Author: Salisu Sani-Idris

By Taiye Olayemi

Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), Dr Umaru Kwairanga, has bagged the 2026 International Business Achiever Award (IBAA) in recognition of his contributions to business development and leadership.

Kwairanga, who is also the Managing Director of FINMAL Finance Services Ltd., received the award at the British Council in Ghana on Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday, Kwairanga described the recognition as a profound honour and dedicated it to his mentors, colleagues and associates whose support and contributions played significant role in his success.

He specifically acknowledged the support and guidance of Alhaji Umaru Mutallab and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, whom he described as his mentors.

He noted that their discipline, commitment to excellence and leadership had greatly influenced his professional and entrepreneurial journey.

“Their impacts continue to inspire my approach to leadership, business, and service.

“I also dedicate this recognition to the hardworking and loyal team at FINMAL Finance Services Ltd,” he said.

Kwairanga also commended President Bola Tinubu for implementing economic reforms which he said had helped place the nation’s economy on the path of growth.

The NGX Group chairman further lauded the Group Managing Director of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, as well as the board, management and staff of the organisation for their efforts in advancing the Nigerian capital market.

He said their transformative leadership had contributed to positioning the market among the best-performing globally in recent years.

Speaking on leadership and enterprise, Kwairanga emphasised that business success should transcend profitability and focus on creating value, empowering people and supporting economic and social development.

He urged African business leaders and institutions to remain innovative, ethical, inclusive and committed to sustainable growth.

“We must continue to build enterprises that are globally competitive while remaining firmly rooted in service, impact, and African excellence.

“This recognition is therefore not just a celebration of past achievements, but also a reminder that there is still much work to be done.

“This is particularly in deepening financial inclusion, supporting entrepreneurship, strengthening institutions, and unlocking opportunities for the next generation of Africans,” he said.

Kwairanga encouraged young entrepreneurs to remain resilient, disciplined and purpose-driven, as he emphasised that excellence could be built through consistency, vision, hard work and perseverance.

He appreciated M-Gibes College of Business and Management and the organisers of the award for providing a platform that celebrates enterprise, leadership and excellence across Africa. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

By Taiye Olayemi

Discvery Health has announced that Vitality Health International (Africa), its established employer health insurance business, has rebranded to ⁠⁠Discovery Health – Global Health Solutions.

This transition reflects Vitality Health International (Africa)’s established health insurance business – integrated with the Vitality wellness programme and introduces expanded healthcare offerings, delivering continuity for existing clients and enhanced capabilities that meet the evolving healthcare needs of employers and their people across Nigeria and the wider continent.

In Nigeria, Discovery Health – Global Health Solutions continues the long-standing partnership – dating back to 2022 – with Leadway Health HMO, ensuring precise market relevance and a seamless healthcare solution for local employers and their employees.

“While our name is changing, our commitment to our clients and to our core purpose – namely, to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives –remains the same,” explains Emma Knox, CEO of Discovery Health – Global Health Solutions (formerly CEO of Vitality Health International).

“Discovery Health Global enables the future-focused growth of the Vitality Health International (Africa) business in two ways. First; by continuing the proven operating model of partnering with in-market insurers in the rest of Africa to deliver employer-focused solutions, to meet employees’ individual healthcare needs. Second, by enabling expansion into a broader range of solutions that meet our clients’ healthcare needs more completely, such as through our Administration Services Only (ASO)offering – a fully managed healthcare administration solution.”

Driving innovation and excellence through a trusted partnership with Leadway Health HMO

Leadway Health HMO, a subsidiary of Leadway Holdings and an associate company of Leadway Assurance Company limited, is Global Health Solutions’ in-country insurance partner in Nigeria. With more than 50 years of insurance experience in the Nigerian market, Leadway brings scale, trust and regional expertise to the fore.

“Our partnership with Leadway Health has supported our expansion in Nigeria and strengthened our ability to deliver meaningful health insurance solutions at scale,” says Knox. “Together, we are focused on improving health outcomes and contributing to healthier societies.”

Dr Tokunbo Alli, CEO of Leadway Health added said that “We are pleased to continue our relationship through Global Health Solutions. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving access to healthcare and enhancing quality of life for employers and their employees across Nigeria.”

Through Global Health Solutions, employers across Africa will also continue to benefit from access to Discovery Health’s 34 years of experience in healthcare administration and managed care, a support structure that has been integral to Vitality Health International (Africa)’s operations to date.

As South Africa’s largest medical aid administrator and managed care service provider, Discovery Health brings to the fore world-class clinical governance, advanced risk management and one of the most sophisticated healthcare data platforms globally. “Discovery Health remains the backbone of our operations, delivering measurable value, improved health outcomes and sustainable cost management for organisations operating in Africa,” adds Knox.

Knox concludes: “Through Discovery Health – Global Health Solutions, we are moving beyond traditional health insurance to build an integrated healthcare ecosystem for employers across Africa. By bringing together tailored health insurance, the Vitality wellness programme and advanced administration and clinical capabilities on a single platform, we can meet a far broader range of healthcare needs for employers and their people, while staying true to Discovery’s core purpose: making people healthier and enhancing and protecting their lives.”

Global Health Solutions is a division of Discovery Health, a subsidiary of the renowned Discovery Group, which leverages over 30 years of financial services expertise and operates in more than 37 countries worldwide.

Discovery Health is South Africa’s leading medical scheme administrator and managed care organisation, with more than three decades of experience in delivering high quality, sustainable healthcare solutions at scale. The business was established in 1992 with the core purpose of making people healthier and enhancing and protecting their lives.

By Taiye Olayemi

The Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Umaru Kwairanga, has urged stronger financing structures for Africa’s expanding creative and technology sectors.

Kwairanga made the appeal at the Africa Soft Power Summit holding in Nairobi.

In a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he stressed the need for institutional backing to unlock Africa’s creative economy’s full economic potential.

The summit, which began on Wednesday, is expected to conclude on Saturday, bringing together policymakers, investors, creatives and technology stakeholders.

Kwairanga said African financial institutions and capital market operators must begin treating creative and technology sectors as viable investment asset classes.

He warned against reducing Africa’s booming cultural industries to “mere cultural side notes” in spite of their growing global influence and economic significance.

According to him, Africa’s expanding footprint in music, film, arts and technology presents enormous opportunities for sustainable wealth creation and investment growth.

He noted that African creativity was increasingly attracting international attention, while capital markets across Sub-Saharan Africa were simultaneously witnessing renewed momentum.

“Today we are asking what it takes to move Africa’s creative, technological and cultural influence from visibility to ownership.

“We must move from global attention to durable economic value that benefits African entrepreneurs, investors and economies,” he said.

Kwairanga explained that capital markets existed primarily to connect investors with viable opportunities capable of generating long-term value and economic development.

He described Africa’s creative economy as one of the continent’s “hidden gems” requiring improved financing systems, monetisation frameworks and stronger value-chain development.

The NGX Group chairman questioned whether internationally celebrated African artistes were fully benefitting from the enormous revenues generated by their global popularity.

He specifically mentioned Tyla, Burna Boy and Diamond Platnumz as examples.

Kwairanga raised concerns about whether branding rights, copyrights, ticketing proceeds and concert revenues were properly structured to maximise African ownership.

He also questioned whether workers supporting Africa’s film industries were receiving fair financial rewards for their contributions and labour.

According to him, thousands of professionals operating behind the scenes in Nollywood and East Africa’s movie industry remained inadequately compensated.

Kwairanga further urged stakeholders to replicate the achievements of Safaricom across Africa’s growing technology hubs.

He said stronger institutional frameworks, funding models and supportive government policies were necessary to nurture innovation and digital enterprise across the continent.

According to him, African capital markets must evolve rapidly alongside emerging industries driven by intellectual property, technology and creative talent.

“At Nigerian Exchange Group, we believe the exchange of the future must connect with creators and technology-driven businesses,” he said.

Kwairanga added that entrepreneurs and innovators shaping Africa’s next phase of economic growth deserved stronger access to funding and investment opportunities.

By Taiye Olayemi

Stakeholders in the health and nutrition sector have called for greater collaboration among governments, development partners and communities to address rising cases of malnutrition and improve nutrition outcomes across the country.

They warned that poor nutrition outcomes would continue to affect generations if left unresolved.

The stakeholders made the call at the 2026 edition of the Nestlé for Good Summit held on Thursday in Lagos.

The theme of the programme was: “Nutrition Across the Life Stages: Closing Nutrition Gaps Through a Coordinated Approach”.

They noted that Nigeria continued to face the burden of malnutrition, with undernutrition and obesity coexisting across different population groups.

The Programme Team Lead of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Mrs Amaka Nwaora, said nutrition challenges begin from conception and could persist throughout life if interventions were not introduced early.

According to her, Nigeria records high levels of stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia among women and children under five years.

She added that obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses were also increasing.

“Nigeria is dealing with undernutrition and overnutrition at the same time.

“The answer to this is collaboration.

“If these issues are not addressed early, they continue across generations and create wider health and economic problems for society,” she said.

Also speaking, the Country Director of IDH Nigeria, Prof. Eniola Fabusoro, said the country did not necessarily lack nutrition programmes or policies but needed to improve access to and affordability of healthy foods.

According to him, increasing food production alone would not solve malnutrition if vulnerable households could not afford nutritious meals.

He called for more collaboration among government agencies, development partners and private sector organisations to improve sustainable nutrition outcomes.

“We need to improve the purchasing power of vulnerable people.

“The question is not just whether food is available in the market, but whether ordinary Nigerians can afford it,” he said.

On efforts to bridge the nutrition gap, Ms Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead of Nestlé Nigeria, said the company was promoting nutrition across all life stages through education, research and product innovation.

Uwadoka said Nestlé was working with stakeholders across the health and nutrition ecosystem to provide science-based nutrition information and products tailored to local nutritional needs.

According to her, the company’s nutrition strategy in West Africa focuses strongly on addressing iron deficiency and anaemia through fortified products and innovation.

She added that the company had expanded its focus beyond infant nutrition to healthy ageing and nutrition support for older adults.

“We are improving access to nutrition information, investing in innovation and developing products that address nutritional needs across different life stages,” she said.

Mrs Taiwo Fadairo, State Nutrition Officer at the Directorate of Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, urged stakeholders to work together to ensure more Nigerians could afford healthy meals.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Managing Director of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr Wassim Elhusseini, said the summit reflected the company’s commitment to creating shared value through nutrition, thriving communities and environmental sustainability.

He said nutrition should not only be viewed as food on the shelf, but as a complete system involving sourcing, production, storage, distribution and accessibility.

“When livelihoods improve and systems work better, families become healthier and communities become more resilient,” he said.

Elhusseini said the company had continued to invest in grain quality improvement, dairy development, women’s empowerment, youth upskilling and regenerative agriculture to strengthen food systems in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Sustainability Manager of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Ms Chinwe Obi, enlightened participants on the company’s sustainability agenda, which she said was anchored on protecting and strengthening systems that support communities and business operations.

Obi explained that Nestlé’s sustainability initiatives were interconnected and guided by the principle of safeguarding critical systems such as water resources, agriculture and supply chains.

“All of the initiatives we have spoken about are connected by one basic principle: protecting the systems that we depend on, ensuring that we enhance them, and ensuring that we strengthen them,” she said.

Obi identified water stewardship initiatives as one of the company’s key interventions, noting that access to clean and reliable water remained essential for communities.

She said the company’s water regeneration and conservation programmes were designed to improve access to quality water while promoting responsible water use.

“Communities depend on access to water, and that is why we invest in water regeneration and conservation efforts,” she said.

She also highlighted the company’s regenerative agriculture programme, which focuses on improving soil health and supporting farmers’ livelihoods.

According to her, sustainable farming practices not only protect the environment but also improve agricultural yields and strengthen incomes for farming communities. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

By Taiye Olayemi

Compliance and governance experts on Thursday called for stronger ethical leadership, compliance systems and accountability frameworks across Africa to boost investor confidence and global repositioning.
They spoke at the Africa Ethical Compliance Future Summit in Lagos with the theme ‘Culture, Conduct and Global Standards’.
Compliance expert, Muthoni Oriewo, said ethical values must begin at home and continue in organisations.
She said growing shortcuts, favouritism and unethical behaviour were shaping workforce quality in organisations.
She cited parents using influence to secure school admissions and jobs for children over more qualified candidates.
According to her, such practices later manifest in workplaces and weaken governance systems.
“The future of compliance in Africa lies in the people we are raising, mentoring and sponsoring.
“If we raise children who do not understand accountability and responsibility, we will continue to face governance and ethical challenges in the future,” she said.
Oriewo emphasised that effective compliance programmes must be driven by leadership and organisational culture.
She said leaders must demonstrate integrity, ethics and compliance in personal and professional conduct.
“Compliance gives organisations credibility, operational resilience and investor confidence.
“Most global investors and multinational companies now require strong compliance frameworks before doing business,” she said.
The expert advised organisations to invest in human resources and AI tools for compliance monitoring and risk management.
Oriewo cautioned that AI should complement human judgment rather than replace it.
“AI does not have a moral compass. It only learns from information humans provide,” she said.
She called for stronger whistleblower protection frameworks across Africa to encourage reporting of misconduct.
According to her, organisations must create safe reporting channels and protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
Oriewo advocated African regulatory cooperation and information sharing to strengthen cross-border enforcement.
Idris Belo-Osagie, Special Adviser to the Finance Minister and Senior Partner at Armada Associates, said compliance officers were macroeconomic actors influencing investor confidence.
He urged boards to treat governance as value-creating rather than box-ticking compliance.
Belo-Osagie said regulatory consistency was critical as investors price signals into decisions.
Ayobami Adisa, Founder of Graypatch Advisory, said Africa must change negative governance perceptions.
“Until we change wrong perceptions about Nigeria and Africa, global scrutiny of businesses will persist,” he said.
He said organisations were judged by profitability, governance culture, transparency and leadership integrity.
Adisa urged continuous professional development for compliance professionals to remain globally competitive.
He said Africa had exceptional professionals capable of global standards with right institutional support.
Ina Alogwu, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at T2 Mobile, urged proactive compliance and risk management systems.
He said businesses should adopt predictive data systems to anticipate risks and customer needs.
According to him, compliance must evolve with customer expectations and technological advancement.
He urged firms to prioritise transparency, responsible data use and cyber resilience to build trust.
He warned against treating customer data as commercial asset without consent.
Adetokunbo Omotosho, Chief Executive Officer of Cybervergent Inc., likened customer data to a treasured possession requiring protection.
He said protecting data strengthens trust, reputation and long-term business advantage.
Edidiong Akan, Chief Compliance Officer at Stanbic IBTC Pension, urged strong ethical culture empowering employees to resist unethical demands.
Akan also stressed cybersecurity discipline and warned against password compromise or security breaches.
She emphasised organisations must continuously communicate values and ethical standards to employees.
According to her, integrity violations should not be tolerated, even if mistakes can be corrected through training. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

By Taiye Olayemi

Leadway Assurance says it paid N137 billion in claims during the 2025 financial year, representing a 17 per cent increase from 2024.

The company disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos, highlighting sustained growth across its life, annuity and non-life insurance businesses.

Leadway said the increased claims payout reflected its strong capacity to meet obligations in spite of prevailing economic challenges affecting businesses and households nationwide.

According to the insurer, non-life business claims accounted for N55.4 billion, while annuity payments reached N57.9 billion during the review period.

The company added that life insurance claims stood at N23.7 billion, contributing to the overall N137 billion claims settled in 2025.

Leadway also recorded a 30 per cent increase in insurance revenue, rising from N173.2 billion in 2024 to N225.3 billion in 2025.

The insurer attributed the revenue growth to expansion across business segments and sustained customer demand for insurance products and services.

The company said total assets increased from N1.024 trillion in 2024 to N1.155 trillion in 2025, strengthening liquidity and balance sheet capacity.

Chief Executive Officer, Gboyega Lesi, said the performance reflected resilience in the company’s business model and growing customer confidence.

“Our 2025 performance reflects the resilience of our business model and the trust customers continue to place in the Leadway brand.

“Paying N137 billion in claims across annuity, life and non-life portfolios demonstrates the strength of our balance sheet and customer-first commitment,” he said.

Lesi said the company remained positioned to drive innovation and deepen insurance penetration under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025.

He added that Leadway would continue prioritising technology-driven innovation, operational efficiency and improved customer experience across its operations nationwide.

According to him, product development initiatives would also expand access to insurance solutions and strengthen long-term value for customers and stakeholders.

Leadway expressed optimism about the insurance industry’s long-term growth prospects amid increasing awareness, digital adoption and ongoing regulatory reforms across Nigeria. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)