News

SIX YEARS ON: DANGOTE STILL “MOST ADMIRED BRAND” IN AFRICA

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2023

…2^nd in Sustainability brand in Africa among top 100 brands

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

For the sixth consecutive year, the Dangote brand has been adjudged as the Most Admired African Brand among top 100 brands in the continent.

Dangote, as the most Admired African when respondents are prompted to recall an African brand specifically was followed by the Telecommunication outfit, MTN in the second position and the Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) coming third, both of South African origin.

The pan-African conglomerate brand was also adjudged as the number one African Pride brand followed by the Ethiopian Airline and MTN respectively.

In a newly introduced category, the Dangote brand came second in Sustainability, by brands doing good for the people, Society and the Environment.

These were announced in Johannesburg, South Africa on the occasion of the Africa Day marking the 13^th Annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2023 rankings of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa based on a survey and rankings conducted by Geopoll, Kantar and Brand Leadership, across 32 African countries that account for more than 85% of the continent’s GDP and population.

Brand Africa in its statement announcing the ranking disclosed that in a new category of brands that are doing good for people, society and the

environment, inspired by business shifting from profit to purpose, MTN and Dangote as African brands came first and second respectively while Unicef

emerged as the number one NGO and Coca-Cola emerged as the number one non-African brand.

In the category specific ranking of the Top 25 financial services brands, Africa’s

oldest banking group, Standard Bank surged to the number one position of the most admired brand in Africa, displacing GTBank, which had led the rankings for the past 3 years, but is reeling from recent UK regulatory issues, service challenges and a tough competitive environment. The category is dominated by South African (6) and Nigerian (6) brands which account for 48% of the rankings, with the USA (4), led by VISA, at 16% percent, making up 64% of the Top 25 brands.

In another category specific ranking of the Top 25 media brands, DSTV, the consumer brand of the Multichoice Group, retains its dominant ranking ahead of BBC and CNN as the most admired media brand in Africa. Consistent with previous rankings, non-African media dominate the continent, accounting for 76% of the Top 25 brands.

Brand Africa disclosed that Dangote retained the number one spot for the 6^th time despite African brands slipping to 14% of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa as non-African brands entrench their position in the continent.

Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa expressed concern that despite optimism with the progress of African Continental Free Trade Area

(AfCFTA) and other initiative to drive African initiatives, African brands still regressed 20% from a 10-year high of 17% to 14% share of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa.

“It is concerning that despite the momentum in operationalizing the AfCFTA, rising internal pride in continent albeit against global economic challenges, that African consumers have reverted to their trusted, mostly non-Africa brands, rather than give African brands a chance,” he stated. “Nonetheless, this is the state of brands in Africa, and an urgent need to build trust in Made in African brands.”

Bernard Okasi, the Director of Research, GeoPoll, which has been the lead data collection partner since 2015 while speaking on the outcome of the survey explained “With an ever increasing number of countries, greater sample size, and the growth of mobile across the continent, more than ever, using mobile continues to prove to be an effective tool to reach and access respondents across the continent”.

The Chief Growth Officer Africa Middle East for Kantar, Karin Du Chenne, who has been the insight lead for Brand Africa since inception in 2010 says, “despite the increased countries and sample sizes which have invariably grown the volumes of brands analysed, the survey continues to yield a very consistent picture of the leading brands in the continent, albeit not yet to Africa’s advantage.”

He added that as a non-profit initiative and to ensure the objectivity and independence of the rankings, the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands research to determine the most admired top-of-mind brands in Africa are not funded by any brand.

Reacting to the last survey affirming Dangote as number one most admired indigenous African brand, Group Chief, Branding and Communication, Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina said the awards were well deserved because “the Dangote brand generates strong nationalistic impressions and powerful feelings across the Continent in terms of industrialization, self-sufficiency, prosperity, power and production.”

He stated that this was further strengthened with the recent commissioning of 650,000 bpd Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemical complex which is a huge industrial complex or frigate. “The brand portends the inevitability of Nigerian global ascendancy and a gateway to regional and continental development”, he added.

Established in 2010, Brand Africa is an intergenerational movement to inspire a brand-led African renaissance to drive Africa’s competitiveness, connect Africa and create a positive image of the Continent.

This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the intended recipients. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain malware. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. If verification is required please request a hard-copy version.

Dangote Industries Limited and subsidiaries, Union Marble House, 1 Alfred Rewane Road, Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.

News

Chukwu Keynote, Other Speakers For SUPERNEWS AI Confab ’25

Published

3 days ago

May 25, 2025

august24admin

Chukwu Keynote, Other Speakers For SUPERNEWS AI Confab ’25

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Managing Director/CEO, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr Johnson Chukwu is the keynote speaker at the Forthcoming SUPERNEWS Nigeria Artificial Intelligence (AI) Confab 2025, holding on Thursday, June 19th 2025 at Oriental Hotel, 3 Lekki Road Victoria Island Lagos at 10am.

Chukwu will be speaking on the theme, Power of AI: Enhancing Efficiency And Customer Satisfaction For Better Financial Services Experience.

Other renowned experts lined up for the event include the Founder/CEO, ZER Consultating Africa, Mrs Adeolu Adewumi-Zer, the Fmr. Managing Director, Hilal Takaful Insurance Limited, Mrs Thaibat Adeniran, the National President, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN) Dr Uju Ogubunka and the Head Financial Institutions Ratings, Augusto & Co, Mr Ayokunle Olubunmi.

According to the Convener of the conference, the Publisher of SUPERNEWS Nigeria, Ngozi Onyeakusi, the choice of Johnson Chukwu as the keynote speaker is a reflection of his extensive professional background, diverse expertise and profound knowledge of the financial services sector and economy.

Mr. Johnson Chukwu is the chairman and founder, Cowry Assets Management Ltd, prior to the establishment of Cowry Asset Management Limited, he has been actively involved in the Nigerian capital market and was instrumental to the establishment of one of the most vibrant capital market operator, as the pioneer General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Express Trust Limited (now Spring Capital) – a subsidiary of Guardian Express Bank Plc (now Spring Bank Plc).

Before joining Cowry Asset Management Limited on a full-time basis in October 2007, Mr. Chukwu was between February 2006 and September 2007 a Deputy General Manager and Group Executive, Operations of Spring Bank Plc.

Mr. Chukwu is a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) second class upper degree holder in Accounting and a University of Lagos Scholar. He also holds an MBA from Lagos Business School (Pan African University).

His banking career also includes a 3-year stint as the Deputy Financial Controller of Diamond Bank Plc (1997 – 2000) and 5 years experience with Intercontinental Bank Plc (1992 – 1997) where he worked in Credit and Marketing (Trade Finance), Financial Control, Treasury Operations, and Branch Operations.

Among his professional qualifications are Fellowship of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Taxation.

He has attended several courses both locally and internationally including IESE Business School (University of Navarra) Barcelona, Spain; Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania) Philadelphia, USA among others.

The epoch making event, which will be bringing together regulators, key stakeholders in the financial services, ICT sector, informal sector and small business owners will be chaired by the Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Alhaji (Dr) Umaru Kwairanga.

The confab will focus on how AI is redefining the financial services sector, accelerating
automation, customer engagement, risk management and fraud prevention.
It is a learning opportunity designed to enhance awareness, deepen understanding of
participants on the imperative and use of AI in rendering banking, capital market, pension
and insurance services cheaper, faster and conveniently.

News

GOCOP to Launch Book, raise Fund for Media Center

Published

1 week ago

May 21, 2025

august24admin

GOCOP to Launch Book, raise Fund for Media Center

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has announced the public presentation of its book, Nigeria Media Renaissance: GOCOP Perspectives on Online Publishing, on Tuesday, June 17th at Abuja Continental Hotel, at 10.00am.

According to a press statement by GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, this highly anticipated event promises to be a significant milestone in the literary and publishing landscape.

He quoted GOCOP President, Ms Maureen Chigbo, to have said that the event will feature a Fundraiser for the N2.3 billion GOCOP MEDIA CENTRE, a multi-purpose resource centre comprising a secretariat, a 21st Century library and event halls, among others.

Chigbo further said that “this landmark publication chronicled the transformative journey of Nigeria’s media landscape, highlighting the pivotal role of online publishing in shaping public discourse, enhancing transparency and fostering national development.

“It is a testament to the resilience and innovation of Nigerian media practitioners in the digital age,” she said.

The event, she said, will bring together distinguished personalities from government, media, private sector, academia and civil society to reflect on the challenges and opportunities in online publishing and its critical role in nation-building.
GOCOP which currently has 120 members was established to ensure that online publishers uphold the tenets of journalism in doing their jobs. Its membership is a constellation of editors and senior journalists, whom, having distinguished themselves in their various stations in the print and electronic media, ventured into online publishing which is both the present and future of journalism globally.
The book aside tracing the historical trajectory of online journalism in Nigeria is also a veritable contribution towards enriching the discourse on civil liberties, press freedom and the role of the media in the sustenance of democracy, the statement added.

News

Kwara Court Jails Tailor for Impersonating, Defrauding EFCC Investigator

Published

2 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

august24admin

Kwara Court Jails Tailor for Impersonating, Defrauding EFCC Investigator

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced a 27-year-old fashion designer, Haruna Musa Tolani, to 12 months imprisonment for impersonating and defrauding Callitus Egwuonwu, an investigating officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Directorate.

Tolani, an indigene of Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, was initially arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and cybercrime on January 28, 2025 and pleaded not guilty, but later changed his plea to guilty after overwhelming evidence was presented by counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola.

Count one of the charge reads:

“That you Haruna Musa Tolani in August,2024 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, misrepresented yourself via electronic message sent through unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) to Access Bank Plc. With respect to account number 0022643389, property of Mr Callistus Egwuonwu, with which you purchased N20000.00( Twenty Thousand naira) worth of MTN data which resulted into loss to the owner of the account and you thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(2) of the cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2015”

Similarly, count two reads:

“That you Haruna Musa Tolani sometime in August,2024 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Callistus Egwuonwu via electronic message sent through unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) to Access Bank Plc with respect to account number 0022643389, property of Callistus Egwuonwu with intention to purchase MTN data worth Twenty Thousand Naira (20,000.00) which you did purchase and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act,2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act”

In his judgment, Justice Awogboro imposed a 12-month custodial sentence on Tolani with an option of a fine of N200,00( Two Hundred Thousand Naira). The court also ordered the forfeiture of a First Bank manager’s cheque of N200,000 in favour of the victim and directed the convict to restitute the sum of N20,000, the amount he fraudulently obtained.

Tolani bagged his imprisonment when he was arrested for internet fraud. He was charged to court, pleaded guilty and convicted.