic and international markets.
…….GTBank customers can now pay with it and businesses on HabariPay’s Squad gateway can now accept it.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or “the Group“) today announced that two of its subsidiaries are live with Google Pay on the day it launches in Nigeria. Customers of Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (“GTBank”) can add their GTBank debit cards to Google Wallet and pay with Google Pay online, in Nigeria and internationally. Businesses that use Squad, the payment gateway run by the Group’s payments subsidiary HabariPay, can now offer Google Pay to their customers at checkout.
The Group is therefore present at both ends of the same transaction: with the person paying and with the business being paid.
For GTBank customers, the change is simple. They add their GTBank debit card to Google Wallet once. After that, they choose Google Pay at checkout, pick the card and confirm, without typing a card number, expiry date or CVV again. Google Pay replaces the card number with a secure digital token, so the merchant does not receive the actual card details. The card can be used wherever Google Pay is accepted online, including for subscriptions, travel bookings, food delivery, bills and digital services.
For businesses on Squad, “Pay with Google Pay” now sits at the top of the Squad checkout, alongside card, bank transfer, USSD, bank payments and Squad’s buy-now-pay-later options. A customer with a card in Google Wallet selects Google Pay, chooses the card, confirms, and is returned to the merchant’s site once the payment is verified. Google Pay is switched on by default for every business on Squad, and a merchant can choose to turn it off. Merchants set up for international payments can accept Google Pay from customers anywhere in the world, which opens Nigerian businesses to buyers abroad, including the diaspora. Fewer fields mean fewer points at which a customer can abandon a purchase, which matters most to the small and growing businesses that make up much of Squad’s merchant base.
Commenting on the launch, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO, Mr Segun Agbaje, said: “Most failed online payments are not refused, they are abandoned. Somewhere along the way the customer gives up, and the business never learns about the sale it lost. As a customer centric Financial Services Group, we are committed to ensuring that we continue to deliver payment solutions that make transacting safe and simple for our various customer Groups. With Google Pay, what matters to us is that we are ready on both sides from the first day: a GTBank customer can pay with it, and a business on Squad can accept it.”
He added: “This is what a group structure is for. Our Bank and our Payments Business were built to do different jobs, and today they meet at the same checkout. We will keep putting the full weight of the Group behind those small moments where people decide whether paying digitally is worth the effort. When it is, everyone in the transaction wins: the customer, the merchant and the wider economy that depends on both.”
The Managing Director of HabariPay, Mr Eduofon Japhet, said: “For a merchant, every extra field at checkout is a reason for a customer to leave. Squad businesses now get Google Pay inside the checkout they already use, so their customers can pay in a few taps with a card they have already saved. A merchant set up for international payments can now be paid with Google Pay by a customer anywhere in the world, with nothing new to integrate.”
Availability. GTBank customers can add an eligible GTBank debit card through the Google Wallet app on Android or through their Google Account. From today, Google Pay is on by default for all businesses on the Squad payment gateway, and merchants can choose to turn it off. Squad merchants set up for international payments can accept Google Pay from anywhere in the world. More information is available at www.gtbank.com and www.squadco.com.
Zenith Bank Plc is set to host the sixth edition of its flagship technology event, Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026: Future Forward 6.0, on Thursday, November 5, 2026, under the theme, “AI: Embrace or Extinct.”
Renowned for its scale and showcase of technological innovation, the annual Tech Fair has evolved into a platform for connecting ideas, talent and opportunities. Over the years, the event has brought together technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and young innovators to explore emerging technologies, showcase solutions and examine the future of the digital economy.
Conceived by the Bank’s Founder, Jim Ovia, CFR, the initiative reflects his vision of empowering young Nigerians through technology and nurturing inventors capable of developing solutions with global relevance. It also reinforces Zenith Bank’s commitment to digital advancement and the growth of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
The impact of the Tech Fair is evident in the solutions emerging from its competitions. Previous winners include JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retail, and CreditChek, which uses artificial intelligence and open banking to streamline credit verification. At the 2025 edition, TrustLoopwon the hackathon for its digital identity verification solution, while Cubbes Technologies won the startup pitch competition with its AI-powered EdTech learning platform. Through millions in prize funding and mentorship, the Tech Fair continues to support promising innovators in developing practical solutions to real-world challenges.
For the first time, the Tech Fair will be held virtually, opening participation to a wider borderless audience across Nigeria and beyond. This year’s theme explores the growing influence of AI and challenges individuals and organisations to consider howbest to harness its potential in an increasingly technology-driven world. The event will offer participants an opportunity to discover emerging innovations, gain fresh insights and engage with ideas shaping the future of work and business.
The Tech Fair will be accessible via Zoom, Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
Be part of the future of technology. Register now at www.zenithbank.com/techfair and experience the possibilities of AI at Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026.
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