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Dangote Sugar Pays N18.22bn Dividend, to Produce 170,000 Tonnes Next Season

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Despite the economic headwinds that characterised 2022, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) will pay N18.22 billion as dividends to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2022, while also targeting the production of over 170,000 tonnes of sugar next season. The dividend payout will translate to N1.50 kobo per share held by shareholders.

Chairman of the Company, Aliko Dangote said: “The shareholders are very happy with the way we have been running their company and also in re-investing the profit into the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) for the sugar industry. We are going to play our part in ensuring that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in sugar within a very short period. We are not the only players, but we will surely play our part. We should be able to produce over 170,000 tonnes which are by far, in the history of Nigeria, the highest to be produced locally.”

The company recorded an impressive turnover of N403 billion, a 46 per cent increase over N276 billion recorded during the same period in the year before, and posted a Profit before Tax (PBT) of N82 billion.

Dangote attributed the company’s remarkable performance to the pragmatic approach the management deployed by focusing on continued cost and process optimisation, improved efficiencies in every area of operations, and service delivery to our customers.

He pledged that the management would continue to implement strategic actions to sustain the performance with the support of all stakeholders with complete adherence to the tenets of the Federal Government’s Sugar Master Plan.

Dangote said part of the success recorded by Dangote Sugar was made possible by the management’s continued implementation of the Dangote Sugar Development Master Plan with the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Dangote Sugar Refinery’s Numan operations, facilities and land development, as well as the development of the Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited, the greenfield sugar project, and Tunga in Nasarawa State.

He said: “Concerted efforts were made during the year to rise above the various challenges that came about due to the COVID–19 lockdown which affected project timelines considerably and continued to generally impact economic activities due to its spill-over effect, which also led to the lack of forex to finance most of the project deliverables.

“We however continued to surge ahead supported by the various stakeholders in the industry and government parastatals, with the resolve to ensure that the goals of the Nigeria Sugar Development Master Plan are achieved.”

The Company Chairman noted that during the year under review, the first phase of the Sugar Master Plan implementation period came to an end and that the Federal Government approved the second phase over the next 10 years.

“This extension came on the back of the review of the first phase by the National Sugar Development Council and other government parastatals with cognisance of the challenges and several circumstances that were unforeseen which riddled the first phase of the programme,” he added.

Dangote stated that the board and management were, however, focused on the achievement of the goals of the strategic initiative, and thus considerable progress was recorded in the project development, despite the numerous challenges faced.

Not minding the obstacles ahead, Dangote promised that the management would continue to create sustainable value for all stakeholders through an inclusive approach to growth and development, with continuous engagement with all parties, to enable the company make a positive impact, support poverty eradication and food security, infrastructure development, empowerment for members of the immediate communities, and the society at large.

In her remarks, the Coordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association, Mrs. Adebisi Bakare expressed the satisfaction of shareholders with the performance of the company, noting that despite all the encumbrances in the sugar sub-sector of the economy, the company still performed far and above the previous year.

She urged the board and the management to continue in the direction they have taken to get the company to the current winning, assuring that the management has the support of the shareholders to post even better performance in the coming years.

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Business

Airtel Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony for its NXTRA Data Centre, Promises 1000 Jobs

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By Eric Elezuo

Prominent Nigerians were present as network communications service provider, Airtel Africa, performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the establishment of its NXTRA data centre project in Nigeria, at the prestigious Eko Atlantic City, in Victoria Island, Lagos, informing that the project is programmed to create over 1000 jobs for Nigerians.

The company noted that the facility, nicknamed the Nitra frontier, and reported as the first of five hyperscale data centres to be developed by Airtel Africa on the continent, will deliver 38 megawatts of total power and host high-density racks that integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1.3 power usage effectiveness (PUE).

It was also revealed that the data centres at full capacity will offer 180-megawatt capacity, distributed across 13 major data centres, and over 48 edge data centres.

Speaking at the event, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Airtel, Segun Ogunsanya, who informed that the project is expected to go live by the first quarter of 2026, further stated that out of the 1000 jobs expectedto be created, 250 will be permanent once the project is deployed and at capacity.

He praised the project as marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey and is a cornerstone of the organization’s growth strategy, with a particular focus on Nigeria, which unarguably is its largest market.

He added that the project will enhance data sovereignty, security, and preservation within the continent, as well as reflect the group’s commitment to make Nigeria a major hub for access to digital services as it propel Africa towards a sustainable and inclusive digital age.

“This mega project will provide over 1000 jobs. More significantly, once deployed and at capacity, it will create over 250 permanent jobs for Nigerians whilst supporting companies in manufacturing, financial services, and health care as they move their data and computing into third-party data centers like ours.

“Ultimately, we have to store data and content closer to where it is being consumed,” Ogunsanya said.
Boost for digital economy

Ogunsanya was also of the opinion that with Airtel Africa’s extensive fibre footprint, NXTRA “offers secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyper-scalers, large African enterprises, startups, SMEs and governments.

“Through locally available data centre capacity, speed to access digital services will improve and the cost of managing data will be reduced, thus helping power increased innovation, while supporting a new generation of African tech talent,” he said.

In his remarks at the event, that also has the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in attendance, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani laud the creativity attached the innovation, saying it is in tandem with technology revolution that is fast engulfing the universe, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a main point of reference.

“Data is a key driver in our economy. Not only do we need to connect our people, we also must invest in the digital economy, and through the investment that companies like Airtel have made in our economy, we are fully able to participate in the digital economy,” he said.

Other personalities that graced that event include traditional rulers and stakeholders in the telecoms sector.

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Customers Applaud As Glo MoneyMaster PSB Mobile App Enhances Banking Experience

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The mobile banking app recently launched by MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank Limited (MMPSB), Nigeria’s leading payment service bank, has been enriching the banking experience of the bank’s customers.

The app, which was unveiled by MMPSB for the convenience of its existing and new customers provides a seamless banking experience to its customers thereby reaffirming the bank’s commitment to deliver faster and secure banking services to its growing customer base.

Apart from allowing customers to perform many services without stress from their comfort zone, the mobile banking app has a robust suite of functionalities. Customers using Android phones can download the mobile banking app from the Google Play Store, while iPhone users can also download from the Apple App Store.

The mobile banking app enables MMPSB customers to manage multiple accounts. Wallets, savings, and current accounts can all be managed from the mobile banking app. Customers can also upgrade the KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements for higher transaction limits and open additional accounts via the app. It is an invaluable tool for all existing and potential mobile wallet, savings, and current account holders of MoneyMaster PSB.

The mobile banking app is also fast and secure for all intra-bank and interbank transactions and allows customers to set transaction limits, manage beneficiaries, view transaction history, and download and share transaction receipts, among other exciting features. They can also request their account statement and receive it via e-mail.

It also features both biometric and password authorization to login and authorize transactions and allows customers to also buy airtime recharge and data bundles from all networks directly for themselves and others via the app. In addition, customers can pay for their DSTV and GOTV subscriptions, buy electricity units from all major DisCos and pay utility bills from the app.

Customers of the bank have also attested to the robust nature of the app. Some of them who commented on the effectiveness of the app include Uche Nwoye who said, “It has not been long that I downloaded the app, but from all indications, the features and design are easy to navigate.”

Also Henry Omosimua describes it as a “nicely built app. The UI is good and smooth. Kudos to Moneymaster PSB. It would be nice to add app notification for incoming and outgoing transactions”, he noted.

For Agunbiade Abiola, “this app is the definition of evolution”, while Michael Sanamo said the app is “fast in carrying out transactions.”

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Globacom Targets SMEs’ Growth with Launch of “Glo Outsource Pro”

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Leading telecommunications company, Globacom, has launched an outsourcing product aimed at helping small and medium scale companies as well as corporate organisations focus on their core operations thereby enhancing their productivity.
The company explained in a press statement that the service tagged “Glo Outsource Pro”, is a strategic business solution that aids companies and businesses to outsource some of their non-core operations.
Such businesses including banking, energy, oil and gas, FMCG, manufacturing, distribution, utility, internet service providers (ISPs), logistics companies, MSME, etc. will be able to  focus on their core competencies, leading to improved efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced customer experiences.
“Glo Outsource Pro enables companies to delegate specific operational activities, such as customer support, finance and accounting, IT services, human resources, and supply chain management to Globacom which leverages its expertise, technology, and economies of scale to optimize processes and deliver high-quality results that will impact positively on their operations”, the telecommunications giant said.
The company added that “with Glo Outsource Pro, organizations are able to contract out their inbound and outbound call centre activities, inbound technical helpdesk, social media management, data mining for planning purposes and general back office support. It will also help them in the areas of teleprospecting, customer campaigns/onboarding, retention campaigns, collections, sales campaigns, etc”.
It also confirmed that the service will assist companies to maximize cost-effectiveness, boost productivity, and improve effectiveness in the marketplace by helping them look after some non-core sections of their businesses so they can focus on their core activities.
The new business management proposition is meant to further boost Globacom’s image as the ultimate value and innovative solutions provider for businesses at varying levels while unlocking their full potentials as well as enabling cost savings, operational excellence and unmatched customer satisfaction.
Aside from these, “Glo Outsource Pro” will equally enhance technology upgrade, competitive advantage and improved effectiveness in the marketplace.

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