brand
Heritage Bank, FAMO provide succor for 300 private school teachers, SMEs
As part of efforts to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 on the education sector, Heritage Bank Plc in partnership with Honourable Fatima Mohammed (FAMO) foundation has provided succor to over 300 affected private school teachers and small medium enterprises (SMEs).
The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, have continued in the shutdown of schools for months leaving the private school teachers without any means of livelihood and no source of income.
To this effect, in alleviating the challenges, Heritage Bank and its partner supported over 300 Private School Teachers and small businesses as palliatives in 15 local governments; including five major markets in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of Ifako Ijaiye, in Lagos State, weekend.
Speaking at the event, Mother Dan-Egwu, Group Head, Education, NGO & Faith Groups, Lagos Mainland Zone of the bank, stated that as educational-friendly financial institution, Heritage Bank appreciates the socio-economic role the sector plays in the country.
According to her, Heritage Bank deemed it necessary to partner FAMO to champion the corporate social responsibility of the bank in supporting private school teachers and small businesses out of hardship and the quagmire plunged into nationwide by the pandemic.
She further explained to journalists that Heritage Bank and the Foundation seek to help teachers in phases.
Dan-Egwu said that this phase will comprise of 300 teachers who will get food items and cash worth Ten Thousand Naira (N10, 000) each.
On the mood of selection adopted, she stated that FAMO selected the teachers based on the regions, as the first phase comprised of 300 teachers and SMEs in the South West (Lagos) would be assisted and the poorest of the poor were the main target through the help of National Association of Private School Teachers (NAPST) to identify those teachers in direst need of the assistance.
She, however, disclosed Heritage Bank’s strategy to provide basic palliative care to the educational system at the resumption of academic activities in schools.
According to her, the bank has three areas of basic supports in providing mentorship program for schools, school portal and school health plan in partnership with Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs).
She further explained that support programs churned out by the bank are designed to instill value and keep students focused on making the best of their lives through corporate models, help school authorities to manage operations and steer them into moving educational system to the new digital era; where teachers can use technology in classroom management, administration, engagement with parents.
For the school health plan, Dan-Egwu hinted Heritage Bank would help to provide a very affordable health plan to ensure that every member of the school community is covered medically, as this will reduce the anxiety amongst teachers, parents and school authorities.
In her address, the Convener of FAMO, Honourable Mohammed, commended Heritage Bank for its bold steps in joining hand-in-hands to support the challenged private school teachers, SMEs sectors and the roles the bank plays in championing CSR in the country.
Mohammed stated that the primary aim was basically to cushion the effect of poverty especially as it concerns the private school teachers.
“The private school teachers because of the pandemic haven’t been paid for 6months and there are a lot of such cases around here. Ifako-Ijaye is the second largest LGA in Lagos State; therefore, it is time to reach out to the people. During the pandemic, we have reached out to them about 2 to 3 times. I reached out to Heritage Bank and they heard my voice just to partner with us with my palliative team just to cushion the effect,” she said.
Meanwhile, for the SME owners, she further stated that additional plans have been agreed upon with the Agency Banking Unit of Heritage Bank to empower them to function as agents in this space.
She also commended Heritage Bank as a youth friendly bank for their numerous supports to young Nigerians in helping to promote their businesses and dreams.
FirstBank, the West Africa premier financial institution and financial inclusion services provider, has strengthened its partnership with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) to reaffirm its commitment to driving sustainable finance and unlocking capital for development. This ongoing partnership was reinforced at the recently concluded Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in Seville, Spain.
The FfD4 Conference brought together global leaders, policymakers, and private sector experts to discuss innovative solutions to address the growing SDG financing gap and unlock capital for development in fragile and underserved regions.
FirstBank’s Chief Risk Officer, Patrick Akhidenor, represented the bank at the conference and highlighted two FirstBank flagship initiatives driving resilience finance in Nigeria: The Solar Equipment Financing initiative and the revamped FirstGem Fund. The Solar Equipment Financing initiative offers tailored financing options for the purchase and installation of solar power systems, ensuring access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. The FirstGem Fund, a women-focused proposition, provides single-digit interest loans to women entrepreneurs without collateral requirements, targeting funding gaps in critical sectors.
‘’We are committed to driving sustainable finance and unlocking capital for development,” said Patrick Akhidenor. “Our partnership with UNGC and participation in the FfD4 Conference demonstrate our dedication to innovative finance solutions that address the SDG financing gap.”
Sanda Ojambo, CEO of UNGC, emphasized the need for innovative, inclusive financial models for underserved regions. “The private sector must play a central role in shaping fit-for-purpose, scalable finance solutions,” she said. “De-risking tools and blended finance can help unlock capital and drive meaningful impact.
FirstBank’s partnership with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and its SMEConnect hub demonstrate its capacity to lead efforts in sustainable finance. The bank provides training, networking, and tailored financing to SMEs across various sectors, including education, healthcare, and retail
Access Holdings PLC, the parent company of Access
brand
GTCO Plc Becomes the 1st Financial Services Institution in West Africa to Achieve Listing and Trading of its Ordinary Shares on the London Stock Exchange
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc), Africa’s leading and most profitable Financial Services Group, has recorded a significant milestone in its growth and expansion journey with the successful admission of its Ordinary Shares to the Equity Shares (International Commercial Companies Secondary Listing) category of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange.
This historic achievement makes GTCO Plc, the 1stFinancial Services Institution in West Africa to dual list its Ordinary Shares on both the Nigerian and London stock exchanges, and subject to certain criteria, it is expected that the Shares will be transferrable between the two exchanges.
The admission follows the successful pricing of its fully marketed offering (The Offering) on the London Stock Exchange to raise gross proceeds of $105million in exchange for 2.29 billion of new ordinary shares in the company, which was supported by a strong book of high-quality, long-term institutional investors.
Concurrent with the Offering, the Company also gave notice of its intention to cancel the listing of its existing GDRs on the certificates representing certain securities (depositary receipts) category of the Official List of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and the admission to trading of GDRs on the London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities.
Building on the momentum of the successful first tranche of its equity capital raise programme in July 2024, which secured ₦209 billion, GTCO will deploy the proceeds from the Offering to strengthen its capital base, meet its recapitalization target, and fund strategic expansion across high-growth markets and priority sectors within and outside Nigeria.
It is expected that Admission and unconditional dealing in the Shares will become effective on or before 8.00 a.m. (UK time) on 9 July 2025 under the ticker “GTHC”. Following the cancellation of the GDRs listing, the Company intends to change the ticker symbol for the Shares from “GTHC” to “GTCO” and will issue a separate announcement in due course to that effect.
Commenting on the LSE Listing, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Today marks a major milestone—not just for GTCO, but for the future we see for African financial institutions on the global stage. We are incredibly proud to be the 1stFinancial Services Institution in West Africa to list our ordinary shares on London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities, and even more honored by the trust placed in us by the investing community. For us, this was not just about raising capital. It was about validating the strength of our franchise, the clarity of our strategy, and the discipline with which we execute.”
He further said; “I would like to thank everyone who made this possible—our advisors and legal teams, our longstanding shareholders, the regulators both in Nigeria and in the UK, as well as the Nigerian government for creating an environment that supports our bold ambition and vision to be Africa’s leading financial services institution.”
GTCO’s fully marketed offering attracted long-term institutional capital, reflecting investor confidence in the Group’s fundamentals, governance, and strategic outlook. It also signals improving market sentiment, buoyed by ongoing economic reforms by the Federal Government and a return to traditional orthodox monetary policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which have gone a long way to stabilising the macroeconomic environment and gradually restoring investor confidence in Nigeria’s long-term prospects.
-
news5 years agoUPDATE: #ENDSARS: CCTV footage of Lekki shootings intact – Says Sanwo – Olu
-
news2 years agoEnvironmental Pollutions : OGONI COMMUNITY CRIES OUT, THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN FIRSTBANK,SHELL OIL COMPANY OPERATIONS FOR NOT PAYING COURT AWARD
-
lifestyle5 years agoFormer Miss World: Mixed reactions trail Agbani Darego’s looks
-
health4 years agoChairman Agege LG, Ganiyu Egunjobi Receives Covid-19 Vaccines
-
lifestyle4 years agoObateru: Celebrating a Quintessential PR Man at 60
-
health5 years agoUPDATE : Nigeria Records 790 new cases of COVID-19
-
politics3 months agoBreaking : Oborevwori , Okowa others dumps PDP, defects to APC
-
news2 months agoBREAKING: Tinubu swears in new NNPCL Board