The Director General (DG) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to leveraging technology to strengthen investor confidence and transform Nigeria’s capital market into a globally competitive environment.

Speaking at the 2025 Customer Service Week celebration in Abuja with the theme “Building the Market of the Future, One Interaction at a Time,” Dr. Agama said the SEC is embracing digital innovation as a core part of its service strategy to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility across all market operations.

He noted that recent advancements, such as the digitization of SEC processes, deployment of new online service portals, and enhanced engagement with market stakeholders through digital platforms, were designed to simplify regulatory interactions and make the market more user-friendly.

According to him, “The digitization of our processes, the launch of new portals, and our enhanced engagement on social media are all steps in the right direction. They are designed to make our market more accessible, transparent, and user-friendly”.

While acknowledging the transformative power of technology, the SEC boss stressed that human engagement remains central to building trust.

He explained that “technology is only an enabler,” adding: “The heart of excellent service is the human connection—the ability to listen, understand, and provide solutions that make every stakeholder feel valued.”

Dr. Agama pledged that the Commission would continue to invest in digital infrastructure, continuous staff training, and tools that empower frontline officers to deliver superior service to investors.

He described customer-facing staff as the “true heroes” of the capital market, whose work directly shapes investor perception and confidence in the system.

He stressed that the SEC’s vision is to build a deep, vibrant, and technology-driven capital market powered by efficient service delivery and sustained trust.

“Let every day be Customer Service Day at the Nigerian SEC and across our capital market. Let us continue to build this market of the future, not with grand pronouncements alone, but with one successful interaction, one resolved complaint, and one satisfied stakeholder at a time”, he stated.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Kolawole, has said that a service culture built on responsiveness and innovation will differentiate the impact that customer service can make in any organisation.

Making the remarks at the flag off of the Customer Service Week 2025 in Unity Bank, Mr. Kolawole stated that “apart from constantly improving the way in which better customer support can be achieved, the increasing sophistication of our customers have made the Bank to also begin to focus more on customer experience innovation with investment being made in technology, systems, and people which enable us redefine our customer journey altogether”.

While extolling the Bank for always rising to any occasion, the Managing Director celebrated the resilient frontline staff for their unwavering dedication and reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer service across all touch points, stating that this year’s celebration, themed “Mission: Possible,” underscores the Bank’s unwavering belief that every customer needs can be met through innovation, teamwork, and with service culture.

“The Bank’s customer service teams are well acclaimed for their passion, professionalism, and resilience in fulfilling the institution’s mission to provide exceptional service to its growing customer base”, the Unity Bank MD further stated.

In further acknowledgement, Mr. Kolawole stated: “At Unity Bank, our mission is clear — to make banking simple, accessible, and rewarding for every customer. ‘Mission Possible’ captures the spirit with which we approach every challenge and opportunity to serve; whether through our digital platforms, branch interactions, or customer support channels”.

Additionally, the Bank’s Chief Customer Service Officer, Elfrida Igebu, emphasised the significance of recognising and celebrating staff who consistently go above and beyond to serve customers.

“This year’s theme reminds us that what may seem challenging is always achievable with the right attitude, teamwork, and customer-first mindset. Our frontline teams embody this every day by demonstrating that at Unity Bank, service excellence is not just a goal, it is our mission,” Igebu said.

Throughout the week, Unity Bank organised activities across its branches and offices nationwide to reflect the Customer Service Week 2025, from customer appreciation engagements, Award of recognition for Staff, setting up festive ambience and decor, flamboyant service and cultural costumes donned by members to digital media activations.

In time past, Unity Bank was among the first financial institutions to introduce a multilingual USSD platform, *7799#, and from then onwards, the Bank continues to upgrade features of its mobile banking platform, Unifi app, for optimisation, reinforcing customer experience innovation and convenience.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dismissed recent media reports alleging that it is importing finished petrol with high sulphur content into Nigeria, describing the claims as false and misleading.

In a statement issued on Friday, the company explained that, as a world-scale complex refinery, it processes a wide range of crude oils and intermediate feedstocks, which is a standard global practice aimed at optimising production and product quality.

“The cargo in question is an intermediate feedstock, not finished petrol,” the company said. “It will be fully refined in our processing units to meet both Nigerian and international quality standards.”

Operating within a Free Trade Zone, Dangote Petroleum Refinery said it refines and sells only high-quality fuels that comply with all regulatory specifications. The company added that its exports of petroleum products to the United States and Europe, among the world’s most regulated markets, underscore its adherence to international benchmarks for quality and safety.

Dangote Refinery further noted that all imported feedstocks are accompanied by quality certificates, which are transparently shared with regulators. “We are also willing to make these documents available to the public in the interest of full transparency and accountability,” the statement added.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s energy independence, maintaining global best practices, and delivering cleaner, high-quality fuels for both domestic and international markets.

Non-interest bank, TAJBank Limited, has recorded a 185.15 per cent oversubscription in its latest N20bn Mudarabah Sukuk bond offer.

In a statement on Thursday, the bank said the figure was based on data released by investment market authorities on the bond’s performance.

The data showed that the debt instrument, with an annual profit rate of 20.5 per cent, recorded an allotment of N57.03bn, representing 185.15 per cent oversubscription, a reflection of growing investor confidence in the bank.

Commenting on the performance of the offer, TAJBank’s Founder and Managing Director, Mr. Hamid Joda, described the N20bn Mudarabah Sukuk bond, which represents the second tranche of the bank’s N100bn Sukuk programme, as impressive given prevailing micro and macroeconomic conditions affecting the real incomes of Nigerians.

“Let me say that this outstanding performance of the Sukuk bond is a clear demonstration that the bank is enjoying growing investor confidence. This can only be attributed to the quality of innovative products and services, as well as the value addition TAJBank continues to deliver in the non-interest banking subsector, especially when analysed within the context of current realities in the debt instrument market,” Joda said.

He added, “I want to thank the board, management and staff of the bank, the regulatory authorities, and the investors for their contributions to the success of the bond issuance. I also assure them that TAJBank will continue to protect their interests to ensure a win-win experience for all stakeholders as we sustain our drive to remain the leading player in the nation’s non-interest banking subsector.”

Also speaking, the bank’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Sherif Idi, said, “This investment feat clearly demonstrates investors’ trust in TAJBank, and we will continue to do our best to exceed their expectations through world-class products and services. As always, our focus remains on our customers and investors.”

Analysts in the investment market believe that, following the outstanding success of TAJBank’s latest N20bn Mudarabah Sukuk bond, more investors, businesses, and customers will be encouraged to engage with the bank to explore opportunities in its innovative products and attractive returns.

Since debuting in Nigeria’s non-interest banking space about five years ago, TAJBank has gained recognition for its adherence to global best practices in Islamic finance. The bank has received several awards, including the Global Islamic Finance Award 2023 for ‘Best Sukuk Deal of the Year’. It also won BusinessDay’s ‘Islamic Bank of the Year’ award in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and earlier clinched Leadership Newspaper’s ‘Bank of the Year’ award in 2020, among other accolades.