
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria

US Capitol complex temporarily shut down

Champion Breweries gains 32.35% in a week, following Heineken’s indirect acquisition of its shares

Kinyungu Ventures Research calls for changes to cut-and-paste VC strategy in Africa

Flour Mills shares lose N7.4 billion on NSE, as investors book profit

COVID-19 Update in Nigeria

Daily Parallel Market Exchange Rate – ₦470/$1

4 cryptos gain over 400% in a month, far outperforming Bitcoin

Naira remains stable across forex markets as external reserve continues to rise

Oil prices tumble on fears of global economic recovery
Appointments
Unilever announces the appointment of Jaime Aguilera as Non-Executive Director
Unilever Nigeria Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Jaime Aguilera as a Non-Executive Director.
Published
2 months agoon

The Board of Directors of Unilever Nigeria Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Jaime Aguilera as a Non-Executive Director.
This information was disclosed by Unilever in a notification issued and signed by the Company’s Secretary Abidemi Ademola.
According to the notification, the appointment of Mr. Aguilera as a Non-Executive will take effect from 1 January 2021.
However, the Board of Unilever disclosed that Mr Aguilera is a well-rounded business professional, with broad operational expertise while working for top FMCG companies.
What you should know
Aguilera in 2009 joined Unilever Spain as EVP & Chairman. He was appointed as Executive Vice President Unilever Eastern Europe in September 2016. He has since then moved to his current role as Unilever Executive Vice President Africa, leading the Unilever business in Africa.
Prior to joining Unilever, he has been in Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Procter & Gamble. His experience spans Europe, the Americas and Asia.
Omokolade Ajayi is a graduate of Economics, and a certificate holder of the CFA Institute’s Investment Foundation Program. He is a business analyst, and equity market researcher, with wealth of experience as a retail investor. He is a business owner and a stern advocate of Financial literacy, who believes in the huge economic prospect of the Nigerian Payment channels and Fintech space.


Appointments
Buhari appoints Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as Acting DG of National Directorate of Employment
President Buhari has appointed Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the Acting DG of the National Directorate of Employment.

Published
14 hours agoon
January 18, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the appointment of Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the Acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment.
This was disclosed by media aide to the Presidency, Garba Shehu, in a social media statement on Monday.
He said:
- President Muhammadu Buhari has formally conveyed to the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, his approval of the nomination of Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, as the Acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General for the Agency.
- Last month, the President relieved the former DG of his appointment, and directed the Minister to nominate an Acting DG to superintend over the Agency, pending the appointment of a substantive DG.
What you should know
- The Federal Government through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) formally kick-started the Special Public Works (SPW) programme, which was designed to create 774,000 jobs across the nation, with the inauguration of the State Selection Committees in 2020.
- Nairametrics reported last month that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the sack of Dr Nasiru Mohammed Ladan Argungu as the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) with effect from December 7, 2020.
- The Presidency did not give any specific reason for the sack.
Appointments
Joe Biden appoints Nigerian-born Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo as Counsel
Nigerian-American, Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo has been appointed as a member of the office of the White House Counsel.

Published
4 days agoon
January 15, 2021
U.S President-elect, Joe Biden, announced the appointment of Nigerian-American Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo as a member of the office of the White House Counsel, to serve as an Associate Counsel.
He announced it this week in a statement seen on his transition website.
A part of the statement reads:
- “The Counsels are experienced and accomplished individuals, have a wide range of knowledge from various fields and will be ready to get to work on day one.”
What you should know about Funmi Badejo
- Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo, before the announcement, was General Counsel of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, chaired by House Majority Whip, James E. Clyburn.
- Other government roles she has served include serving as Counsel for Policy to the Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Ethics Counsel at the White House Counsel’s Office, and Attorney Advisor at the Administrative Conference of the United States during the Obama-Biden administration.
- She started her career as an associate with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP and was also a Legal Counsel at Palantir Technologies Inc.
- She is a graduate of Political Science from the University of Florida, with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard University and holds a Law Doctorate from the University of California School of Law.
- She becomes the 3rd Nigerian American to be appointed under the Biden Government.
Biden’s transition committee said the new Counsels would work under the direction of White House Counsel, Dana Remus, and “help restore faith in the rule of law and the accountability of government institutions.”
In case you missed it
Appointments
Pfizer appoints Patrick van der Loo as Regional President for Africa and the Middle East
Patrick’s Pfizer experience spans more than 20 years in leadership roles with multiple successes across geographies.
Published
1 week agoon
January 11, 2021By
NM Press
Pfizer (www.Pfizer.com) announced today the appointment of Patrick van der Loo as Regional President for Africa and the Middle East (AfME) region. Patrick’s Pfizer experience spans more than 20 years in leadership roles with multiple successes across geographies. In his new role as Regional President for AfME, Patrick will lead commercial operations to bring scientific breakthroughs in vaccines, oncology, rare diseases, internal medicine, hospitals, and inflammation & immunology, to serve patients.
READ: Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine appears effective against key mutation – Study reveals
Commenting on his appointment, Patrick said: “This year has made me even more grateful and proud to be part of Pfizer. The global pandemic has accentuated our purpose as a company and reinforced our commitment to patients and communities worldwide. AfME is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing markets with increasing demand for innovative health treatments and services. Overall, the region has shown remarkable resilience due to strong leadership and sound policies.”
READ: OPEC cites vaccine as most important factor for oil in 2021 as Nigeria pushes for cuts
He added: “Pfizer has been operating for over 60 years in AfME. I look forward to continuing this journey and bringing our breakthroughs to address unmet patient needs. My top priority will remain to work with our teams to ensure greater access to our medicines across our strategic therapeutic areas. We will seek even stronger collaboration with healthcare professionals, communities, and governments to change the lives of millions of people and protect them from tomorrow’s health threats.”
READ: Nigeria contributes about 75% of West Africa’s regional GDP – AfDB
Patrick has been passionate about the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry from the start of his career. He has managed some of Pfizer’s largest therapeutic areas in cardiovascular and neuroscience globally and led the commercial development efforts of a 500+ molecule business.
READ: 40 years old British airline grounded due to drop in travels
In his previous role, Patrick served as the Developed Asia Cluster Lead and General Manager for Pfizer’s Hospital Business Unit, responsible for leading and executing Pfizer’s commercial and cultural strategy in Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Before this role, Patrick worked as the Emerging Asia Cluster Lead for the Pfizer Essential Health business.
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