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United Capital Unveils Two New Mutual Funds To Empower Investors In Francophone West Africa

Photo Caption: L-R: Labas Bamba, CEO, United Capital Asset Management West Africa; Chika Mordi, Chairman, United Capital Plc; Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Group Chairman, Heirs Holdings; Peter Ashade, Group CEO, United Capital Plc; Ejikeme Okoli, Director, Africa Operations, United Capital Plc; at the launch of United Capital Asset Management West Africa Limited.

United Capital Plc has officially commenced operations of its latest subsidiary, United
Capital Asset Management West Africa Limited (UCAMWAL) with the launch of two
CFA franc-denominated mutual funds: the UCAMWAL Bond Fund and the UCAMWAL
Diversified Fund, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

A statement explained that this milestone marks a significant step in the
Group’s strategic pan-African expansion and signals a kickstart of the operations of
the newly launched subsidiary.
The new mutual funds, denominated in CFA francs, represent a significant milestone in UCAMWAL’s mission to deliver sophisticated yet accessible wealth management solutions to investors throughout Francophone West Africa.

These products have been
carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of both individual and institutional
investors, offering tailored support to long-term wealth creation while addressing
varying risk appetites.
The funds will be available for intending customers across the eight member countries

  • Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo
    within the WAEMU Region.
  • The UCAMWAL Bond Fund is a low-risk, open-ended fund that focuses on fixedincome
    and money market instruments, making it ideal for steady capital
    preservation and long-term wealth building. This fund is particularly suited for
    conservative investors who prioritize capital preservation while seeking steady,
    consistent returns.
  • The UCAMWAL Diversified Fund provides investors with a balanced risk
    approach through strategic allocation across multiple asset classes by
    investing across fixed income assets, money market instruments, and equities.
    It is targeted at investors seeking a balance of capital appreciation and
    income diversification over the long term.
    Commenting on the significance of the launch of the products, the Group Chief
    Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Ashade, had this to say:
    “This product launch signals the kick-off of the expansion of our pan-African footprint,
    starting with the WAEMU region. As a group, our mission is to shape a more financially
    inclusive and economically resilient Africa, for Africa by Africans. We are here to make
    a difference, and we are bringing our proven investment expertise into this market, to
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    support cross-border investment, and support Africa-driven prosperity.
    This is the beginning of a legacy, for wealth creation, financial empowerment, and a
    new chapter in Africa’s story of innovation, and enduring success.”
    The Director, Africa Operations at United Capital Plc, Mr. Ejikeme Okoli, shared the
    company’s long-term vision for the WAEMU region, saying:
    “Our expansion into WAEMU is about more than presence, it’s about impact. We’re
    building a truly Pan-African financial institution that partners with local economies to
    unlock long-term prosperity. Our strategy is not exploitative but collaborative and will
    harness local insights to create shared value. We aim to deliver tailored financial
    solutions, manage risk effectively, and drive inclusive growth across the region. I invite
    investors to join us on this journey of growth and empowerment, as we stay true to our
    promise of driving progress, delivering value, and powering economic improvement
    across Africa.”
    Also speaking at the launch, Labas Bamba, Managing Director of UCAMWAL, said:
    “Today marks a pivotal step in our mission to reshape asset and wealth management
    in Francophone West Africa. These funds are tailored to meet the distinct needs of our
    investors, blending global standards with local market insight. We recognize that every
    investor’s journey is unique, which is why our solutions are built to support diverse goals
    across different life and business stages.”
    The launch of these funds comes at a critical time for the WAEMU region, as
    governments and the private sector increasingly seek innovative solutions to mobilize
    domestic savings and channel them into productive investments. UCAMWAL’s entry
    into this market is expected to contribute significantly to the development of the
    region’s capital markets while providing investors with professionally managed
    alternatives to traditional savings instruments.
    Backed by a strong track record and trusted legacy of United Capital Plc, which
    manages nearly ₦2 trillion in assets and more than $500 million in mutual funds in
    Nigeria, UCAMWAL is positioned to become a leading investment partner for
    individuals, institutions, and governments across the WAEMU region.
    KEY HIGHLIGHTS
    v United Capital recently launched United Capital Asset Management West Africa
    Ltd (UCAMWAL), its first fully operational subsidiary in Francophone West Africa,
    headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The company is licensed to operate as a
    portfolio management company within the WAEMU region.
    v UCAMWAL is licensed by the Financial Markets Authority of the West African
    Economic & Monetary Union (AMF-UMOA), enabling operations across eight
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    WAEMU member countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali,
    Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
    v The subsidiary will provide asset management services, including portfolio
    management, mutual funds, and financial advisory.
    v The newly launched mutual funds – UCAMWAL Diversified Fund and UCAMWAL
    Bond Fund are approved by the Financial Markets Authority of the West African
    Economic & Monetary Union (AMF-UMOA) and open for subscription to investors

SanlamAllianz Flags Off 12-City Roadshow To Deepen Customer Engagement And Awareness

By Amaka Obiefuna
SanlamAllianz, Nigeria’s leading insurance powerhouse formed from the merger of two foremost global and African insurers, Allianz and Sanlam, will begin an unprecedented 12-city nationwide roadshow on Monday, June 23, following the brand’s recent official introduction to the Nigerian market.
The campaign, which will run across key cities across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, is part of the company’s strategic effort to deepen customer engagement, raise awareness about the brand and insurance, and demonstrate its commitment to making wealth creation and financial protection capabilities more accessible to individuals and businesses.
The roadshow will span major commercial and regional hubs, including Lagos, Ibadan, Akure, Warri, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Kano, Jos, and Abuja. The initiative marks one of the most expansive customer-facing campaigns ever undertaken in Nigeria’s insurance sector, positioning SanlamAllianz as a brand that is not only Pan-African in strength but also locally attentive in approach.
Speaking on this groundbreaking initiative, Tunde Mimiko, MD/CEO of SanlamAllianz Life Insurance, said: “This nationwide campaign signals the scale of our ambition and the depth of our commitment to the Nigerian market. At the heart of insurance is trust, and trust begins with presence. Reaching customers where they are is fundamental to how we are building Salmonella.
“This roadshow is a strategic move to bridge the gap between perception and reality, allowing us to engage directly with our customers and Nigerians in general, challenge long-held misconceptions, and position insurance as a practical tool for thriving in financial confidence, building resilience and long-term financial security.”
As part of the roadshow, SanlamAllianz will hold customer engagement forums in each of the twelve cities. The in-person sessions allow customers to interact directly with the company’s leadership and frontline teams. The forums aim to reconnect with customers under the unified brand and reaffirm its long-term commitment to the local market.
“Insurance only becomes relevant when it is understood, trusted, and connected to the realities people face,” said Yomi Onifade, MD/CEO of SanlamAllianz General Insurance.
“These forums are our way of reintroducing SanlamAllianz not just as a merged entity, but as a unified brand committed to showing up for Nigerians. We are creating a platform for real conversations — to listen, address concerns, and deepen understanding. This is how SanlamAllianz intends to lead, by listening actively, showing up with solutions, and shaping a future where insurance is truly embedded in the fabric of everyday Nigerian life,” he added.
Industry analysts say the scale and structure of the campaign mark a departure from the traditional approach to insurance marketing in Nigeria, where customer acquisition often relies heavily on brokerage networks or limited digital channels. By adopting a city-by-city physical rollout, SanlamAllianz Nigeria is positioning itself as one of the few players actively investing in deeper grassroots engagement toward deepening insurance penetration in Nigeria.
About SanlamAllianz
SanlamAllianz is a leading Pan-African financial services entity, established in September 2023 through a joint venture between Sanlam, Africa’s largest non-banking financial services provider, and Allianz, one of the world’s foremost Insurers and Asset Managers. Operating across 27 African countries, SanlamAllianz combines over two centuries of collective experience to offer a comprehensive suite of services, including life and general insurance, asset management, assistance, third-party administration, and retail credit.
Prof. Bart Nnaji To Chair 2025 Oriental News Nigeria Summit

As Nigeria continues to promote energy efficiency with natural gas as key driver to achieve her energy transition goals, key stakeholders in the sector would be discussing prospects of the country’s huge gas resources in actualizing set targets.
Other key agencies of government have also signified their acceptance to participate in the 2025 Oriental News Nigeria national conference where the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) as keynote speaker at the conference would highlight benefits of gas as the country’s transition energy source.
The conference will be chaired by former Power Minister and chairman of the indigenous power company, Geometric Power Limited (GPL).
STANMEG Communications, publishers of Oriental News Nigeria Online, one of Nigeria’s most influential Online platforms confirms NLNG as keynote speaker at its 2025 National Conference on Sustaining Gas Utilization Towards Achieving Nigeria’s Energy Security.
The main Theme of the conference is “Integrating Nigeria’s Gas Potentials Into Strategic Energy Transition Initiatives”
The conference is also focusing on key Sub Themes, which include
…..Enhancing Energy Security And Efficiency Through Effective Gas Utilization
……Evaluating Regulatory Frameworks for Sustainable CNG Adoption in Nigeria’s Transportation Industry
………. Building Local Content Synergy’ between the Insurance Industry and Oil and Gas Sector.
The event holds on 24th July, 2025 at Radisson Blu,  GRA Ikeja Lagos at 9am.
Meeting Nigeria’s domestic energy needs remains one of the most significant challenges to sustainable development and economic growth. Only half of Nigeria’s 200 million citizens currently have access to energy, and with the population set to double by 2050 universal access is a huge challenge.
Nigeria has proposed to ramp up gas production, utilization and export, with the aims of supporting industrialization, boosting domestic energy supply (for power, cooking and transport), and increasing government revenues.
Whether ramping up gas utilization is feasible, or indeed the appropriate approach to achieving Nigeria’s energy supply and economic ambitions, is uncertain.
Every year Oriental News Nigeria, undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s most influential and reliable news channels brings stakeholders together to discuss pivotal topics around the economy.
Being the 4th in the series, the 2025 Oriental News Nigeria conference is bringing key industry figures, experts and policy analysts to evaluate various aspects of natural gas initiatives put together to drive the national economy.
Government is quite aware that what is certain is that global pressure to transition away to cleaner energies and defund fossil fuel projects complicates the process of realizing that goal and could lead to wasted investments that jeopardize the economic and energy security of Nigerians in the future.
But weak legal and regulatory frameworks, big infrastructure gaps, a non-cost-reflective pricing regime and host community conflicts have made the domestic gas sector uncompetitive and unattractive to investors. This, in turn, has left gas reserves underexploited, especially more expensive non-associated gas which represents half of Nigeria’s reserves.
Implementation of reforms by successive governments through the 2008 Gas Master Plan the (GMP), the 2017 National Gas Policy (NGP) and other instruments have proven slow. With the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the legal, fiscal and regulatory framework of the gas sector has been strengthened with the creation of dedicated regulators, a dedicated minister, provision of third party access to infrastructure, and other improvements. But many gaps remain.
Thus the Decade of Gas Policy launched in 2021 to address the limitations to achieving domestic gas-based industrialization and economic prosperity, and reduce energy poverty, faces greater challenges.
Also, as a response to the high cost of petrol and the attendant rise in the cost of transportation, following the removal of fuel subsidy, President Bola Tinubu launched the Presidential CNG Initiative to provide a cheaper and cleaner energy source for Nigerians.
It is based on the above initiatives and pace setting policies that we have developed a theme and sub-themes to examine and evaluate those policies by key government agencies, including key stakeholders in the industry.
Apart from examining the role of gas initiatives boosting power sector growth, the sub-themes is evaluating the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as preferred fuel for the transport industry.
Road transport is the dominant mode of transportation in Nigeria, moving over 90% of internal goods and passengers across the country; hence it is the highest contributor to the nation’s GDP amongst other sub-sectors.
However, from all we could glean, road transport is predominant in the Nigerian transport sector. This entails an excessive use of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs), hence, an immense contribution to CO2 emission through the combustion of petroleum-based products like PMS, AGO and ATK; relatively small amounts of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are emitted during fuel combustion, though.
The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has revealed that Nigeria boasts of an estimated 11 million vehicles traversing its roads.
Globally, the transport sector is a major source of CO2 pollution in the atmosphere, with a global contribution of about 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emission in 2020. About 20% of the global CO2 emission is contributed by Surface transport.
We reviewed the various sub-sectors of the Nigerian transport sector with their corresponding energy consumption rates. Results show that all the sub-sectors are solely dependent on fossil fuels to meet their energy demands and requirements, thus making the transport sector the highest consumer of fossil fuels, and consequently, the highest contributor to carbon footprint.
This necessitates the need for gradual decarbonisation of the sector, but not at the expense of the nation’s economy, since the transport sector contributes about 3% of the nation’s GDP.
During the conference there will be Panel Discussions on the following sub themes
1. Adaptation of Renewable Energy Policy and Gas Utilization Strategies In Power Generation Sector
2. Evaluating Decade of Gas Policy and Broad Spectrum of Gas Utilization Strategies
3. Reinforcing CNG, LPG Strategies in Addressing Emissions and Climate Impacts of Fossil Fuel Use in the Transport Industry.
  4. Building Local Content Synergy’ between the Insurance Industry and Oil and Gas Sector.
The conference promises to be highly interactive and with such great collaboration and shared commitment of stakeholders the outcome will not only achieve the country’s objectives but also set a precedent for other nations to follow.
Yemisi Izuora
Publisher/Editor
Oriental News Nigeria
Nigerian Undergraduates Dream Big In Shell Intern Scheme

By Amaka Obiefuna

The latest batch of undergraduates from Nigerian universities have commenced their Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo,) using the opportunity to acquire practical knowledge and skills in the oil and gas industry.

 

The 28 interns drawn from 17 universities, will serve for six months and gain valuable insights on the operations of a company which pioneered the development of a new generation of Nigerian professionals in the deep-water sector when it started production at Bonga in 2005.

 

“We’re pleased to continue with efforts to grow indigenous talent in deep-water oil and gas operations through the work placement programme,” said SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams. “The programme offers exciting opportunities for young talents to grow their potentials in the oil and gas industry”

 

The interns, some of whom are also recipients of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship programmes, have been speaking about their hopes and ambitions in the scheme.

 

A resident of Maiduguri and student of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maiduguri, Ayuba Haruna, who was displaced by the security crisis in the Northeast, won the NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship award in 2023, and is now an intern. He said: “NNPC-SNEPCo’s investment in education and young Nigerians like me has not only changed my life — it has given me purpose, direction, and a chance to build a better future.”

 

“I’m stepping into this role ready to learn, contribute, and be part of something truly bigger than myself,” said Kester Chukwumezie, a student of Electronic and Computer Engineering at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

 

Two interns, Miss Ulan Andrew and Joseph Agom have been beneficiaries of the NNPC-SNEPCo National Cradle to Career and university scholarships. Miss Andrew, who is studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Ilorin, described the internship as “truly a dream come true and the opportunity of a lifetime.” Joseph, a student of Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, said: I’m deeply grateful to be a product of Shell’s long-term investment in education, and now part of the next generation learning from the very best.”

 

Another intern, Miss Oluwehinmi Oluwayemisi, a student of Industrial Mathematics/Computer Science at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, expressed gratitude for the “amazing opportunities” offered by the scheme.  

 

The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme is just one aspect of the investments in education by NNPC SNEPCo and Co-venturers, which include scholarship awards and donation of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) facilities to tertiary institutions.

Over 600 undergraduates have benefitted from the NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship Award since its inception in 2016, while 32 ICT projects have been donated to secondary schools and universities around the country since 2007.

Lagos Govt Seeks Stronger Parental Involvement in Children’s Financial Literacy as Zedcrest Launches New Books  

By Fidelia Okafor
L-R: Executive Director, Zedcrest Wealth, Abass Akinsanya; Head, Brands and Communications, Zedcrest Group, Oyinkansola Adeboye; Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun and Director, MacTay Consulting, Tunde Rotimi
The Lagos State Government has called on parents across the state to collaborate with teachers and other key stakeholders to ensure that their children excel not only in core subjects but also in financial literacy.
The State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, made this call while receiving a delegation from leading financial services company, Zedcrest Group, on a courtesy visit to his office.
According to him, the state government has been intentional about integrating financial literacy into the curriculum for students in both private and public schools, urging parents to complement these efforts by taking advantage of every opportunity to teach their children valuable money management lessons.
Hon. Alli-Balogun also emphasized that care is being taken to ensure students’ learning materials reflect and celebrate diversity, promote and preserve indigenous cultures, and prioritize localized learning for greater relatability and improved learning outcomes.
Earlier, Zedcrest Group Managing Director, Adedayo Amzat, represented by the Executive Director, Sales and Business Development at Zedcrest Wealth, Abass Akinsanya, stated that the delegation was at the commissioner’s office to officially present the company’s latest initiative; two interactive financial literacy books for children aged seven and under.
Akinsanya explained that Zedcrest Group launched the books in line with its mission to improve economic outcomes by promoting financial literacy across all segments of society. He added that building a more financially inclusive society begins with educating the next generation of responsible adults, and with the launch of these financial literacy books, Zedcrest is already leading the charge.
Zedcrest’s Head of Brands and Communications, Oyinkansola Adeboye, while presenting the books to the commissioner, disclosed that plans are underway to distribute them nationwide. She mentioned that Zedcrest will leverage its existing partnership with MacTay, a key stakeholder in the state government’s “Adopt a School” program, to ensure that pupils in public primary schools across the state can access the books through the organisation’s not-for-profit arm, MacTay Foundation. Adeboye then thanked the commissioner for the warm reception and for sharing valuable insights on the current state of financial education in Nigeria.
Zedcrest Group had unveiled the two educational books, “The A-Z of Finance Colouring Book” and “Zedcrest Little Heroes: A Financial Literacy Journal for Kids”, at a book reading and launch event held in commemoration of International Children’s Day 2025.