The GTBank Fashion Weekend has become a platform for showcasing Africa’s Finest and promoting real commerce for small businesses in the fashion industry.
Created in 2016, the event showcased giants in the African fashion industry and celebrities alike who were brought together at the GTCentre, Oniru Estate Victoria Island, Lagos.
Present at the runway event was Alhaji Aliko Dangote, owner, Dangote Group, among other notable guests present at the event.
Designers that displayed their creatives on the runway on day 1 of the GTBank Fashion Week 2019 are threeASFOUR, Odio Mimonet, Mantsho, Haus of Stone, Style Temple, Nkwo, Tzar Studios, Thula Sindi, Lezanne Viviers.
Below are some of the runway scoops from day 1.
Photos: Ayodele Efunla
OPay a provider of payment, ride-hailing, food delivery and loan services have been given approval by Nigeria’s Apex Bank Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to commence international money transfer in Nigeria. With the approval, OPay will start facilitating remittance B2B, B2P and P2P remittance services into Nigeria. This is coming off the heels of the earlier announced $50 million fundraised from major venture capitalist some months ago.
“The plan is to distort the remittance space and ensure that international money transfer into Nigeria is safer, faster and more affordable” according to Kunle Olamuyiwa, Director of Remittances Services at OPay. With OPay’s infrastructure in Nigeria, it will be easier and faster for global remittance companies to partner with OPay to help their customers to receive money from their business partners, customers and loved ones directly into their OPay wallet and any bank account or mobile wallet in Nigeria. Also, recipients can go cash out their funds from their OPay wallets at any of over 100,000 OPay mobile money agents in Nigeria.
“We are already working with major global remittance companies around the world and will start facilitating remittances to Nigeria with these partners, ensuring the best fees and exchange rates, speed and security,” said Kunle.
When asked how this will benefit the recipients of money transfers in Nigeria, Kunle said “ There is a plan to commence a big-bang promo in December with lots of prices for recipients of money transfer who receive their money directly into their OPay wallets. I can only advise everyone who has families around the world to get an OPay Wallet. They will get better value for these funds doing transfers to any bank, paying their bills, buying food and also using our on-demand transport services i.e. Oride, OBus and Otrike. And on top of all, they can channel unused funds to OWealth and earn interest on it daily. It is indeed better times for recipients of international money transfers in Nigeria”
OPay launched its mobile payment service in August 2018, creating an infrastructure on which the company is now also adding new services. The agent-centric mobile payment operation focused on reaching the massive unbanked population of Nigeria. Currently, OPay has expanded into other verticals like ride-hailing (ORide and OTrike), and online food delivery (OFood), as well as facilitating access to third-party provided microloans (OKash) and wealth management (OWealth) and there will be more to come in the coming months.
Dangote Industries has signed an agreement with the Togolese government to set up a cement and fertilizer factory in the country.
Phosphate reserves in Togo will be made into phosphate fertilizers making Dangote Group the largest ammonia producer in Africa.
Under the agreement, Togo will provide access to phosphate resources and the Dangote Group will provide access to ammonia and to the Nigerian market.
The fertilizer project is estimated to cost $2 billion and mining development work will start before the end of 2019.
The cement factory, with an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, will use clinker from Togo and Nigeria and will meet both local and neighbouring countries’ demand.
The construction of the cement plant in Lome is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2020 and its commissioning scheduled to take place before the end of 2020. The investment is estimated at $60 million and is expected to create 500 direct jobs.
Commenting on the agreement, Faure Gnassingbé, the Togolese president, said: “The structural transformation of our economy is the main objective we have set ourselves in the context of the 2018-2022 NDP.
“By processing our phosphate we will not only create jobs but we will also be able to provide our farmers with good quality fertilizers at an affordable cost.
“Having an industrial investor like Alhaji Dangoté shows that our efforts to improve the business climate are paying off. We intend to continue in this dynamic for the well-being of Togolese men and women.”
Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, said, “This partnership is in line with our transformation agenda in creating prosperity and enhancing economic development not only in Togo but also in Africa.
“In addition, the Dangote Group is determined in supporting the Government of Togo in its industrialisation strategy aimed at creating jobs for its citizens and making Togo an attractive investment destination.”
A waste management company, WestAfricaENRG, has threatened to employ available options to challenge its disengagement by the Oyo State government for alleged lack of performance.
The company stated this in a statement issued by Mr Paul O’Callaghan, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, and made available to newsmen on Saturday, in Ibadan.
Hon. Kehinde Ayoola, the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, had, on Friday, announced the termination of the company’s contract with the state government.
The commissioner had hinged the contract termination on the allegation that the company had failed to live up to expectation in waste management, claiming that the state experienced unbearable heaps of refuse in the last four weeks.
“The company has failed in its performance under the contract it signed with Oyo State government, which is significant enough for the state to terminate the contract.
“Being the main employer of the contractor, the Oyo State government has deemed it fit to relieve West Africa Energy of its duties, so as to ensure efficient waste management in the state,” Ayoola said.
However, O’Callaghan said that the company was constrained to defend its integrity by responding to the announcement by the commissioner terminating the contract with the state government due to material breach.
He said that the development did not only come as a rude shock, but also represented a breach of procedure for contract’s termination.
According to O’Callaghan, “we categorically deny any material breach of our contract and this is the first time we have heard of any such matter.
“WestAfricaENRG is an international company, working in waste management and recycling in most ECOWAS countries, including many states across Nigeria,” he said.
O’Callaghan described his company as one of the largest private investors in the waste management sector in Nigeria, adding that it was a major job creator in Oyo State.
He stressed that the company had been subjected to the contracts review committee during which, he said, no fault was found.
“Subsequently, the company was invited to several meetings of the ad-hoc committee on waste management to give situation reports, perspectives and solutions to the menace of refuse collection and waste management in the state,” he said.
O’Callaghan revealed that the report of the ad-hoc committee was presented to, and accepted by, Gov. Seyi Makinde on Oct. 16, stating that his company had performed creditably-well.
He said that the committee found government to have failed in its responsibility of compelling local governments in the state to enforce waste disposal and street trading, among other matters.
The company’s boss said that the committee also advised government against the politicisation of waste management, saying that this was a key factor in the menace of solid waste in Ibadan metropolis.
“In fact, the only mention of WestAfricaENRG in the report stated that we have made tremendous achievements regarding the cleaning the city from the immediate post-election challenges.
“We are, therefore, at a loss as to when our company did not live up to expectation.
O’Callaghan advised the state government to review its action, as the company would be left with no choice than to explore other options to challenge what he called unlawful disengagement.
Some rice traders at Ota in Ogun on Saturday attributed the current hike in the price of local rice to unregulated activities of middlemen distributing the commodity across the country.
The traders expressed the viewpoint in separate interviews with newsmen while reacting to the recent land border closure by the Federal Government.
According to the rice sellers, there is no scarcity of local rice but dealers who acted as middlemen between the sellers and the rice millers are the ones responsible for the high price of the commodity.
Alhaja Nurat Mustapha, a local rice sellerbat Oja Market in Ota, said she bought a 50 kg bag of the commodity at N22,000 and sold for between N23,000 and N24,000.
“We are even surprised that Nigeria has enough rice. We always get the rice when we need it, and people are really happy with what they are buying.
“I now eat local rice, and I must say it is very delicious, we just need some time to adjust to the new policy; but the dealers, who buy in bulk from the farmers in the North should be cautioned,” she said.
Another trader, Mr Ojo Adekunle, noted that some locally-produced rice that could match the quality of the imported brands.
According to him, those brands are selling faster because it has been properly de-stoned and well-polished.
“After the closure, it becomes difficult to get imported rice. So, all the rice I sell now are local products, but some of them actually look like the imported type, you will never know that it is a local brand until you cook it.
“I am particularly happy with the closure because a lot of the substandard rice coming in has stopped. We just have problems with the dealers bringing the commodity from the North.
“You might go to them to buy 20 bags of 50 kg at N20,000 each today, and tomorrow they will sell at N21,000; so, we need to regulate them,” he said.
Mr Paul Obike, another trader, said the border should remain closed because it was going to be a win-win situation for everybody.
“I would not want the border to be re-opened because this is just the initial stage, we will adapt accordingly as time goes on. People are buying the local rice and I am sure the price will soon normalise,” he said.
A customer at the market, Ms Bolanle Gbadebo, said the commodity was very expensive, adding that rice was Nigerian’s staple food and the most popular diet of the people.
“For now, we do not have a choice. I just bought a paint bucket measure of local rice at N1,800; but before the border closure, it was N1,200.
“Although I support that government leaves the border closed, so that our farmers will have a market to sell their produce. We cannot continue to depend on imported things,” she said.
Prices of the commodity were similar when NAN checked at the Iyana-Ota and Ojuoore markets, both in Sango-Ota, Ogun but with a slight difference of less than N100, depending on the quality.
A De Rica measure of rice, which sold at N200 before, now sells at N250, N300 and N350, depending on the quality.
Also, a paint bucket measure, which was sold for N1,200, now goes for between N1,700 and N1,800, while those traders who had the imported rice, sold at N2,000 for that measure.
Meanwhile the price of vegetable oil has also increased considerably at the markets.
A vegetable oil trader, Mrs Victoria Abike, said that a 20-litre of the commodity, which used to sell for N8,000, now attracts N13,500.
Abike said that a bottle of vegetable oil now costs N350 while the five-litre measure goes for N2,800. (NAN)
The Nigerian Army Council has approved the promotion of 34 Brigadiers-General to the rank of Majors-General and 47 Colonels to the rank of Brigadiers- General respectively.
The new promotion was announced in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, on Sunday in Abuja.
Those promoted to the rank of Major General, according to Musa are: Brigadiers-General. S Idris, Defence Headquarters, D.C Onyemulu, Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre Oshodi, and B.O Sawyer, Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans.
Others are: G.S Abdullahi, Defence Headquarters, I.M Obot, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, A.L Lawal, Nigerian High Commission, Cairo Egypt and L.A Adegboye, Headquarters 82 Division Enugu.
Also on the list are: A.B Ibrahim, Department of Training and Operations, P.B Fakroga Headquarters Nigerian Army Women Corps, C.K Nwosu, Nigerian Army Special Forces School, Buni Yadi, and H.I Bature, Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command, Minna.
The other new Brigadiers- General are: A.L Dusu, Defence Headquarters,M.A Masanawa, Ammunition Central Depot Agunu, Kachia, J.A Ataguba, Land Forces Simulation Centre, Abuja, A.E Attu, National Defence College, Abuja, B.A Isandu, Nigerian Army Intelligence School, Lagos, S.S Araoye, Command Engineering Depot Kaduna and M.S Ahmed, SI List Nigerian Embasy Riyadh.
They also include GAT Ochigbano, Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary, T.A Lagbaja, Headquarters 2 Brigade Abak Uyo, L.A Fejokwu, Army Headquarters Department of Administration, P.E Eromosele, National Defence College, A.M Alabi, Headquarters Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE Maiduguri.
Musa further disclosed that Brigadier Generals G.O Adesina, Department of Policy and Plans, M.M Bunza, Nigerian Military School Zaria, A.A Adesope, Directorate of Audit and Financial Management Office of the Chief of Army Staff and K.I Muktar, Department of Administration ‘Army’, were also promoted.
He added that O.O Olatunde, Headquarters 35 Brigade, – was posthumously promoted while E.A Ndagi, Office of the National Security Adviser, K.O Aligbe Defence Headquarters, U.A Yusuf, African Standby Force ECOWAS Headquarters, Abuja were on the list of the newly promoted major generals.
According to him, O.C Ajunwa, Nigerian Embassy Brasilia, F.O Omoigui, Department of Training and Operations (Army) and O.A Akinyemi, Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Badagry, Lagos were also promoted.
“Those promoted to Brigadier Generals are Colonels B.Y.D Sakaba, Defence Headquarters Abuja, A.Y Bwala 302 Artillery Regiment Onitsha, A.A Adekoya, Defence Intelligence Agency, NJ Edet Headquarters 81 Division, Lagos, E.C Obi-Osang and Headquarters Nigerian Army Special Forces Command, Buni Yadi.
“They also include A.O Arogbofa, Headquarters 102 Division Equipment Support, S Nicodemus, Headquarters 6 Division Portharcourt, W.B Idris, 17 Brigade, Katsina, I.O Olatunji, Headquarters 8 Division, Sokoto, and S.T Audu, Headquarters 21 Brigade, Yola.
“Others are, U.T Opuene, Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre, Jaji, M.D Abumawashi, Headquarters Op LAFIA DOLE, Maiduguri, L.G Lepdung, Headquarters Infantry Corps, Jaji, Kaduna, A.O.D Okoro, Department Administration (Army), A.S.M Wase, Department of Training and Operations (Army) and A.L Okpodu, Nigerian Army Aviation.
“They also include, S. Nuhu, Department of Training and Operations (Army), E.O Ojo, Special Task Force, Operation SAFE HAVEN, J.R Lar, 31 Artillery Brigade Garrison, Minna and S.J.A Ilori, Department of Army Transformation and Innovation.
“Also elevated to Brigadier Generals are N.B Ebulue, Defence Intelligence Agency, K.O Ukandu Army Headquarters Department of Administration, A.G Laka Army War College, Abuja, E.I. Etuk, Multinational Joint Task Force N’Djamena, M.E Onoja, 1 Military Intelligence Brigade, Kaduna and E.I Okoro, Nigerian Army War College.
“M.B Wabili, Nigerian Army Super Camp Benisheik, K.E Chigbu Army Headquarters Department of Training and Operations, S.O Nwafor, 303 Artillery Regiment General Support and I Otu Headquarters 7 Division Maiduguri are also on the list,” he said.
Others according to Musa are S.O Adejimi, Headquarters 6 Division Supply and Transport, S.D Makolo Headquarters Department of Transformation and Innovation, V.D Beryo, Headquarters Ordnance Corps, M.O Erebulu, 2 Provost Group, Ibadan and A Idris, Directorate of Army Reserve Recruitment and Resettlement Rear.
“They also include C.A Ataki Department of Policy and Plans (Army), F.O Omata, Special Task Force Operation SAFE HAVEN, C.C Ogbu, Institute of Army Education, A.E Owiriwa, 82 Division Ordnance Services, R.O.O Cole, Nigerian Army Ordnance Tailoring Factory Yaba, Lagos and T.I Gusau, Nigerian Army Resource Centre Abuja.
“Among those promoted to the rank of brigadier general, G.C Nkenke, 8 Division Supply and Transport and M Galadima, Headquarters Nigerian Army Finance Corps Apapa, Lagos and M Auta, Nigerian Army University Biu,” he added.
Musa disclosed that the Acting Director of Defence Information, Onyema Nwachukwu, had also been promoted to the rank of Brigadier general.
“Other are I Ahmed, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, S Nuhu, Army Headquarters Department of Administration and A.A.W Hassan, Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai congratulates the beneficiaries and charged them to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their responsibilities,” he said. (NAN)
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