By Winifred Bosa
In a bid to foster stronger industry partnerships and promote the upcoming annual conference, BJAN executive members paid a courtesy visit to Stanbic IBTC. The meeting focused on enhancing collaboration, expanding market outreach, and reinforcing mutual interests within the financial sector. The photo captures the warm exchange between BJAN leaders and Stanbic IBTC representatives.
By Winifred Bosa
Amid Africa’s growing wave of infrastructure investment and innovation, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is convening the continent’s most influential voices at the Global Summit Series Africa, driving urgent, collective action to redefine how projects deliver impact and value. Hosted at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda between 19 to 21 August, the Summit is designed for senior project professionals, C-suite executives, government officials, development partners, and emerging project talent committed to driving transformation across Africa.
As Africa contends with intersecting challenges, from climate change and infrastructure gaps to job creation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence, there is a critical need to recalibrate how projects are initiated, managed, and delivered across the continent. Project success can no longer be measured solely by timelines or budgets met. In today’s context, success must also be evaluated by how well a project enhances resilience, drives inclusive growth, unlocks sustainable innovation, and creates lasting social value.
“Africa’s project economy remains vibrant yet vulnerable,” says George Asamani, MD, PMI Sub-Saharan Africa. “The African Development Bank estimates the continent needs up to $170 billion annually to close its infrastructure gap, with a financing shortfall of as much as $108 billion. With so much at stake, project management can’t be an afterthought; it’s key to delivery. As countries advance infrastructure, digital, and social programmes, the demand for skilled professionals is more urgent than ever.”
“The Global Summit Series Africa responds to this urgency. This is not just a moment to gather, it’s a moment to grow and guide. It is where knowledge meets practice and where bold voices converge to ask and answer: How can Africa execute differently?”
This year’s lineup showcases the strength of pan-African leadership, from the corridors of government to the frontlines of innovation. These voices are not only driving transformation within their own countries but also offering continental perspectives with global relevance.
A highlight of the Summit will be a special message from Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who has long championed the role of project execution in unlocking Africa’s prosperity.
This call for purposeful execution resonates across sectors. Senior executives from utilities, banking, education, and telecommunications, as well as influential voices from sports and music, will take the stage to share hard-won insights on building future-fit institutions, creative industries, and systems that deliver lasting impact.
Taking the stage across the three days of the Summit are Armand Nzeyimana, Director of the Development Impact and Results Department, African Development Bank; Olajumoke Akinwunmi, MD, Real Estate at Alitheia Capital Ltd; Kusobile Kamwambi, Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, Government of Zambia; and Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama, ex-MD of the Electricity Company of Ghana, alongside influential cultural voices such as Nigerian-American singer, actor, and entrepreneur Olubankole Wellington (Banky W), and chess champion and Guinness World Record holder Tunde Onakoya.
Joining them are leading project professionals from across the continent, including Stanley Iringe-Koko, Senior Manager of IT Projects and Portfolio at MTN Nigeria; Grace Johnson, Founding Partner and Strategic Advisor at the Framework for AI Transformation (FAIT); Ancicalia Matizha, Group Head PMO at Old Mutual Zimbabwe; Emily Mutaga, Head of PMO at Bank of Kigali, and Nozibele Ntshokontsha, Head of PMO at Rand Water.
“In Africa, the stakes are high; projects must deliver tangible outcomes, often under complex conditions. That’s why the Summit matters. It brings together professionals who understand our realities and are focused on delivery that works in our context. Having spoken at this Summit before, I’m returning because these conversations are not only relevant, they drive the kind of collaboration and clarity we need to move Africa forward and make Agenda 2063 more than a vision, but a lived reality,” adds Billy Mwape, CIO of FNB Zambia, one of the main speakers.
PMI Chapter Presidents from Ghana, Kenya, Angola, Togo, and Namibia will join PMI Rwanda Chapter President Innocent Kayigamba in contributing to the dialogue. Their participation is a powerful reminder that transformation in Africa is not only top-down but also bottom-up: peer-driven and locally grounded.
Reserve your place at Africa’s leading conversation on purposeful project delivery. This is your final chance to secure tickets at standard rates. visit https://pmiglobalsummitafrica.gcs-web.com/
Universal Insurance PLC, said it posted a Gross Written Premium (GWP) of N15.25 billion in the year ended December 31, 2024.
The Managing Director/CEO of the Company, Dr. Jeff Duru, disclosed this in Lagos while speaking at the 2024/2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE), which they sponsored.
He also disclosed that as at the first quarter of 2025, the Company achieved a GWP of N8.07 billion, above 100 per cent higher than the target for the quarter.
According to him, “Last year, we recorded N15.25 billion in Gross Written Premium (GWP) and profits after tax of N2.8 billion Our shareholders’ fund as at the first quarter is in the neighbourhood of N16.4 billion when compared to N13.25 billion reported in 2024.
“We are charged to serve the public better to make them have that experience. Our claim payment is top-notch. Our services are top-notch. We are fully computerised.
All our Personal Line products are digitised. You can go through our website, access our products, get your quotes and make payment seamlessly, and you can also initiate claim payment and we follow it up at the backend.
“Universal insurance has come to stay and to serve the industry, give them the peace of mind, give them an excellent customer experience. That is what we are doing.
“As at the first quarter, we have produced N8.07 billion in terms of GWP, and that was about 130% of our first quarter target. We are progressive, we are highly innovative, and bringing insurance to the doorstep of our customers, with seamless operations, accessibility and affordability. Our products are highly affordable. You can try us and you will get the best service with peace of mind.”
On products and initiatives, Dr Duru said, “Our initiatives and products include Shop insure cover. The shop insure cover was basically designed for shop owners and businessmen that operate businesses at a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) level. It provides them with fire insurance cover, burglary, cover for personal injury and alternative accommodation during relocation.
“We have OkadaPass. This product was designed for companies, organisations that are into delivery, people that deliver products and services through bike. It’s an online or digital service provision for the delivery business. It covers the bike, the rider and the package, because the package can be of great value to the service providers and personal injury to the riders.
“Our initiatives also include our digital customer portal, mobile app through which our customers can access our products, get quotes, initiate renewals, and initiate claims.
“We have our digital chatbot or Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven chatbot and visual assistant. That is 24/7 services that will take the position of our service centers at any point in time. Our chatbot will deliver fantastic experience to the customers both chat and voice services.
“We have our digital pre and post loss survey, especially for motor vehicles. Now the manual intervention in surveying or inspecting vehicles is no longer there, once you want to insure your vehicle. Our survey team will deploy the digital portal for the AI driven portal to you through your phone, and you will use your phone to do the physical inspection of your vehicle. Even when there is a claim, it will still be deployed to use it to do your inspection, and the information will come to our database, and we can see everything. It cut down fraud, cut down manpower and reduce cost and give you that excellent touch with speed of service for our claim delivery, these are part of the advantages that come from that service.”
Universal insurance PLC is a non life insurance underwriter that has existed for over 60 years, reengineered, regenerated to serve customers better. The Company is fully recapitalised with asset base of over N20 billion.
By embedding real-time spam alert at both the network and systems level, Airtel strengthens trust in telecom infrastructure, a foundational element for digital economies, ensuring cross-network security accountability, proving that telcos can and should take more responsibility for securing the digital environment, not just selling data plans.
By Winifred Bosa
Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria, has joined forces with Mighty Media Plus Network Limited for the maiden edition of the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit.
Also supporting the event are Nigeria LNG (NLNG) and Shell Nigeria, two major players in the country’s energy and development sectors.
Chief Executive Officer of Mighty Media Plus Network Limited, Olumide Iyanda, announced the partnerships in a statement on Monday.
Mr Iyanda described FirstBank’s involvement as a strong statement of the bank’s belief in the power of Nigeria’s creative sector.
“FirstBank’s support is a reaffirmation of its long-standing commitment to promoting the creative economy,” he said. “Through First@arts, the bank has become a reliable partner to talents, institutions, and organisations working to grow Nigeria’s cultural assets.”
First@arts is FirstBank’s platform for supporting the arts. It provides financing, advisory services, and exposure for creatives across the value chain. The bank has backed major cultural events and partnered with institutions such as British Council, Duke of Shomolu Productions, Live Theatre Lagos, Freedom Park and Terra Kulture.
Among the projects FirstBank has supported are The Headies Awards, Lagos International Theatre Festival, The Oxymoron of Kenny Blaq, Kurunmi, Eni Ogun, and Oke Langbodo.
Iyanda also praised NLNG for its role in promoting excellence in literature and science through The Nigeria Prize for Literature, The Nigeria Prize for Science, and The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism.
“NLNG has shown leadership by rewarding creativity and innovation in ways that impact both the literary and scientific communities,” he said.
The prizes, worth up to USD100,000, are among the most prestigious on the continent. They celebrate Nigerian authors, critics, and scientists whose work makes a real difference.
Shell’s support for the summit reflects its ongoing commitment to education and social development. The company focuses on sustainable, community-driven educational projects, ranging from scholarships to infrastructure development and ICT donations.
“Shell’s belief in education as a foundation for long-term progress aligns with our vision for the summit,” Iyanda added.
He further noted that more sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit, themed “Financing as Catalyst for a Thriving Creative Economy,” will take place on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The venue is the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The summit will bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, and business leaders to explore solutions to the funding challenges facing Nigeria’s creative industries.
