As the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD21) calls on people and organisations to #choosetochallenge for a better world for women, Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank) has launched an initiative, tagged #GiveHerBetaHealth, to draw attention to the need for universal essential healthcare coverage, especially for women in the informal sector. Through the initiative, the leading African financial institution is providing 1000 self-employed women with BetaHealth for a year, at no cost.

Launched in 2020, BetaHealth is a low-cost healthcare package that provides coverage for essential health services such as malaria treatments, pre and postnatal care, accidents and medical emergencies as well as life insurance, all at a subscription fee of N500 per month. Offered through more than 1000 hospitals and pharmacies nationwide, BetaHealth also provides a telemedicine service that allows the user to speak with a Doctor over the phone anytime, anywhere.

With the #GiveHerBetaHealth campaign, the Bank is calling on the general public to nominate 1000 women who will be given free BetaHealth coverage for a year. To nominate a woman, visit

giveherbetahealth.gtbank.com.

#GiveHerBetaHealth is the latest in a long line of GTBank initiatives that reflects the Bank’s commitment to extending access to critical services for everyone, irrespective of their social or economic background. The campaign focuses on empowering self-employed women in the informal sector, many of who have limited or no access to financial services and health insurance. With this campaign, the Bank is putting a spotlight on the need for universal access to essential healthcare services that is affordable for every working Nigerian, and accessible across the country.

BetaHealth is available for everyone. To buy BetaHealth for yourself or someone else, simply dial 7375250050# from your mobile phone.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider is rewarding customers with N5 for every dollar received through foreign remittances. This N5 for a dollar incentive is paid to FirstBank’s customers regardless of their preference to collect the USD as cash across the counter in any of the Bank’s over 750 branches nationwide or as transfer into the customers domiciliary accounts.

The reward to customers is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ‘Naira 4 Dollar scheme’, driven to promote diaspora remittances into the country. For example, a customer that receives 10,000 USD, gets N50,000.00 as reward. The scheme runs from Monday, 8 March – Saturday, 8 May 2021.

Speaking on the initiative, FirstBank’s CEO, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan said “at FirstBank, we are pleased to participate in the CBN’s ‘Naira 4 Dollar scheme’ as it will contribute to deepening financial inclusion in Nigeria. Indeed, it’s an activity we are pleased to lead, whilst promoting access to funds across the nooks and crannies of the country in almost 127 years of our existence.

We are delighted to be a gateway to promoting dollar remittances into the country and we encourage our customers, their loved ones and friends to use our international money transfer services which would enable them to enjoy the rewards of this promo, sustaining the increase in inflows of diaspora remittances into Nigeria consequently help in poverty reduction, income redistribution and enhancement of economic growth’’ he concluded.

FirstBank pioneered international funds transfer and remittances over 25 years ago and has been at the forefront of promoting cross border payments in the country, having started the journey with Western Union Money Transfer. The Bank’s wealth of experience and operation in over 750 locations nationwide gives it the edge in the market.

Only recently, the Bank launched the First Global Transfer (FGT) product to promote international transfer of funds across its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Bank’s subsidiaries in Africa include FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Sierra-Leone, FBNBank Senegal.

Africa’s leading hospitality brand Transcorp Hotels Plc. has announced the launch of Aura, a new digital platform through which people can book accommodation, restaurants, and experiences.

The new brand, Transcorp’s first in the alternative accommodation segment, is part of the company’s asset-light model, leveraging technology to deliver true hospitality, exciting experiences, and drive shareholder value.

“It’s a new dawn in the hospitality industry! I am thrilled to introduce you to Aura by Transcorp, the digital platform we are using to connect people to quality accommodation, great food, and awesome experiences,” Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Hotels Plc. Dupe Olusola said.

“For more than 30 years, Transcorp Hotels Plc has been at the forefront of creating a superior guest experience at our locations. Today, our commitment to innovation has offered us an opportunity to extend this beyond the hotel premises,” Olusola added.

The launch of Aura by Transcorp is one of the most significant developments in the company’s history as it seeks to transform the travel and tourism industry in Africa by focusing on three important components of travel, whether for leisure or business — where you stay, what you eat and how you spend your time. With its people-driven hospitality model, Aura is set to revolutionise travel and help remind Africans of our deep history of hospitality.

Speaking on the launch of Aura, Obong Idiong, Chief Executive Officer at Africa Prudential Plc, Aura’s technology partners, expressed his excitement. “Finding the right accommodation when you travel can be incredibly complex. Options available for the right prices are often limited, and travellers sometimes end up with accommodation that taints the travel experience. Transcorp Hotels Plc has been able to fix that with Aura and we are proud to be associated with them.”

“To ensure topnotch user experience, we built a solution to drive digital transformation through the adoption of shared living spaces for the Aura business. With an advanced search algorithm powered by artificial intelligence, Aura determines the relevance of locations taking into consideration, the customers’ preferences and requirements to meet them at the point of their needs,” Idiong added.

Priscilla Adeboye, a travel enthusiast and early adopter of Aura, said the global pandemic has pushed international travel down her list. “But I still want to be able to take some time off work or spend a weekend away from home with the family. I have found incredible homes on Aura that meet my need for space and privacy.”

Working with thousands of partners across Nigeria and different cities in Africa, Transcorp Hotels Plc. is building the continent’s largest platform for people-driven hospitality. While travellers enjoy the right selections at the best prices on Aura, hosts can also earn a lot of money by receiving guests in their unoccupied homes and sharing the local culture with them.

For travellers who would rather stay in hotels, Aura also has a great selection of some of the best hotels in every city.

With the launch of Aura, Transcorp Hotels Plc. has further cemented its leadership in the hospitality industry and reinforced its commitment to innovation and superior guest experience across different demographics.

Guests and hosts can sign up at aura.transcorphotels.com to start booking or hosting. The service is currently available in Nigeria only, but the company said plans are already in place to expand to major cities in Africa.