BUSINESS
Afeximbank Announces Registration for 2023 Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa
The Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD), has announced the opening of registration for the 2023 cohort of the Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (COTFIA).
This is contained in a statement signed by Afreximbank’s Media Contact, Amadou Sall in Abuja.
Sall said the announcement was made yesterday in Cairo.
He said COTFIA was developed in partnership with Factors Chain International (FCI) and the American University in Cairo (AUC).
According to Sall, the programme is open to all banking professionals and interested practitioners in the area of trade finance.
“COTFIA is AFRACAD’s flagship programme designed to support the implementation of one of Afreximbank’s strategic priorities.
“This includes improving trade-related skills and addressing trade capacity gaps to facilitate a more conducive trading environment, enabling Africa to compete globally.”
He said the content of the programme had been carefully developed to enhance participants’ understanding of all aspects of international trade finance while being continuously updated to conform to best practices.
“In addition, the COTFIA programme addresses various aspects related to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement which is expected to have a significant impact on improving intra-African trade.
“For the 2023 cohort, the COTFIA programme will continue to be conducted in a blended format with five modules delivered online in instructor-led virtual sessions.
“One module delivered in face-to-face sessions at the AUC campus in New Cairo, Egypt, while the final module will be asynchronous online.”
Sall said the deadline for applications for the 2023 COTFIA programme is April 2.
He said just as in previous cohorts, the Afreximbank Academy would be offering the first seven applicants for the 2023 programme a scholarship covering 50 per cent of the tuition fees.
Stephen Tio Kauma, Afreximbank Group’s Director and Global Head of Human Resources, was quoted as saying “we are delighted to once again open the application process for the COTFIA programme which we have been running for seven years now.
“With the creation of the Afreximbank Academy in 2022, we have embarked on further developing local talent through learning, knowledge sharing, and networking events focused on Africa’s needs.”
Kauma said the COTFIA programme was facilitated by leading practitioners, academics and professional experts in the field.
He said the programme enabled participants to gain unique insights while deepening their understanding and expertise in international trade finance.
“We strongly encourage organisations to enroll their staff members in this programme which will help them accelerate their career growth in international trade finance.”
Sall said no fewer than 100 trainees across seven cohorts had so far participated in the programme since its inception in 2016.
He said Sweetie Anang, a staff member in Afreximbank’s Innovation Department, who completed the programme as part of COTFIA’s 7th cohort, described it as an enlightening programme that enhanced her understanding of trade finance issues.
Anang was quoted as saying “coming from a purely science and technology background and never having worked in the banking and finance sector, this was new territory.
“It was also an opportunity to gain new knowledge and insight into a completely new field. The instructors encourage dialogue and are willing to clear up any doubts.
“The COTFIA programme is very informative and has allowed me to learn more about the continent and its regional blocs, the potential for intra-African trade and the financing possibilities to facilitate trade in Africa. “(NAN)
BUSINESS
NNPC Posts N7.2trn Profit amid Revenue Decline
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) recorded N7.2 trillion Profit After Tax (PAT) in 2025, a 33 per cent increase from N5.4 trillion.
Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a media briefing after the company’s AGM and second Earnings Call.
Revenue declined to N34.
5 trillion from N45.1 trillion in 2024.Ojulari attributed the 24 per cent revenue decline to lower crude oil prices and reduced product volumes following market deregulation.
He said earnings per share rose to N35.
90 from N27.07, while return on equity improved by 200 basis points to 16 per cent.The company’s declared dividend increased by 35 per cent to N5.8 trillion, while taxes, royalties and other government remittances rose 39 per cent to N22.3 trillion.
“Stronger earnings in spite of this pressure demonstrate the resilience of NNPC Limited’s operations,” Ojulari said.
He said profit grew because NNPC had improved its operations and maintained discipline across its businesses.
Ojulari said crude oil and condensate production reached a five-year peak of 1.77 million barrels per day.
He added that gas supply reached a three-year high of 7.2 billion standard cubic feet per day.
“Stronger performance gives NNPC Limited more capacity to invest, contribute to public revenue and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security,” he said.
On infrastructure, Ojulari said the mainline of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline had been completed.
He said work was ongoing on tie-ins to delivery points, beginning with Abuja, followed by Ajaokuta and Kaduna.
According to him, the next milestone is to commence gas flow through the pipeline to industries and power plants.
Ojulari said the company completed the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline in 2026 after several years of challenges.
On the refineries, he said prospective partners under NNPC’s technical equity partnership model had conducted a three-month onsite review.
He said more than 34 engineers participated in the review, adding that NNPC was now concluding the report.
Ojulari said the company was targeting self-sustaining and profitable refineries, with a pathway expected to be defined soon.
He reaffirmed NNPC’s target of producing two million barrels of crude oil daily by 2027 and three million barrels by 2030.
He said gas production targets were 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion by 2030.
“NNPC plans to mobilise over 60 billion dollars of investment across the energy value chain,” he added.
Ojulari said more than 1,000 newly recruited professionals joined NNPC in 2025 under its Talent to Value programme.
He said the recruits completed a one-year internship and training programme before being deployed across the company. (NAN)
BUSINESS
FCCPC Calls for Improved Capacity Building on Competition Reporting, Matters
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says there is a need for sustained capacity building in competition reporting and issues.
The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
Bello described competition matters as a relatively new area in the country adding that it required specialised knowledge among journalists, regulators and other stakeholders.
He said that competition law and consumer protection regulations had made stakeholders’ education a priority for the commission.
Bello said that the FCCPC recently supported the training of judges through the National Judicial Institute (NJI) to deepen understanding of competition-related matters.
He noted that members of the judiciary also required exposure to the nuances of the emerging field.
“We recognised that because it is a new terrain, the judges themselves are not familiar with the nuances.
”So we brought in experts on competition,” he said.
Bello stressed that the media had a critical role in promoting public understanding of competition and consumer protection issues.
“If FCCPC is becoming more known to the public, it is as a result of the kind of publicity you have given us,” he said. (NAN)
BUSINESS
Fire Guts Customs Western Marine Command Office in Lagos
Fire gutted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, on Monday, destroying property worth millions of Naira.
The fire, which reportedly started at about 10:23 a.m. from an electrical surge in the conference room, spread to other sections of the building.
Officers on duty made frantic efforts to contain the fire before officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.
m.The Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, who just resumed at the Command, to take over the affairs from his predecessor, described the incident as unfortunate.
He said: “I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak.
“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations.
“In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire.”
He commended the swift response of the personnel on duty and their collaboration with the fire service, saying measures would be taken to strengthen safety protocols and prevent a recurrence. (NAN)


