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Firstbank DecemberIssavybe: Top 11 Events To Rock Your December

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Whenever the conversation is on financial inclusion in Nigeria, FirstBank leads the pack. With over 150,000 banking agents, a fully digital banking center, and other innovative solutions, the nation’s premier bank is surely doing a great job connecting Nigerians with access to convenient banking products and services.

But that’s not all. FirstBank is also enabling Nigerians to have the best of the yuletide and holiday season year in year out. The bank is aiding its customers to create exciting memories and enjoy fun times with family and friends through their participation in glamorous musical shows, comedy, dance, drama, and other entertainment from A-list superstars and performers.

This is being coordinated via the FirstBank DecemberIssavybe initiative as it bankrolls top entertainment events for maximum pleasure throughout the month of December.

To enjoy the premium concerts, stage plays, fashion, and food events; lucky customers and followers of the Bank’s social media pages – Facebook: First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Instagram: @firstbanknigeria should look out for posts on how to participate in the ticket giveaways.

Here are the top 11 events that FirstBank is powering to rock your December.

BURNA BOY LAGOS CONCERT

Nigerian Grammy Award-winning superstar, Burna Boy will at the Eko Convention Centre on Monday, December 27 lead other top singers to thrill music fans with many monsters hit songs like Kilometre, Questions, Ye, Want It All, and others.

DAVIDO 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

Davido aka OBO will on Friday, December 24, shut Lagos down at his 10th-year anniversary concert at the glamorous Eko Convention Centre. David has been in the news for his extreme generosity which has got his fans loving up on him. The show will feature many other superstars.

MAMMA MIA, THE SMASH-HIT MUSICAL

A 65 member (All Nigerian) cast and crew licensed adaptation of the global show live in Lagos showing between December 29, 2021 and Jan 2, 2022. It’s a show for the whole family; not just as the Only jukebox musical in Lagos this Christmas; it’s absolutely THE most “Ridiculously enjoyable” show to watch this holiday.

An adaptation of the original musical created in 1998 by British theatre producer Judith Cramer, who engaged British playwright Catherine Johnson, to write a story woven around the multiple hit songs of Swedish pop group ABBA, composed by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. The original story was carefully and skillfully adapted with a Nigerian nuance by seasoned theatre director Najite Dede. The Nigerian production is woven with shades of cultural colours, which are visible not just in the language and gesture but also in the costume, choreography, and characteristics, while the original soundtracks remain the same, this production infuses Abba’s music with local drums and percussions to deliver a distinctive Nigerian edition, resulting in an ecstatic euphoria from the Audience!

A TRUE CHRISTMAS STORY BY LIVE THEATRE

Live Theatre Lagos presents a musical stage play titled ‘A TrueChristmas Story’ which is an adaptation of the popular nativity story. This musical speculates how Joseph met Mary and the events leading to the birth of Jesus situating the story in our contemporary African milieu. The romantic comedy explores the themes of love, commitment, devotion, and communality. Christmas is a globally enjoyed holiday that traverses religion, gender, and age, and the play, A True Christmas Story captures the essence of the holiday which is love and sharing. This free-to-attend play provides fun for the audience and empowerment for the Cast and Crew.

#ATXS would feature brilliant thespians like Hafiz Oyetoro (Saka), Akah Nnani, NeduWazobiaFM. This epic theatre is interspersed with dance and spectacular music renditions ranging from Ballet to Soul, Acapella, Fuji, High Life, Funk, Galala, Shaku-Shaku, and Hip-Hop. It was held between 16th and 18th December 2021.

AFRICA FASHION WEEK

Africa Fashion Week Initiative of Nigeria is a catwalk, exhibition, and learning platform designed for the promotion of fresh and emerging designers. Africa Fashion Week Nigeria aims to revive the decline of local textile industries in Nigeria by the opening of the Adire Oodua Textile Hub in Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria.

The Adire Hub which was opened in March 2021, facilitates the production of natural dyes, locally sourced materials, old ancient methods, new technology to create Adire pieces. The Hub provides training to low-income women and youth in Ile-Ife and its environs. The Hub enables us to promote circular economies – from farm to fabric to fashion, to financing SMEs.

CULTURATI 2021 – THE AFRICA ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL

CULTURATI is a high-status fusion of cultural events, exhibitions, and award brands – cleverly tailored toward recognizing the tireless contributions of art luminaries in different creative endeavours. The 2021 edition was held on 3 December at the Balmoral Centre, Federal Palace Hotel.

 FIRST VIOLA – BLACK TIE CHRISTMAS

The Black Tie Christmas Concert is a charitable event convened to raise funds for the music education of underprivileged children in orphanages that are of primary and secondary school age. The event was held on 19th December at the Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos.

THE LIVESPOT X-FESTIVAL XPERIENCE

TheLivespotX Festival is a multi-day hybrid convergence of everything X-traordinary, X-citing, and X-clusive, that celebrates urban pop culture. We’re bringing adynamicX-perience that is fully compliant with the current pandemic era we live in and targeted at a diverse audience with each concert day tailor-made to suit each group of attendees.

The festival includes a string of hybrid events (physical & virtual) that feature headline acts performing live, pristine sound, world-class lighting, immersive experiences, exotic cuisine, and much more. It is designed to meet and exceed the entertainment cravings of Nigerians especially during DettyDecember

MAINLAND LAUGHS

In a very crowded entertainment market, Mainland laffs offers a refreshing approach to family entertainment. With this second edition, ML is establishing its number 1 position as the only comedy show in the country that is safe for parents and their wards. Tagged Family Comedy Show, it enables the entire family will enjoy an evening of fun, laughter, and entertainment with a variety of children virtuoso and comedic performances, stage plays, comic interludes, and much more…. Mainland laffs is a vision of the Trevent Company, and it is one of the fastest-growing family entertainment events in Nigeria. The event took place on 5 December at D’Podium International Event Centre, off Adeniyi Jones, Lagos

FUJI OPERA 

Fuji: A Opera explores the music genre and its sub-culture through archive footage, costume, memorabilia, and imagery. Fuji music takes center stage at the maiden edition of Fuji: A Opera, which kicks off on Monday at the Alliance Francaise de Lagos/The Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos. Pioneering Fuji founders such as General Ayinla Kollington, K1 De Ultimate, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, and other icons add colour at the commencement of the week-long event.

KOFFI THE GURU, I STAND CORRECTED (ISC)

I Stand to Be Corrected is a stand-up comedy special targeted at the urban audience. Koffi Idowu-Nuel does a solo routine on subjects that relate on family, love, politics, education etc. The event held on the 11th of December at The Terra Kulture in Victoria Island.

Written by Bolaji Israel

BIG STORY

How FX Reforms Stopped Lobbying For Dollars — BUA Chairman Dr Abdul Samad Rabiu

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Chairman of BUA Cement Plc, Dr Abdul Samad Rabiu, has stated that recent foreign exchange reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria have removed the need for companies to seek FX through lobbying. Rabiu made these remarks on Monday in Abuja during a media briefing following BUA Cement Plc’s 9th Annual General Meeting.

He described the new FX policy as more open and driven by market dynamics, contrasting it with previous approaches which, according to him, led to artificial shortages and pushed businesses to seek special access to dollars.

“I was making a joke a few weeks ago that I’ve only seen the current CBN Governor maybe twice since his appointment. That’s because I don’t need him. Before now, I used to visit the CBN every two weeks to lobby for FX. That was the only way to survive,” Rabiu said.

He criticised the old FX regime where the official rate was far below the black market rate, saying it distorted the system and restricted access for businesses.

“The rate was N500 or N600 officially, but nobody could get it. On the street, it was closer to N1,000. It was an artificial rate,” he said.

The BUA chairman commended the current FX reforms for merging rates, saying, “Now, the rate you get is what everyone else gets. You go to the bank, you get FX at the market rate.”

Rabiu voiced confidence in a continued appreciation of the naira, predicting that the exchange rate could drop to around N1,200/$ in the near future, down from nearly N2,000 earlier in the year.

He mentioned that the strengthening of the naira was already reducing the prices of goods, including cement and food items.

Speaking on the issue of cement pricing, Rabiu said the rise in production costs, especially due to FX fluctuations, energy costs, and the need for imported machinery, were responsible for recent price increases. Nevertheless, he noted that BUA had tried to maintain stable prices.

Rabiu explained that BUA Cement’s revenue grew to N877bn in 2024 from N460bn in 2023, even though the company recorded FX losses of N93.9bn.

He stated that the company’s profit before tax rose by 48.2 per cent to N99.63bn, and its return on average capital employed increased to 15 per cent from 10 per cent the previous year.

The company’s earnings per share climbed to N2.18 in 2024 from N2.05 in 2023, marking a 6.3 per cent rise. “This performance was driven by a combination of increased dispatch volumes and prudent pricing strategies, even as the Company absorbed rising input costs.

“Cash generation grew significantly, enabling increased capital expenditure financing and supporting our strategic efforts to reduce exposure to foreign currency obligations. This was achieved by paying down import finance facilities and aligning accrued interest payments with available cash flows,” he said.

Rabiu added that BUA Cement earned N81bn in profit after tax in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing its full-year profit for 2024. He projected that total earnings for 2025 could reach N250bn, attributing this growth to improved efficiency, reduced FX losses, and higher production capacity.

He said the company had no immediate expansion plans beyond its current capacity of 20 million metric tonnes, after recently launching two new cement lines in Sokoto and Edo States.

Rabiu also restated BUA’s focus on shareholder value, announcing a dividend of N2.05 per share, representing a payout ratio of 94 per cent.

The Managing Director and CEO of BUA Cement, Yusuf Binji, also spoke, highlighting the company’s strong financial results, agility, and strategic focus on growth despite a dynamic economic environment.

Binji said the company’s biggest cost—energy—was being tackled through the construction of a 700-tonnes-per-day LNG regasification plant, which would ensure supply and cut costs. He added that BUA Cement had renegotiated its service contracts to favour local content as a way to reduce FX risks and lower operational expenses.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: GTCO Becomes First Banking Stock To Exceed N100 On NGX

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Guaranty Trust Holding Company has achieved a strong mid-market showing during the July 16, 2025, trading session, surpassing the N100 milestone.

This makes GTCO the first banking stock listed under the NGX Banking Index to cross the N100 benchmark, while Stanbic IBTC Holdings remained just below at N99.

The upward movement aligns with the broader positive sentiment in the banking sector, where the NGX Banking Index has gained over 22% so far in July.

The development follows GTCO’s recent dual listing, which involved 2.29 billion ordinary shares being listed on the London Stock Exchange on July 9, 2025, and another 2.28 billion shares added to the Nigerian Exchange the next day.

The stock’s rise appears driven by investor response to its cross-border listing and its strong Q1 2024 financial performance. Month-to-date, GTCO has posted a gain exceeding 27%.

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BIG STORY

Marketers Protest As Dangote Moves To Crash Cooking Gas Price

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President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has revealed his intention to slash the cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas. He further stated that if current distributors resist the price reduction, he will begin selling directly to consumers.

Industry players, however, have opposed the proposal, accusing Dangote of attempting to dominate the LPG market. They voiced their concerns on Monday, fearing the possibility of monopolistic control.

During a recent inspection of his refinery by both local and international visitors, Dangote pointed out that the current cost of cooking gas is too high and beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians who rely on firewood.

He mentioned that the refinery is now capable of producing 22,000 tonnes of LPG daily, and efforts are underway to increase output for local distribution, especially as more Nigerians adopt gas for cooking.

Addressing members of the Lagos Business School CGEO Africa at his Lekki refinery, Dangote stated, “The one that we didn’t write, which you must have seen, is LPG. Currently, we do LPG of about 2,000 tonnes per day. You know Nigeria is gradually moving to the usage of LPG. But I believe it is expensive, but right now we’re trying to bring down the price and make it cheaper.”

Dangote cautioned that “if the distributors are not trying to bring it down, we’ll go directly and sell to the consumers, so that people will now transit from firewood or kerosene to LPG for cooking.”

It was earlier reported that Dangote plans to begin nationwide direct distribution of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel in August, using 4,000 CNG-powered buses.

At present, cooking gas sells for between N1,000 and N1,300 per kilogramme. Dangote aims to reduce this to make it more accessible.

Operators kick

LPG market stakeholders appear displeased with Dangote’s plan to shake up the sector.

In an interview with our correspondent, the former Chairman of the LPG and Natural Gas Downstream Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Godwin Okoduwa, labelled the move monopolistic.

Okoduwa stressed that Dangote must acknowledge the efforts of investors who expanded the LPG market from 70,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to over 1 million metric tonnes by 2022. He emphasized the importance of cooperation.

“I think it’s monopolistic. I think a market should be protected to encourage growth. The LPG industry in Nigeria grew from 70,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to over 1.3 million tonnes in 2022. That was done by collaboration — collaboration with the Federal Government, the NLNG, and offtakers. Everything was done in collaboration. It grew from 70,000 to 250 to 800, and now over a million,” Okoduwa said.

He argued that monopoly cannot drive growth, but collaboration can. “Today, we are just under 5kg or 6kg per capita consumption in terms of LPG. Other countries are doing much more. South Africa is doing double digits, Morocco and Tunisia are doing double digits. We can do much more.

“So, we should, as an industry and as a country, focus on how to grow the LPG industry and not allow someone (to frustrate the players). Yes, he has invested; yes, it’s a capital economy, but he should not be allowed to frustrate the players.

“There are people who have spent money, spent resources, even business and development, and someone just comes in to reap from the work that has been done. I’m sure he wouldn’t have built if there had not been an existing market. The work has been done, he should respect the market and let us grow. It shouldn’t be a zero-sum strategy. It should be collaborative,” he said.

He recommended that despite having a significant advantage, Dangote should pursue collaboration.

“My advice to him is that the pie can be bigger. The Nigerian market is about 1.3 million tonnes. The Nigerian LPG market can be 5 million tonnes. He should work towards collaboration rather than competition, because at the end of the day, everybody benefits,” he added.

When told that Dangote’s main goal is to lower gas prices so everyone can afford it and reduce firewood use, Okoduwa responded, “I have news for him. He should go to the Northeast, where you have the least consumption of LPG. He should go to the Northeast and start developing the LPG infrastructure there. I think we will tell him thank you for that.”

In a similar vein, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Bassey Essien, expressed doubt about Dangote’s ability to sell gas directly to consumers or significantly reduce prices.

“I am saying that it’s unrealistic. What is the position with PMS? Has the refinery been able to sell petrol directly to you and me into our cars at a very cheap rate?” Essien asked.

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