FirstHoldCo Plc has made history by becoming the first Nigerian banking group to achieve a market capitalisation of more than N6 trillion, underscoring a remarkable rally in its share price this year. The milestone was reached during trading on Monday, August 3, 2026, when the company’s shares climbed to N136.50, pushing its market value to approximately N6.21 trillion based on its 45.48 billion outstanding shares. The achievement further cements FirstHoldCo’s position as Nigeria’s most valuable listed banking group. The N6 trillion valuation comes less than two weeks after FirstHoldCo crossed the N5 trillion market capitalisation mark for the first time…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
Amazon has crossed the $3 trillion market valuation mark for the first time, joining an elite group of technology companies as investors bet that its aggressive investments in artificial intelligence are driving stronger growth and profitability. The milestone follows Amazon’s strongest cloud computing growth in more than four years and an increase in its annual capital expenditure forecast, reinforcing confidence that its AI strategy is delivering tangible financial returns. Amazon now joins Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and Nvidia in the exclusive club of companies valued at more than $3 trillion, while Nvidia remains the world’s most valuable company with a market…
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has launched a $100 million (about ₦133 billion) Viability Gap Fund to attract private sector investment and accelerate infrastructure and economic development across the state. The governor announced the initiative at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026 in Asaba, which brought together government officials, business leaders and development partners to explore investment opportunities in the state. Oborevwori said the summit was designed to connect investors with viable opportunities while showcasing Delta State’s economic potential. According to him, the Viability Gap Fund will help de-risk strategic projects, making them more attractive to private investors…
A little-known iPhone feature designed to ease motion sickness is winning over users, with many describing it as a game-changer for reading or browsing while travelling. Called Vehicle Motion Cues, the accessibility feature displays animated dots along the edges of the screen that move in sync with the motion of a vehicle. Using the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer, the dots provide visual cues that help the brain better process movement, potentially reducing nausea. The feature has become increasingly noticeable on public transport, where commuters can often be seen using phones with the distinctive moving dots. Experts say the technology is based on…
Snapchat has joined a growing list of major social media platforms taking action against the flood of low-quality, AI-generated content often referred to as “AI slop.” The platform’s parent company, Snap, announced it will no longer recommend videos created entirely by artificial intelligence in its Spotlight feed, choosing instead to prioritise authentic, human-created content. The move follows similar initiatives by YouTube, LinkedIn and Substack, all of which have recently introduced measures to curb the spread of AI-generated posts, videos and articles that critics say are repetitive, misleading and damaging to trust online. While Snap is limiting the visibility of fully…
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has swung into the record books, earning an impressive $927 million (about £687 million) worldwide during its opening weekend to become the second-highest global box office debut of all time. The latest Marvel blockbuster, starring real-life couple Tom Holland and Zendaya, trails only Avengers: Endgame, which opened with more than $1.2 billion globally in 2019. The film also delivered the second-biggest domestic opening in North American history, grossing $335 million over the weekend. Its stellar performance provides a timely boost for Marvel Studios, which has faced inconsistent box office results since Avengers: Endgame. The success comes ahead of the highly anticipated release of Avengers: Doomsday in December. Released last week, Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues the…
Africa has reached a pivotal moment in its economic history and must move from being a passive participant in global affairs to becoming an active driver of growth, innovation and trade, according to policymakers and economists at the 7th Africa Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja. Speaking at the forum, held at the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), leading voices including WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, outlined strategies for positioning Nigeria and the wider continent to benefit from shifts in the global…
BUA Group has approved an investment of more than $65 million to reconstruct and modernise Terminal B at the Rivers Port Complex in Port Harcourt, a move aimed at boosting cargo handling capacity and supporting Nigeria’s drive to improve port infrastructure. The project will be executed by BUA Ports and Terminals Nigeria Limited, the concessionaire managing Terminal B, and is expected to enhance operational efficiency, increase cargo throughput and improve service delivery for port users. The investment was announced during a meeting between Abdul Samad Rabiu, BUA Group Chairman, and the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led by…
By Tim Akano We like to imagine ourselves self-made, as though a person arrives in the world the way a stone arrives in a field, solitary, uncaused, owing nothing to the ground it lands on. This is the most flattering lie a human being can tell himself, and also the most dangerous, because a man who believes he owes nothing will eventually behave as though he owes nothing, and the world has a way of sending the bill anyway. Life was never meant to be transactional. It is a permanent partnership with Mother Nature, not a contract we can exit…
The decision by the Lagos State Government to introduce a state-issued driver’s licence in collaboration with the Federal Government and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) could become one of the most significant transport reforms in Nigeria in recent years. Beyond the issuance of a new identification document, the initiative reflects Lagos’ growing determination to tackle the complex realities of mobility, traffic management, road safety, and public service delivery in Africa’s most populous city. Announced by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during the 2026 ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, the proposal signals a fresh attempt to modernise driver administration in a state where…