Abuja, Dec. 19, 2025 – The World Bank is to approve a $500m loan to Nigeria today for micro, small and medium enterprises across the country. The bank’s board is expected to approve the loan on Friday, for a project estimated at $2.39 billion. The loan is part of the country’s efforts to mobilise private capital and promote innovative financial products for small businesses. Under the arrangement, the federal government will be the borrower, while the Development Bank of Nigeria will serve as the implementing agency.
Bank of Japan raises benchmark rate to 0.75%
First increase above 0.5% in 30 years as bond yields surge past 2% Tokyo, Dec. 19, 2025 – The Bank of Japan decided on the 19th at the Monetary Policy Meeting to raise the benchmark interest rate from 0.5% annually to 0.75% annually, an increase of 0.25 percentage points. This marks the first time in 30 years that Japan’s benchmark interest rate has exceeded 0.5% annually. The Bank of Japan ended its negative interest rate policy in March of last year. In July of last year, it raised the …
Polaris Bank champions girls’ hygiene awareness, distributes female hygiene essentials in schools
Lagos, De. 18, 2025 – Polaris Bank has demonstrated its commitment to empowerment of the Nigerian girl-child through health education and essential support with the successful distribution of female hygiene essentials to female students of Kuramo and Victoria Island Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, Lagos. This initiative stems from Polaris Bank’s 2025 International Women’s Day celebration and forms part of our ongoing Adolescent Health and Hygiene Support Programme. Through the Bank’s Girl-Child Support and Hygiene Education Initiative, the outreach aims to improve menstrual hygiene education, build confidence and …
IMPI hinges 14% year-end inflation forecast on painstaking analysis of Tinubu’s reforms
Abuja, Dec. 18, 2025 – The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has attributed its successful forecast of a 14 per cent inflation by the end of the year to a painstaking analysis of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies in the last year. According to a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Omoniyi Akinsiju, IMPI said that while the President himself projected an ambitious 15% inflation rate in his 2025 budget speech, its analysts were convinced in September that the country would do better using a Predictive Regression (PR) …
Bank of England lowers rates after tight vote but signals caution about further cuts
London, Dec 18, 2025 – The Bank of England cut interest rates on Thursday after a narrow vote by policymakers but it signalled that the already gradual pace of lowering borrowing costs might slow further. After a sharp drop in inflation in data this week and a new forecast from BoE staff that growth will stagnate in late 2025, five Monetary Policy Committee members voted to lower the BoE’s benchmark rate for the fourth time in 2025 to 3.75% from 4.0%. The four other members supported no change as …
NDIC, NBSS to sign MoU on efficient reimbursement of depositors in failed banks
Abuja, Dec. 17, 2025 – The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure more efficient process of reimbursement of depositors in failed banks. This was disclosed by Thompson Oludare Sunday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the NDIC, during a courtesy visit by the NIBSS Executive Management team led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr. Premier Oiwoh. Sunday commended NIBSS for its longstanding partnership and invaluable contributions to strengthening the Corporation’s mandate of protecting depositors …
PZ Cussons: Efficacy of Tinubunomics stops planned exit from Nigeria – TMSG
Abuja, Dec. 17, 2025 – The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) says the success of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms has forced the British conglomerate, PZ Cussons, to reverse its decision to leave Nigeria. The group said this in a statement signed by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo. It said that increasing evidence had proved that the reforms are bearing the desired fruits. ”The statement reads: “If anything exemplifies the potency of the reforms introduced by the President Bola Tinubu administration, it is the recent decision …
Musk’s net worth hits $600bn, Forbes says as SpaceX preps for IPO
Washington, Dec 16, 2025 – Elon Musk on Monday became the first person ever worth $600 billion, Forbes said, on the heels of reports that his SpaceX startup was likely to go public at a valuation of $800 billion. Musk, who was the first to surpass $500 billion in net worth in October, owns an estimated 42% stake in SpaceX, which is preparing to go public next year, Reuters reported last week. The SpaceX valuation would strengthen Musk’s wealth by $168 billion to an estimated $677 billion as of …
Monthly Allocations: FAAC shares N1.928trn among FG, States, LGs
Abuja, Dec. 16, 2025 – The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared N1.928 trillion among the three tiers of government as November 2025 monthly allocations. The allocations dropped from the N2.094 trillion shared in October. According to a statement issued by Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the allocations were shared at the December 2025 meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee. The statement said N2.343 trillion was the total gross revenue available in November 2025 …
Polaris Bank, Evolve Charity Trust empower 1,000 students with school essentials
Lagos, Dec. 15, 2025 – Polaris Bank, in partnership with Evolve Charity Trust, has successfully concluded its 2025 nationwide distribution of school essentials to 1,000 students across 10 public secondary schools in five states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The initiative is part of the Bank’s sustained Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts to keep more children, especially the girl child, in school. This year’s exercise adds to a growing intervention that has supported more than 24,000 students in public schools across 49 locations since 2021. This year’s beneficiaries …