Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), including Ecobank are set to raise their cash withdrawal limits from the current N20,000-N50,000 range to over N80,000-N100,000, according to multiple bank officials.

The move, it was learnt, would help bank branches to tackle lingering queues in some cities across the country.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had on Friday, March 24, 2023, directed commercial banks to open for operation on Saturday and Sunday, as part of a coordinated effort to ease the circulation of old and new banknotes.

This came after the CBN began the release of billions of old naira notes to DMBs. The central bank on Thursday finally obeyed the Supreme Court on the legal status of the old naira notes after months of controversy that trailed the naira redesign policy.

According to findings, most DMBs currently pay between N20,000 and N50,000 over-the-counter and Automated Teller Machines.

However, officials told our correspondents that banks were planning to raise the limits to enhance currency circulation and put a permanent end to queues in banking halls and ATM galleries.

Customers had on Monday thronged banking halls and ATM galleries to get cash despite the banks working throughout the weekend.

Visits to several bank branches in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun State, and other cities, however, revealed that customers in their numbers converged on bank premises to withdraw cash.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, was on Saturday, March 25, 2023, conferred with a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The award, which is in recognition of his immense achievements as Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank as well as his contributions to the growth of the financial services sector in Nigeria and across the African continent, was conferred on him during the 50th convocation ceremony of the University.

Speaking during the conferment ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Igwe, congratulated Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu for distinguishing himself in his career and for his service to humanity, which made him worthy to receive the prestigious Doctorate Degree from Nigeria’s first indigenous University.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu expressed his gratitude to the University of Nigeria for finding him a worthy recipient of the Doctorate Degree in Business Administration of one of the leading universities in Nigeria, considering the very rigorous process of selection of awardees by the institution. In his words, “for me to have been considered and to have passed through the meticulous selection process makes it the more dignifying because I have no connection with the University.”

Noting that the award represents a validation of the outstanding corporate governance, ethical leadership, and overall outstanding performance that Zenith Bank is recording, Dr. Onyeagwu dedicated the award to the board and management of Zenith, especially the Founder and Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, who has remained a mentor, a leader and a source of inspiration to everyone at the Bank and beyond; the staff, for being the shoulder and proverbial base of the pyramid upon which his achievements and success as CEO of the leading financial institution in Nigeria rests; the Bank’s customers for their unflinching loyalty to the brand; and to his family for their unceasing love and support.

Presenting the citation of Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu to the assemblage at the 50th Convocation Ceremony for the conferment of the Doctorate Degree in Business Administration, the orator of the University of Nigeria, Dr. Ikenna Onwuegbuna noted that Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu is an alumnus of Auchi Polytechnic, the University of Oxford, England and Salford Business School, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom, Delta State University, Abraka. Also, he is an alumnus of Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School of Columbia University, and the Harvard Business School of Harvard University in the United States.

Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu is a Fellow (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Institute of Credit Administrators (ICA) and Senior Associate Member, Risk Management Institute of Nigeria (RIMAN).

Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu is the Chairman of the Body of Banks’ Chief Executive Officers, Nigeria and Chairman of Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited and Zenith Nominees Limited. He is also on the Board of Zenith Bank (UK) Limited, FMDQ Holdings Plc and Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). Ebenezer Onyeagwu is a member of the International Monetary Conference (IMC), the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, member of the African Trade Gateway Advisory Council of the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), and member of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). He also served on the board of Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, Zenith General Insurance, Zenith Securities Limited, Zenith Assets Management Company, Zenith Medicare Limited, and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Dr. Onyeagwu’s track record of excellence has also seen him win several individual awards, including being named Bank CEO of the Year (2019) by Champion Newspaper, Bank CEO of the Year (2020, 2021 & 2022) by BusinessDay Newspaper, CEO of the Year (2020 and 2021) – SERAS Awards, and CEO of the Year (2022) – Leadership Newspaper.

Other recipients of  Doctorate Degrees at the 50th convocation ceremony include former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was conferred with the Doctor of Public Administration, and the Chairman of Hobark International Limited, Dr. Obiora Fubara, who received the Doctor of Business Administrat ion. A retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Mary Odili, was conferred with the Doctor of Law; however, her conferment was deferred to a later date because she was unavoidably absent at the ceremony.

Management of the pan-african cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc has revealed that once the shareholders at the AGM slated for April 13, 2023 approve the proposal, the shareholders whose names are registered in the Company’s Register of Members at the close of business on 30 March 2023 will be immediately paid the sum of about N340 billion a day after the meeting.

In the notice of AGM, published in the Newspapers and signed by Dangote Cement’s Acting Company Secretary, Edward Imoedemhe, the company revealed that a list of unclaimed dividends is available on the Company’s website at www.dangotecement.com and that Shareholders with unclaimed share certificates or unclaimed dividends should address their claims to the Registrars, Coronation Registrars Ltd, at info@coronationregistrars

The company also stated that it is giving notice to all shareholders to open bank accounts, stockbroking accounts and CSCS accounts for receiving dividend payments electronically and also that pursuant to the provision of Section 187 of CAMA 2020, the treasury shares are not entitled to dividend and voting rights.

The Cement company disclosed in the published Notice that, its ordinary business for the day will include: laying the Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 together with the Reports of the Directors, Auditors and the Audit Committee thereon; declare a dividend; elect/re-elect Directors; authorise the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors for the 2023 financial year; disclose the remuneration of Managers of the Company and also elect shareholders’ representatives of the Statutory Audit Committee.The AGM will also consider and if thought fit,  fix the remuneration of the Directors.

In the financial statements of the organisation for 2022, the gross earnings for the Group increased to N1.6 trillion from the N1.4 trillion recorded in the preceding year due to the higher revenue generated from cement and clinker sales, with a significant chunk coming from the domestic market. The company’s revenue also increased by 21 per cent to N1,205 billion as against N993 billion recorded for the preceding year.

While the group’s earnings per share increased by 5 per cent to N22.27 billion as against the preceding year’s N22.42 billion, the company’s earnings per share increased by 6 per cent to N23.87 billion as against N22.42 recorded for the preceding year.