Photo News: TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary…breaks even in 9 months of operations

Esan Bolaji
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Photo News: TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary…breaks even in 9 months of operations

Abuja December 7th 2020. TAJBank, Nigeria’s most innovative Non-Interest Bank has celebrated its 1st anniversary. The event which held recently took place at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja.

In attendance, were members of the board of directors, executive management as well as members of staff. The occasion was an opportunity for the Bank to also reward pioneer staff and other outstanding employees.Photo News Brandspurng TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary...breaks even in 9 months of operations

https://twitter.com/TAJBankLtd/status/1335113692917223426

Speaking at the ceremony, Board Member, Barrister Habib Alkali, representing the Chairman Board of Directors Tanko Isiaku Gwamna, reiterated the firm commitment and support of the Board in the realisation of the Bank’s vision and emphasized that employees who had shown exemplary conduct would be assured of appropriate rewards to motivate them.

Photo News Brandspurng TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary...breaks even in 9 months of operations

COO/Founder TAJBank, Mr Hamid Joda, lauded the dedication, focus and commitment of staff in achieving several milestones throughout the year. He restated the Bank’s 10/10 Service Mantra and urged staff to maintain the same zeal in preparing for its next year of operations to ensure that the institution continually offers the exceptional service to customers that it has become well recognised for.

Photo News Brandspurng TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary...breaks even in 9 months of operations
The CMO/Co-Founder, Mr Sherif Idi, noted that breaking even in nine (9 )months of operations was a remarkable feat and urged staff to maintain the same drive as the institution commences its 2nd year of operations. He also commended the shareholders for their patience and trust in the brand and expressed delight that the Bank will be paying dividends in its first year of operations.
Photo News Brandspurng TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary...breaks even in 9 months of operations
Photo News Brandspurng TAJBank Celebrates 1st Anniversary...breaks even in 9 months of operations

In its one year of operations, the Bank has achieved several milestones, the launch of TAJXpress, (Agency Banking network) across the NE and NW states, the establishment of TAJMall, Nigeria’s 1st ethical mall to critical acclaim with a focus on providing products and services to meet the evolving needs of customers across the country, appointment as Receiving Agent to several Federal Government Parastatals and also recognised as the Best Islamic Bank Marketing and Growth Strategy (GIFA Awards 2020).

The Bank recently announced a $5m facility grant from AFREXIM.

Top 10 ways the coronavirus will impact brands and marketing in 2021

Kantar
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Top 10 ways the coronavirus will impact brands and marketing in 2021

Here’s what will make the difference between success and failure in a world forever changed by COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed and rechanneled the marketplace. As we look ahead, there are new things that brands and marketers must watch out for. Kantar has been keeping a finger on the pulse of the marketplace. We’ve taken what we’ve learned in 2020 and built on it, identifying the ten things we believe will make the difference between success and failure in 2021.

Top 10 ways the coronavirus will impact brands and marketing in 2021 Brandspurng

Culling of competition and concentration within categories will escalate.

Situation: Big companies with solid balance sheets and affordable access to capital investment will pick off the growing number of ailing mid-cap and small-cap companies. Assortment simplification will favour the biggest brands. Consumers will look for more stability in the form of familiarity, convenience and routine.

Opportunity: Winning companies will prioritize brand scale, not a span of the portfolio, and will dedicate resources behind established brands with umbrella appeal.

Next step: Discover the new pillars of growth to ensure the best fit of the business with the post-pandemic marketplace. Research on where to play and how to win.

Overhaul of high fixed-cost business models will accelerate.

Situation: Cash will continue to be king. Capital-light companies will survive and thrive while capital-intensive companies will struggle with cash flow and many will fail as government support dries up. Cost reduction actions will pick up, as will innovations in asset management and monetization.

Opportunity: Winning companies will get to the lowest cost base ASAP and then shift assets to a new business or reconstruct business models to leverage outside assets.

Next step: Reinventing how assets are managed, especially people, and relentlessly testing new business models. Tune-up or eliminate points of weakness. Begin ROI modelling of assets. And organizational retraining of skills.

Recovery will be steady but volatile.

Situation: Essential products companies will become more essential as discretionary products and services companies become more discretionary. Different counties and even regions within countries will fare differently. The virus and lockdowns will continue to surge in rolling waves until vaccine implementation is finally completed.

Opportunity: Winning companies will move to localized and adaptive planning in order to align business with vaccine implementation and with business models less likely to be disrupted by lockdowns.

Next step: Adopt real-time planning that enables rapid resource and operating redeployment in specific geographies relative to rapidly changing market situations. Invest in contingency plans for future scenarios.

Out-of-home shifts to at-home solutions will grow and become permanent.

Situation: The acceleration of digital and virtual will recenter life on distance, delivery and decentralization. Work-from-home will leapfrog. Virtual will get a lot better. Consumers will resist giving up newfound time and control. Cost-savings and productivity will drive corporate decisions. Second-order effects will ripple out.

Opportunity: Winning companies will immediately develop a detailed understanding of home-based needs, occasions and media.

Next step: Identify and quantify the value of at-home needs-gaps and potential offerings. Research to remap the structure of demand.

Nothing will be more critical than locking down loyalty.

Situation: Consumers are in flux. Everything about lifestyles has been upended, and new solutions are needed. Retail tactics like assortment simplification have untethered consumers from brands. The online surge is disrupting shopping habits. Many brands face the happy but unexpected challenge of retaining new buyers.

Opportunity: Winning companies will make retention a top priority, while also aggressively targeting consumers lost by competitors.

Next step: Ramp up the relevance and value of brand positioning and brand experience. Invest behind greater visibility and salience. Begin benchmarking research to ensure ‘meaningful difference.’

Antimicrobial protection will be the cardinal operating requirement for every company.

Situation: Health has become hygiene. Masks, distancing and handwashing are here to stay. Letdowns that alarm consumers about exposure will punish brands. Over time, many sceptics will be swayed, adding to the demand for signalling a safe hygiene perimeter beyond which people can get back to normal.

Opportunity: Winning companies will incorporate hygiene into the basic brand value proposition as well as innovate around hygiene solutions.

Next step: Make hygiene obvious and unmistakable, then build category-specific differentiation on top of that foundation. Brainstorm and test innovative hygiene solutions.

Virus reverberations will make health an essential benefit in every category.

Situation: Every category has been impacted by protocols put in place to protect against infection. The takeaway for consumers is that every category, not just traditional health care, can help or hurt health. So every category can now plausibly treat health as a benefit. Big Tech companies are moving in this direction already.

Opportunity: Winning companies will move beyond old category boundaries in order to monetize innovative ways of ensuring and enhancing health and wellbeing.

Next step: Figure out a credible fit between health and the category that offers near-term brand opportunities Now is the time to refresh market structure research that incorporates health.

The integrity of commitment to the public goodwill matter even more.

Situation: Consumers want even more corporate involvement in the public sphere. The delicate balance of politics will become a regular challenge for brands. The competition for talent will keep pushing companies toward greater social purpose. The vaccine rollout will shine a brighter spotlight on the public impact of companies.

Opportunity: Winning companies will do more than just sympathetic communications and find ways to more tightly knit purpose and product together in performance, convenience and experience.

Next step: Build a richer understanding of the rapidly changing cultural contexts that are setting expectations for the public role of brands. Deepen insights into trends, culture and lifestyles.

Rebuilding in sustainable ways will be non-discretionary.

Situation: Climate issues now have inexorable momentum. Unprecedented natural events and a shift at the top in U.S. politics will combine with growing protests and a generational handoff to a cohort with greater concerns. Investors are demanding better pricing of risks while also seeking sustainable innovations in which to invest.

Opportunity: Winning companies will build competitive advantage from sustainable practices, particularly in logistics, production, materials and energy.

Next step: Formulate a long-term transformation plan to put the entire business on a sustainable footing. Develop and benchmark a sustainable transformation plan.

US-China relations will improve yet continue to be unsettling for business planning.

Situation: Concerns about single-threaded supply chains and job losses from offshoring will continue to motivate policy. Both countries will keep shoring up domestic production and consumption. Pressures related to technology and IP will grow. Regional political issues will continue. Tensions will abate but not go away.

Opportunity: Winning companies will shift to localized systems and solutions that provide insulation from the ongoing uncertainty as globalization continues to unwind.

Next step: Strengthen both business infrastructure and brand positioning with local elements and sources. Prepare an innovation plan that maximizes returns on ‘local.’

Bonus: Disruptions are the new normal.

Situation: The pandemic has destabilized much of the marketplace and those impacts are still playing out. Other macro shifts like climate, AI, an ageing population, political unrest and even other pandemics lie ahead, along with many good things like space exploration, biomedical advances and green energy breakthroughs. Across many fronts, the future will be a series of disruptive step changes.

Opportunity: Winning companies will supplement planning based on extrapolation-based systems that presume high levels of continuity with scenario-based systems built to provide stability and control even in the face of high levels of uncertainty.

Next step: Build a scenarios-based planning system to augment and contextualize existing brand and annual planning processes. Create futures and trends program tied to business performance metrics.

Take action

A brand-building program in light of this ten 2021 watch-outs:

Develop scenarios: Work out a complete set of possible futures. Resolve how to plan against each. Invest behind best-guess, but also work out contingency plans.

Establish tracking metrics: Specify key benchmarks that directly track new dynamics and trends. Create a dashboard. Set up frequent review meetings.

Recast business strategy: Thoroughly reexamine brand fit and retail channels in light of shifts in demand structure. A new strategy is probably needed; at the very least, the strategy must be updated.

Renovate organizational capabilities: Complete assessment of skills and functional proficiency, and upgrade relative to business strategy.

Burna Boy And Wizkid Set To Headline LiveSpot X-Clusive This December

Esan Bolaji
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0
Burna Boy And Wizkid Set To Headline LiveSpot X-Clusive This December

Nigerian music superstars and Grammy-nominated artists, Wizkid and Burna Boy are set to headline the Livespot X-Clusive concert slated for December 19 and 20, 2020. The artists who are fresh off hugely successful album releases will be making live appearances at the first-ever hybrid live concert in Lagos.

Burna Boy who is still reeling off of the excitement of his Grammy Awards nomination, under the World Music Album category, was nominated alongside other entertainers like Antibalas, Bebel Gilberto, Anoushka Shankar and Tianariwen courtesy of his latest album “Twice As Tall”.

Burna Boy And Wizkid Set To Headline LiveSpot X-Clusive This December Brandspurng

This is the second year in a row that Burna Boy is getting a nomination in this category. Wizkid on the other hand got nominated for his feature on Beyoncé’s song Brown Skin Girl. The song’s video is nominated for Best Music Video.

The singer and songwriter assured that music lovers and fans watching online and offline will be treated to his best-performance yet. The physical events will feature limited seating in line with COVID-19 restrictions. Tickets and access to the Livestream will, however, be made available via Livespot Nation.

“This year has been tough on everybody, but we all recorded some wins in one way or another,” the artist said. “I want my fans to experience the best live concert in recent memory, and I’m looking forward to making that a reality,” Wizkid said.

With no other major concert to look forward to this December, fans have a lot to expect from Livespot X-Clusive. The concert will also feature other music superstars like Dare Art Alade aka Darey, Yemi Alade and Simi as co-headliners. The lineup also includes Cuppy, Rema, Omah-lay and Reekado Banks to name a few.

The event which will be the first-ever live hybrid concert in Nigeria will host a select few physically at Eko Hotel and the rest of the world will get a chance to stream the concert live on Livespot Nation.

According to Deola Art Alade, CEO, Livespot360, producers of Livespot X-Clusive, 

“The event is going to be a fusion of incredible live performances; music, festival quality sound, impressive lighting, special acts, and immersive experiences, all rolled into one high-octane event which promises to deliver an unprecedented level of quality which Livespot360 is known for. We’re very excited and grateful for the opportunity to keep bringing Nigerians the very best of entertainment.”

Livespot360 is the brain behind some of Nigeria’s most iconic entertainment events in recent times, including Livespot X Festival with Cardi B, Love Like A Movie with Ciara and Kim Kardashian and BAFEST, to name a few.

This event marks the second event Livespot360’s entertainment division Livespot X will be producing and the first event Multi-platinum Afro-soul star Darey will be performing at in five years.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Darey, had this to say,

“The ‘X’ in Livespot X-clusive like the X in Livespot X Festival is a dynamic variable that takes up different forms, shapes and expressions year on year. It is an evolving hybrid of unique experiences designed to meet and exceed the entertainment cravings of Nigerians and Africans.

And for me, this particular event is all the more special. I get to perform songs from my newest EP Way Home and I also get to share the stage with queens like Yemi Alade and Simi and superstars like Wizkid and Patoranking. Livespot X-Clusive will definitely be an unforgettable experience.”

Livespot X-Clusive is a brainchild of Livespot360, a creative collective of the digital era, unified by a passion for developing disruptive ideas. Combining digital marketing, experiential marketing, advertising, education and entertainment for the Nigerian audience, the company’s mantra is to constantly set the bar in quality and performance.

Hitchcock Michalski Bags International Award for Designing Access Bank CLOSA Container Branches

Esan Bolaji
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0
Hitchcock Michalski Bags International Award for Designing Access Bank CLOSA Container Branches

Lagos, Nigeria 7th December 2020: Hitchcock Michalski – a leading global branding agency, has bagged an international award at the prestigious SACSC Retail Design and Development awards, for its architectural creativity of Access Bank CLOSA – an initiative of Access bank to provide access to financial services within neighbourhoods.

Hitchcock Michalski Bags International Award for Designing Access Bank CLOSA Container Branches Brandspurng

The award which was held in South Africa is a yearly event which seeks to recognise and reward innovative industry leaders who creatively design exceptional shopping centres and retail environments that have created impactful economic value across Africa. Hitchcock has emerged winner in the international category of this award for its innovative design of Access bank CLOSA container branches.

The CLOSA branches are branded cabins constructed from shipping containers, situated in metropolitan areas and offer banking services such as cash deposits and cash withdrawals, customer on-boarding, funds transfer subject to a limit of N150,000, BVN enrolment, card issuance, card activation, cheque deposit, bills payment, and ATM services. They are set to begin operations in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kaduna, Bayelsa, Delta, Anambra, and Kogi.

Speaking about the award, Fiona Hitchcock, Managing Partner at Hitchcock Michalski expressed her delight about the award and her work with Access Bank. “We are extremely elated about the international recognition our work with Access bank has brought to us.

And in moments like this when the Nigerian government and players in the financial industry are striving towards closing the financial exclusion gap, we are particularly excited to be a channel through which many more unbanked populations can be reached”. We are proud of the impact our work is having in Nigeria and we are committed to creating more impactful initiatives across the country.

Since its existence, Hitchcock Michalski has remained a people-focused branding agency and has helped notable companies across diverse sectors build distinctive brands.

Wakaati Television Debuts on StarTimes, Makes Strong Statement To Reposition Entertainment Industry

Esan Bolaji
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Wakaati Television Debuts on StarTimes, Makes Strong Statement To Reposition Entertainment Industry

In the bid to reposition video entertainment, online streaming and television production in Nigeria, Wakaati Television has made its debut into the country to revamp the entertainment industry. 

The company during the unveiling ceremony of its digital station in Lagos held recently affirmed that Wakaati Television which is on StarTimes Channel 100 and also streamed online has come to change the entertainment landscape into a more likeable and appreciable standard by producing original and recent contents. It will also be showcasing Nollywood blockbuster movies across its platforms.

WAKAATI TELEVISION Brandspurng Wakaati Television Debuts on StarTimes, Makes Strong Statement To Reposition Entertainment Industry
L-R: Ogbu Dorcas, Content Manager;Akintunde Brown, Head, New Media;Henry Awachuo, Head of Public Relations;and Mr. Kingsley Obiegbu, Corporate and Brand Strategist; all from Wakaati Network at the unveiling of Wakaati Televison in Lagos recently. | www.brandspurng.com

Reiterating the company’s position, the MD/CEO of Wakaati Network Limited, Prince Olurotimi Akingbogun said “I have over the years monitored the entertainment industry and the e-commerce in Nigeria, and I have noticed some relapses. And the best way to correct these shortcomings to me is just to establish a firm in that direction.

Wakaati Television will leverage on the relapses to forge ahead and make unimaginable impacts in the system. We are going to effect positive changes that will soothe people’s mind and reposition the industry in the right perspective.

“We have good contents that we will be showcasing on our digital station. I mean unique and remarkable contents that will differentiate us totally from the rest,” he stated.

Amazingly, the country’s Entertainment and Media Industry is expected to rise from $4.46 billion in 2018 to $10.5 billion markets by the end of 2023, according to PWC’s Entertainment Outlook report.

Meanwhile, with the unveiling of Wakaaki Television, the firm is set to make a difference and help grow the revenue base of the industry and at the same time produce resonating content of international standard that would project the African continent in a positive light through its online movies streaming, video entertainment and content development that cuts across all genders such as movies, documentaries, cartoon, comedy, in-depth report analysis and many more.

Basically, the owner of Wakaati TV, Wakaati Network, has Wakaati Mart, Wakaati Online Stream and Wakaati Content Hub; the platforms that would help the firm further actualise its objectives. Wakaati Mart is an online marketplace platform where buyers meet sellers directly and Wakaati Online Stream is a platform where people can watch unlimited movies via subscription.

However, Head of Public Relations, Wakaati, Mr. Henry Awachuo stated that people often frowned at the insistent repeats of movies in the cable stations, an act that has really not gone down well with viewers.

“The company is working at developing cutting edge television programmes, with imaginative and out of world creative ingenuity and innovation, bearing in mind customers satisfaction as a measurement of our performance.”

To elaborate more on the magnanimity of Wakaati Television,  Mr. Akintunde Brown, the company’s New Media Manager hinted that the country is about to experience great rejuvenation in terms of unrivalled contents and production in the television series. He added that the technological infrastructures on the ground are exceptional and of international repute.

The Corporate and Brand Strategist of the firm, Mr. Kingsley Obiegbu maintained that the television station in no time will be the toast of all, as advertising agencies and corporate bodies should embrace the unique platform to reach out to the masses, in view of their products and services.

He added that, with the contents and production prowess embedded in the station, it will beget mass viewership on Wakaati Television and the traffic will be awesome to attract brand loyalty among the populace.

Similarly, the Content Manager, Wakaati, Ogbu Dorcas said the firm already has original contents and recent blockbuster movies which will delight viewers within and outside the country at an affordable price, stating that the monthly access plan for its online streaming is just N750 while the StarTimes bouquet is just N900.

Wakaati Television tends to reposition itself as one of the national and global leaders in cable and satellite television production. The firm stated that they will seamlessly continue to expand their horizon in ensuring capacity building and growth within and outside its environs to soar the more in all ramifications.

StarTimes, Pay-As-You-View

FUTA Has Not Advertised Any Vacancy or Embarked on Any Recruitment Exercise

Esan Bolaji
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0
FUTA Has Not Advertised Any Vacancy or Embarked on Any Recruitment Exercise

The attention of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA has been drawn to a bogus recruitment exercise purportedly advertised by the Institution being peddled on some social media platforms.

This notice serves as a disclaimer to the bogus recruitment exercise. For the avoidance of doubt, FUTA has not advertised for any vacancy and members of the public are advised to discountenance the bogus recruitment exercise and not to enter into any negotiation with anybody for the non-existing vacancy.

FUTA, as a responsible Corporate entity, carries out such exercise through established channels of National Newspapers and its official social media platforms and website. Whenever there is a need for such exercise, the General Public will be duly notified through official channels.

FUTA Has Not Advertised Any Vacancy or Embarked on Any Recruitment Exercise

Nigerian Equity Market: Stock Recommendations for the Week (07/12/2020 – 11/12/2020)

GTI
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Nigerian Equity Market: Stock Recommendations for the Week (07/12/2020 – 11/12/2020)

Last week, the local bourse extends positive moment with a week-on-week gain of 0.72% in the All-Share Index, despite sell-pressure prevailing in two of the five trading sessions.

However, the Market Capitalization value appreciated by 0.75% due to the migration of Challarams Plc, Living Trust Mortgage Plc, McNichols Plc, and the Initiates Plc from ASeM to Growth Board.

Nigerian Equity Market Brandspurng Stock Recommendations for the Week
Source: NSE, GTI Research

Consequently, the All-Share Index settled at 35,137.99 absolute points, while the Market Capitalization value printed at ₦18.365 trillion compared to last week closing position of 34,886 points and ₦18.228 trillion. This is nominal term translates to a week-on-week gain of ₦137.20 billion in Market Capitalization value.

Nigerian Equity Market Brandspurng Stock Recommendations for the Week1

The uptrend was impacted by gains recorded in medium and large capitalized stocks, amongst which are; TRIPPLEG (+20.00%), AIRTELAFRI (+19.63%), FTNCOCOA (+16.00%), CUTIX (+11.76%), AIICO (+10.00%), MOBIL (+9.20%), MCNICHOLS (+8.51%), UPL (+6.52%), MAYBAKER (+5.67%), ARDOVA (+5.09%), COURTVILLE (+5.00%), and HONYFLOUR (+4.67%).

Outlook for the week ending December 11th, 2020

We anticipate seeing renewed profit-taking this week as more investor move to realign their portfolios ahead of the new year.

However, we do not rule out pockets of bargain-hunting on some large-cap stock that have seen price depreciation in recent weeks. Overall, we expect the market to close southward.

Nigerian Equity Market Brandspurng Stock Recommendations for the Week3
BUY: Means the upside potential of the stock over the next 12-months is significantly high when the current price is compared to our fair value. Hence, investors may take positions on these stocks
HOLD: Means the upside potential of the stock over the next 12-months is between 5.1% and 9.9% when the current price is compared to our fair value. Hence, investors may either hold on to the current unit or sell part
SELL: Means the upward potential of the stock, when the current price is compared to our fair value is less than 5%. Hence, investors may choose to exit position on the stock.

DHL safely relocates “the world’s loneliest elephant”

Esan Bolaji
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0
DHL safely relocates “the world’s loneliest elephant”

This “long-haul” flight took months of careful and extensive planning.

Kaavan, a 36-year old Asian elephant is settling in his new home in Cambodia after his flight from Islamabad, Pakistan. This “long-haul” flight took months of careful and extensive planning by FOUR PAWS, a global animal welfare organization, veterinary specialists and DHL Global Forwarding.

DHL safely relocates the world's loneliest elephant Brandspurng

The international freight specialist arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group took care of the logistics, including the necessary customs authorization for the transportation of Kaavan, from his previous home at the Marghazar Zoo.

“Over the years, DHL has transported different kinds of goods, overcoming several challenges. However, the transport of animals is always an extraordinary task,” stated Thomas Mack, Global Head of Air Freight DHL Global Forwarding.

DHL safely relocates the world's loneliest elephant Brandspurng

“The multimodal journey had to be planned very carefully. Temperature was controlled throughout the flight and Kaavan was accompanied by veterinaries to make sure he is safe. With our expertise and our global network, we were able to successfully relocate him to his new long-term sanctuary.”

After a medical check, the Asian elephant had taken a truck ride, from the zoo to the Islamabad International Airport to start the long-awaited journey to his new home at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary 30th of November.

DHL safely relocates the world's loneliest elephant Brandspurng

With a weight of over four tons and a height of more than three meters, the transport of elephant Kaavan had to be planned and handled with a sure instinct. Kaavan, also known as the world’s loneliest elephant, received global attention for his living conditions in the Marghazar Zoo.

DHL safely relocates the world's loneliest elephant Brandspurng

To prepare for the journey, Kaavan received special training for several weeks to securely enter his crate. The elephant was accompanied by a team of wildlife veterinarians who watched over him and kept him calm.

“The highly-anticipated journey is the result of months of planning and coordination with DHL and various animal specialists, such as the team from EKIPA, with the support of local Pakistan officials, American businessman Eric S. Margolis and Cher’s non-governmental organization ‘Free The Wild’.

Kaavan has been relocated to provide him with the species-appropriate environment and for the care that he requires, and every possible effort has been made to ensure that the trip, which is his passageway to a better life, is safe and comfortable for him,” said Dr. Amir Khalil, FOUR PAWS veterinarian and leader of the rescue mission.

In 2018, DHL successfully helped four grown endangered Ussuri brown bears travel across continents from Japan to England, and sent two giant pandas on a climate-neutral journey from China to Finland

Compact hybrid with 245 PS system output: The Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e

Esan Bolaji
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0
Compact hybrid with 245 PS system output: The Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e

Audi continues its electrification campaign in the compact class: Presales of the Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e will start in Germany this week. The brand with the four rings is thereby complementing the A3 Sportback 40 TFSI e with a sporty model that has more power and more extensive equipment. Its plug-in hybrid drive has a system output of 180 kW (245 PS) and 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft) of system torque.

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Static photo,
Colour: Glacier white

Like its sister model, the new A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e is equipped with a 1.4-litre combustion engine. It outputs 110 kW (150 PS) and 250 Nm (184.4 lb-ft) of torque. The electric drive is powered by a permanently excited synchronous machine that outputs 80 kW and 330 Nm (243.4 lb-ft) of torque.

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Static photo,
Colour: Glacier white

Control software generates the extra 30 kW (41 PS) of system output and 50 Nm (36.9 lb-ft) of torque as compared to the A3 40 TFSI e2. It regulates the optimum interplay between the two drives under maximum power requirements. The electric motor complements the combustion engine in the corresponding engine speed ranges.

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Static photo,
Colour: Glacier white

The electric motor is integrated into the housing of the six-speed S Tronic, which transfers the power to the front wheels. A package consisting of 96 prismatic cells in the lithium-ion battery stores 13.0 kWh of energy. The A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e1 charges with a maximum of 2.9 kW. An empty battery can be recharged in around five hours from a conventional domestic power socket.

Powerful performance and long-range

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Cockpit

With a system output of 180 kW (245 PS) and 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft) of system torque, the compact PHEV model accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 6.8 seconds and continues up to a top speed of 232 km/h (144.2 mph). Its fuel consumption in the NEDC cycle is 1.5 to 1.4 litres per 100 kilometres (156.8–168.0 US mpg), corresponding to 34 to 31 grams of CO2 per kilometre (54.7–49.9 g/mi).

The Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e always starts up on electric power. The driver can cover up to 74 kilometres (46.0 mi) according to the NEDC standard (63 kilometres (39.1 mi) in the WLTP cycle) with zero local emissions. The fully electric top speed is 140 km/h (87.0 mph).

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Detail

Four driving modes for high efficiency

In “Auto Hybrid” mode, which is the main operating mode, the combustion engine and the electric motor divide the work intelligently. Depending on the situation and the driver’s preference, the car can coast, recuperate – in overrun mode and while braking – or boost together with the electric motor and TFSI.

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Cockpit

When the driver selects the “Battery hold” or “Battery charge” modes, the hybrid management maintains the state of charge of the battery at a constant level or increases it in a targeted manner. Drivers can prioritize electric drive with the EV button.

The driver controls further functions via the central MMI display, the six-speed S tronic, or the Audi drive select dynamic handling system. Special displays inform the driver about the drive’s activity: For example, the digital instrument cluster displays, the engine output, the drive mode, the battery’s state of charge, and the range. The MMI display also provides visualizations of the energy flows.

Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e
Detail

Sporty equipment

The exterior of the Audi A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e1 features an expressive design: The black styling package and a Singleframe grille with high-gloss black inlays emphasize the car’s sporty character. Upon request, Audi offers the Matrix LED headlights with non-blinding high beams and dynamic cornering lights.

Their digital daytime running lights, a pixel array consisting of 15 LED segments, generate an E-shaped light signature – the symbol of the plug-in hybrid drive. The brake disks behind the 17-inch wheels are larger than those of the 40 TFSI e: They have a diameter of 340 millimetres (13.4 in) at the front and 310 millimetres (12.2 in) at the rear. All brake callipers are painted red.

Unlike the 40 TFSI e, the standard equipment also includes Audi drive select, sport seats, tinted windows, two-zone automatic air conditioning, and the convenience key. The A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e is available from EUR 40,395.29 in Germany (EUR 41,440 with 19% VAT). Customers are entitled to a subsidy of EUR 6,750.

GTBank Shareholders Approve Planned Holdco Structure

Esan Bolaji
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0
GTBank Shareholders Approve Planned Holdco Structure

The shareholders of Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc have approved the holding company structure for the bank, as they expressed excitement over the benefits they would derive from the new structure.

At the Court ordered meeting held on Friday, the investors gave their approval to the company for the transfer of the 29,431,179,224 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in the issued and paid-up share capital of the bank held by them to Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc.

GTBank Holdco Brandspurng GTBank Shareholders Approve Planned Holdco Structure
L-R MD/CEO, GTbank, Segun Agbaje; Chairman, GTbank, Osaretin Demuren and Company Secretary, Erhi Obebeduo during the Court Ordered Meeting in Lagos. | www.brandspurng.com

This was done in exchange for the allotment of 29,431,179,224 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to the shareholders in the same proportion to their shareholding in the bank credited as fully paid without any further act or deed.

Expressing his members’ excitement over the planned restructuring, the founder, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, explained that the shareholders are excited because the arrangement the bank has put in place is devoid of complexities usually known as share reconstruction.

According to him, the bank has performed well under the leadership of the Chairperson and the Managing Director and thus projected that the HoldCo would perform better if the duo is still in charge of the new brand.

He said,

“We are excited about the development because we are going to get value as everything we have would be transferred to the holding company. There will be no manipulation as a result of reconstruction that usually leads to fractional shares.”

Also commending the bank’s leadership and ingenuity, The President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Boniface Okezie, noted that,

“GTBank has over the years proven to be a force and leading initiator of revolutionary advancement and technology-based development in the nation’s banking industry and we look forward to the growth and advancement it is sure to bring into the new business areas it will be taking on with the Holdco structure”.

“The arrangement where all existing shares of the bank would be transferred entirely to the Holdco in the name of the beneficial owners is good, while the same number of units and percentage would be held in the new entity, is commendable”, he added.

Also speaking at the Court-Ordered Meeting, on Friday, Managing Director/CEO, GTBank Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, explained that in line with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s regulations, which require the separation of commercial banking business from other financial services businesses, the bank is adopting a HoldCo structure.

He said,

“I am delighted over the approval by shareholders for the holding company and I assure the investors of a more rewarding future. The bank will not embark on any share reconstruction as the same number of shares they have with the bank will be maintained.

“Under the new structure, existing shareholders of GTBank would be migrated to Guaranty Trust Holdings via a share-for-share exchange between the shareholders of GTBank and GTHoldings.”

While explaining the benefits of the HoldCo structure, Agbaje explained that the overall strategy was to create an operating model that would profitably grow the bank’s presence in the market for commercial banking and non-banking financial services in order to achieve the aspiration to be the dominant financial services group.

GTBank Releases Q3 2020 Unaudited Results, Reports Profit before Tax of ₦167.4 Billion

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