Business and Brand
How Nestlé and the Swiss Consulate in Nigeria are upskilling and creating job opportunities for Nigerian youth
For the thirteenth consecutive year, Nestlé Nigeria has empowered more than twenty young Nigerians through the Technical Training program in its factory at Agbara. The participants received scholarships and training to attain the highly recognized City & Guilds certifications. In addition, the top five students were given the opportunity to conclude their training with an eight-week apprenticeship at two of Nestlé’s technical sites in Switzerland (Orbe and Broc). Equipped with their newly acquired skills, the graduating batch are ready to embark on their engineering careers with Nestlé in Nigeria. The Nestlé Technical Training Program in Nigeria is part of Nestlé’s global Needs YOUth initiative. Its objective across the three centres in Agbara, Abaji and Flowergate is to enhance the employability of young Nigerians by providing them essential skills in Mechanical, Electrical, and Automation Engineering. The Agbara training centre is run in collaboration with the Swiss State Secretariat of Migration (SEM).“Africa has the largest population of young people globally, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30,” commented Remy Ejel, Nestlé Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for Zone Asia, Oceania, and Africa. “It is crucial to help the younger generations reach their full potential and support economic growth by offering opportunities for skill development and employment. Nigeria is an important country to Nestlé. We’ve been there for more than 60 years and are proud of our contributions to its development. This partnership not only helps meet the demand for skilled labor in Nigeria but also supports the local economy and aligns with Nestlé’s broader objectives of enhancing youth employability.”Since its inception in 2011, the program has received an overwhelming response, with an average of 10,000 applications annually. Each year, up to 60 apprentices are selected through a rigorous assessment process to ensure quality training and personalized attention. The program includes 18 months of intensive theoretical and practical training for participants, who receive certifications in level 3, 4 and 5 of City & Guilds of London upon completion. Dolapo Adedoyin Okunola, 25, is a program graduate aspiring to become a Technical Manager. The highlight of her experience was participating in impactful projects aimed at improving energy efficiency and machine validations, while collaborating with a diverse and talented team. She also enjoyed the opportunity to learn basic French and explore the picturesque Swiss landscapes. “The Nestlé Technical Training Program has significantly enhanced my abilities and expanded not just my skills and academic knowledge but also my experiences of different cultures and languages,” Dolapo explained. “The comprehensive training I received in Nigeria, combined with my internship in Switzerland provides me a competitive edge in the corporate world. I am confident that this program has laid a strong foundation for my career.” The program not only enhances the technical skills of talented young Nigerians but also fosters cultural understanding and knowledge sharing between Switzerland and Nigeria.His Excellency Osuobeni Rawlings Krobari, Chargé D’Affaires of Nigeria to Switzerland and Liechtenstein added: “I am delighted to see the program’s success in enhancing the employability of young people in Nigeria. A skilled workforce is vital for our long-term growth. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduates on their achievements. I encourage them to view their new skills as not only a foundation for their careers but also an opportunity to be ambassadors for their generation, by sharing knowledge and best practices with their peers.”To date, the program has benefited close to 230 trainee graduates, with 98% securing employment at Nestlé Nigeria. Nestlé and SEM jointly invest in the program, reflecting their commitment to provide more economic opportunities to youth.Ms. Valérie Gass, Policy Advisor, State Secretariat for Migration SEM, said: “This program was launched the same year as the migration partnership between Switzerland and Nigeria, which aims, among other things, to create greater economic opportunities locally. The program is an excellent example of a successful Swiss public-private partnership that effectively addresses challenges and creates meaningful opportunities. We take great pride in this initiative and remain committed to supporting youth in Nigeria.”The Nestlé Technical Training Program consists of three programs run by Nestlé Nigeria in its factories in Agbara, Flowergate, and Abaji. In 2024, a total of 70 top-performing young Nigerians from these programs completed apprenticeships. This initiative is just one example of how Nestlé is helping youth become more employable across Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Drawing inspiration from the Swiss dual education system to combine theoretical and practical training, Nestlé aims to create a positive impact in the countries where it operates by leveraging global expertise alongside local insights.The global Nestlé Needs YOUth program was launched in 2013 and aims to help 10 million young people around the world access economic opportunities by 2030. As part of this ambition, it aims to reach more than 5 million youth across Asia, Oceania and Africa.-end-About Nestlé NigeriaNestlé Nigeria is a leading food and beverage company committed to unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone today and for future generations. With a wide range of products, including popular brands such as NESTLÉ PURELIFE, GOLDEN MORN, MILO, MAGGI and NESCAFÉ, Nestlé Nigeria provides nutritious and delicious food and beverages to consumers across Nigeria.
Business and Brand
Interswitch Partners with Temenos to Scale Digital Banking Services Across Africa
From Left: Santosh Rao, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Temenos, and Mitchell Elegbe, Group Managing Director and Founder, Interswitch Group, at the signing ceremony of a strategic partnership between Interswitch and Temenos to scale digital banking services across Africa, held recently during the Temenos Community Forum (TCF) 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Interswitch will use Temenos solutions to deliver managed services to banks and financial institutions across Africa Interswitch Group, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, andTemenos (SIX: TEMN), a global leader in banking technology, today announced a collaboration, wherein Interswitch will adopt Temenos technology to enhance its digital banking capabilities, supporting its growth and expanding access to modern financial services across the continent.Interswitch will use Temenos solutions – across core banking, digital banking, payments, wealth management and financial crime – to provide cloud-hosted and on-premises managed services to banks and financial institutions across Africa. This will enable institutions to progressively transform their banking platform and evolve to more customer-centric business models. The service will initially support key African markets including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and others.Jonah Adams, Managing Director for Digital Infrastructure & Managed Services (Systegra) at Interswitch, said: “By adopting Temenos’ cloud-native, composable platform, Interswitch gains the flexibility and scalability to accelerate its next phase of growth and deliver banking services that meet the needs of African markets.This is a pivotal moment for Interswitch as we accelerate our expansion beyond payments and reimagine digital banking for Africa. Our partnership with Temenos is strategic in that it allows us to introduce a highly configurable banking platform that leverages the latest cloud technologies into our technology stack. Temenos delivers on this and brings an unmatched breadth and depth of capability to support our vision and scale our services across the continent.”William Moroney, Chief Revenue Officer, Temenos, commented: “Interswitch is an important new customer and partner for Temenos in Africa. The collaboration underscores the adaptability of our platform to power innovative banking services tailored to the needs of African markets. Interswitch’s strong presence across the continent also extends our reach and further strengthens our ecosystem and partner network.”Widely known for its Quickteller and Verve brands, Interswitch operates in 32 African countries, supporting more than 300 financial institutions. Through Quickteller, its digital payments and services platform, Interswitch has played a significant role in shaping consumer and merchant payments. Verve International, a domestic payment cards and tokens scheme and a subsidiary of Interswitch, recently surpassed 100 million payment cards issued. The business continues to drive innovation in tokenization, reinforcing its position as one of Nigeria’s most widely used payment cards and token platforms.
Business and Brand
Quest Merchant Bank Strengthens Market Position as GCR Revises Outlook to Stable.
Lagos, Nigeria – May 2026 – Quest Merchant Bank Limited has strengthened its market position following GCR Ratings’ affirmation of the Bank’s national scale issuer ratings of BBB(NG) and A3(NG), alongside an outlook revision to Stable from Rating Watch Negative. The ratings action marks a significant milestone for Quest Merchant Bank following a transformative period for the institution, reflecting renewed confidence in the Bank’s financial strength, market positioning, liquidity profile and future growth trajectory.According to GCR, the revised Stable Outlook is anchored on Quest Merchant Bank’s sound risk profile, improved capitalization and strong liquidity, alongside the successful transition of the Bank’s ownership structure following its acquisition by EverQuest LLP after the divestment by FBN Holdings.The rating agency also highlighted the Bank’s strong presence within Nigeria’s merchant banking sector, where Quest Merchant Bank accounted for c.30% of the sub-sector’s total assets as of 31 December 2025, reinforcing its position as one of the country’s leading merchant banking institutions.Further strengthening the Bank’s outlook was the successful completion of its ₦42.9 billion capital raise in March 2026 in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s revised minimum capital requirements. GCR noted that the capital injection is expected to further enhance the Bank’s capital adequacy position and support the next phase of business growth.Quest Merchant Bank’s asset quality and liquidity profile also remained key strengths underpinning the ratings affirmation. The Bank maintained a NPL ratio of 3.2%, significantly below the broader banking industry average, while continuing to sustain strong liquidity metrics and resilient earnings performance.GCR additionally recognised the strategic value of the Bank’s relationship with Custodian Investment Plc, noting the potential for expanded business opportunities, operational synergies and stronger profitability over time.Commenting on the development, Afolabi Olorode, Ag. Managing Director/CEO, Quest Merchant Bank Limited, said:“This outlook revision is a strong signal of confidence in the future of Quest Merchant Bank and the progress we have made in strengthening our organization over the last year.“Beyond the ratings action itself, this recognition reflects the resilience of our business, the quality of our balance sheet, and the confidence our clients, partners and stakeholders continue to place in the Bank.“We have emerged from a defining transition period stronger, well-capitalized and better positioned to capture the opportunities ahead. We remain committed to delivering innovative solutions, creating long-term value and supporting economic growth across the sectors we serve.”The Stable Outlook reflects GCR’s expectation that Quest Merchant Bank will continue to maintain sound asset quality, stable funding and strong liquidity metrics over the next 12 to 18 months, further reinforcing confidence in the Bank’s long-term strategic direction and operating fundamentals.
Business and Brand
Qatar Airways to Enhance Operations in Africa
Increased services are set to begin from 16 June 2026, strengthening the airline’s network in the regionAirline to launch three weekly lights to Port Sudan from 2 July 2026DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways is expanding its African network, with light resumptions and frequency increases launching from 16 June 2026. Boosting connectivity across Africa, the airline will restart four weekly lights to Seychelles (SEZ) and two weekly lights to Kigali (KGL) from 16 June, and daily light to Marrakesh (RAK) from 1 July. Qatar Airways is set to enhance convenient travel options by serving the following destinations with increased lights: Alexandria (HBE) – increased three weekly lights to up to sevenCairo (CAI) – increased from 28 weekly lights to up to 35Cape Town (CPT) – increased from seven weekly lights to up to 10Dar es Salaam (DAR) – increased from three weekly lights to up to sevenLusaka (LUN)-Harare (HRE) – increased from five to seven weekly lightsMaputo (MPM)-Durban (DUR) – increased from four weekly flights to up to seven Qatar Airways flights to Port Sudan (PZU) Additionally, the airline is launching three weekly flights to Port Sudan, Sudan from 2July. Passengers travelling to Port Sudan from key markets in the Middle East andSoutheast Asia, such as Oman and Pakistan, can make seamless transfers through Hamad International Airport. The move reinforces the airline’s commitment to global connectivity while balancing sustainable growth with increasing demand for convenient air travel connectivity and trade. Departing every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: Doha (DOH) to Port Sudan (PZU) – Flight QR1319: Departure 09:00; Arrival 11:00Port Sudan (PZU) to Doha (DOH) – Flight QR1320: Departure 12:25; Arrival 16:20 Qatar Airways is furthering global connectivity by rebuilding its network to over 160 destinations worldwide. Bookings can be made at qatarairways.com or through the airline’s mobile app.About Qatar AirwaysA multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the ‘World’s Best Airline’ title for an unprecedented ninth time at the 2025 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. Qatar Airways was previously named the World’s Best Airline in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, and has yet again received recognition for ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways has also been lauded with the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ title for the 13th time.Qatar Airways recently received the Platinum performance recognition by Cirium, the leading aviation analytics organisation, for its reliability and operational performance. The recognition is a testament to the airline’s unwavering commitment to providing seamless and proven operations as part of its award-winning passenger experience.This summer, Qatar Airways will ly to over 160 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport. The airport has been recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for 11 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the third year in a row by Skytrax. Hamad International Airport has previously been named the ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024.Qatar Airways was the first airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles (such as ISO 14001). As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.
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