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Sunday, April 6, 2014
THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com
BUSINESS Access Bank flags Off e-branch Operations By Chijioke Nelson CCESS Bank Plc has opened A a self-service electronic branch in Ikota, a sub-urb in Lagos State, as part of its efforts towards inclusive banking and cash-less policy. The opening marks the beginning of its ebranch operations. According to the bank, the ebranch model will be expanded to 50 across the country as part of innovative response to smart-banking revolution craved by customers in the technology age and simplify banking as well. The e-branch, codenamed Access Express, is predominantly a self-service electronic channel requiring minimal human interface and an integration of the bank’s electronic channels into an application, to provide quality financial services, leveraging on seamless technology. The Bank’s Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe, said: “Access Express is an intelligent response to customers’ needs and is ahead in terms of value delivery. Our self-service electronic branch is a one-stop cen-
tre where customers are able to do banking transactions, which ordinarily would have taken them to the banking halls. Specifically, Access Express branch offers 24/7 cash withdrawal service to Access Bank card holders and other Banks’ cardholders”. Wigwe pointed out that customers can access their account balance, deposit cash into their accounts without using cards, access their statements and previous transactions, receipt and transfer of funds without the cards, payment for pre-booked airline tickets, airtime purchase for mobile phones through PIN vending and virtual top Ups and settlement of utility bills such as DSTV subscription and GSM postpaid bills.
Market Gains 380 Points, As Capitalisation Hits N12.435t By Geoff Iyatse
38,712.76. The market capitalisation HE All-Share Index of the Nigerian also increased from the N122.313 trilStock Exchange (NSE) advanced by lion it opened the week with to close at N12.435 trillion, recording 0.99 per 380.98 basic points to close at cent appreciation. Apart from the industrial goods sub Apart from the industrial goods sector, all market indices appreciated sub sector, all market indices ap- during the week. A total of 1.937 bilshares worth N21.264 billion preciated during the week. A total lion changed hands in 21,641 deals comof 1.937 billion shares worth pared with 1.870 billion shares valued N26.811billion that were traded in N21.264 billion changed hands in at 21,632 deals the previous week. 21,641 deals compared with 1.870 Like the preceding week, the financial sector, measured by volume, led billion shares valued at activity chart with 1.683 billion N26.811billion that were traded in the shares valued at N12.689 billion that 21,632 deals the previous week traded in 12,631 deals. The sector con-
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tributed 86.88 per cent and 59.67 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The consumer goods followed with a turnover of 74.112 million shares worth N5.325 billion in 3,439 deals while the third most active sector was the conglomerates industry with 63.863 million shares worth N576.140 million in 1,167 deals. The top three equities in terms of volume were Sterling Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc. They accounted for 751.520 million shares worth N6.282 billion in 3,500 deals, contributing 38.80 per cent and 29.54 per cent to the total turnover volume and value respectively.
Ozulku Emerges EMP’s CEO By Daniel Anazia AN-AfRICAN and Middle Eastern payments company, Emerging Markets Payments (EMP), has announced the appointment of Murat Ozulku as the Chief Executive Officer of its Bank Processing Division, replacing Hoda Shoukry who has retired after an illustrious career. following the appointment, Murat will be responsible for all EMP’s bank processing operations including payment platforms in Nigeria, Egypt and Jordan, as well as sales and service operations in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates. EMP’s bank processing division provides outsourced payments solutions, ranging from card procurement and personalization, and card hosting through to ATM and POS driving; mobile payments and advisory services to 130 banks in 35 countries. The group hosts over 11 million accounts and processes more than 100 million transactions per annum. According to Executive Chairman of EMP, Paul Edwards, the group is delighted to welcome Murat Ozulku as the new CEO of Bank Processing. “Murat has had a stellar career at Citibank covering two decades. In that time, he has worked in many countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in a variety of senior roles.
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President/ Chairman in Council, the Nigerian Institute of Management(NIM), Dr Nelson Uwaga (middle; Past President, Dr Lugard Aimiuwu (left); and Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu during the special membership induction of staff of Zenith Bank in Lagos... yesterday. PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU
firm Offers Visa-free Travel Opportunities To Big Investors O ease visa hurdles faced T by many Nigerians, a new outfit, Monarch and Co International, is offering a visafree travel opportunities to over 115 countries in the world through its Gredana programme.
Speaking during a media chat, president of Monarch, Mr. James Bowling, said the firm offers investors the opportunity to make a substantial investment in a country that runs residence for citizenship programme.
“Traveling with a Nigerian passport can be very cumbersome with lots of visa requirements. We have tried to solve this dilemma through our Citizenship by Investment initiative. Through the platform, subscribers are
able to acquire residence or citizenship in other countries. “We observed that traveling with an African passport is a costly exercise, especially with the inconvenience of getting a visa. But by having a
DSTAN Passes Vote Of Confidence In Oil Reforms By Geoff Iyatse EEPWATER Survival Trainers Association of Nigeria (DSTAN) has passed a vote of confidence in the reforms in oil and gas sector championed by the Petroleum Minister, Deziani Allison-Madueke. According to President of the association, Sir Emmanuel Onyekwena, the oil and gas industry has witnessed tremendous growth under the watch of Allison-Maduake development. Onyekwena, who is also the managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TOLMANN Allied Services Company Ltd, said: “The major development that the industry has
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As Nigeria Gets Deepwater Stimulation Theatre continued to celebrate is the Local Content Law, which is empowering Nigerians. Before the Minister came on board, only a few Nigerians could access oil and gas contracts. Look at the difference since she took over. Today, Nigerians are given the right of first refusal; they are considered first for jobs in the industry.” He made the observation during a chat with the media ahead the commissioning of the Deep-water Simulation Theatre (DST), which was built by TOLMANN, a leading offshore safety training company in the oil and gas sector. first of its kind in Africa, the theatre
will be commissioned under the Chairmanship Alison-Madueke, April 14, at Trans Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The DSTAN President insisted that the passion of the minister is to have young Nigerians employed in the industry and, by extension, boost wealth creation. “Imagine if you are coming to the industry to do business, you must comply with the Nigerian Content Policy. This means that beyond just appointing Nigerians to be ‘paper directors’ as was the case before now, you have to ensure that they have visible stakes in the business. An-
other great point about this is the fact that the policy opens window for Nigerians to be trained to acquire competence in areas they don’t have the technical knowhow,” he continued. He said DSTAN would continue to support the minister because her policies have created enormous opportunities for members of the association. He attributed the successful construction of the DST, which is ready for use, to the opportunities created by the oil and gas reforms, saying: “This could not have happened had she turned a deaf ear to numerous complaints by Nigerians operating in the industry.”
second passport, you are able to by-pass all of that hurdles because you don’t need visas for the affected countries when you are visiting. This is a maximum benefit for any businessman or high-networked individuals, who travels a lot,” he said. Monarch, which is new in Lagos, started marketing residency and citizenship programme in 2008. “Authorities in the countries you travel to want to do due diligence to ensure that when you get in, you also get out because there are a lot of refugees and people seeking asylum from African countries. So, they put up a lot of measures to keep people out,” Bowling said. Gerald Lebechi, who manages the West Africa operations of the firm, explained further: “We not just focus on people that want citizenship, but also on people that want value for their money. We do counseling to help people invest in countries where they can get high yields.