Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The central bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted national operational approval to several financial technology companies and microfinance banks, allowing them to operate across all states in the country.The approval applies to major digital payment platforms such as Opay and Moniepoint, alongside other licensed fintech firms and microfinance banks that previously operated under state or regional licences.The CBN said the move is expected to accelerate financial inclusion, particularly in rural and underserved areas where access to traditional banking infrastructure remains limited. Fintech companies such as Opay and Moniepoint have built extensive agent networks that support payments, fund transfers, bill payments and banking services for small businesses.The approval comes at a time when Nigeria’s fintech sector continues to attract significant local and international investment, strengthening the country’s position as a leading digital finance hub in Africa. As Opay, Moniepoint and other approved institutions commence nationwide expansion, attention will be focused on how effectively they maintain service quality while scaling operations across Nigeria’s diverse markets.

The corruption trial of a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in London was delayed yesterday for legal and technical reasons.The 65-year-old, who is the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, related to her time as Minister for Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015, when Goodluck Jonathan was Nigeria’s president.The trial may not begin until today, with both the prosecution and defence teams needing to agree on certain evidence that may or may not be examined during the proceedings — and to finalise the selection of jurors — lawyers said.Born to a well-off family in the oil city of Port Harcourt in 1960, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in Britain and the United States before joining oil giant Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary.In politics, she held three major positions in government — first as Transport Minister in 2007 under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, then Minister of Mines and Steel development.When Jonathan took over after the death of Yar’Adua, he appointed her Minister of Petroleum Resources in April 2010.In 2014, she became the first female president of OPEC, a role she held for around a year.