UK technology firm ARM Holdings is to be bought by Japan’s Softbank for £24bn ($32bn) it confirmed on Monday.

The board of ARM is expected to recommend shareholders accept the offer – which is around a 43% premium on its closing market value of £16.8bn on Friday.

The Cambridge-based firm designs microchips used in most smartphones, including Apple’s and Samsung’s.

ARM, which was founded in 1990, employs more than 3,000 people.

Shares in the UK technology firm surged by 45% at the open of the London Stock Exchange to 1,742.85p per share, adding £7.56bn to ARM’s market value.

Foremost African financial institution; Guaranty Trust Bank plc has once again reaffirmed its position as a leading global brand with its recent recognition as the ‘Best Bank in Nigeria’ at the 25th anniversary of the Euromoney Awards dinner, held earlier this month in London.

The bank was also adjudged the best digital bank in Africa.
GTBank has consistently played a leading role in Africa’s banking industry. It is therefore not surprising that the bank has won the best bank in Nigeria award for 8 consecutive times outside of 2013, when it was recognized as The Best Managed Bank in Nigeria.
The GTBank brand is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has formally inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 9th eNigeria Conference and Expo, the flagship ICT event under the auspice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, organised by NITDA under the patronage of the Ministry of Communications.

While inaugurating the 2016 eNigeria, acting Director General of the NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, said  the event has gone full circle to become the clearinghouse for adopting relevant ideas and innovation for defining and accelerating national economic growth

The eNigeria 2016 is scheduled for 22nd -24th November, 2016 at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. It is expected to attract key players of the Nigerian innovation ecosystem and foreign stakeholders together to share experiences, identify challenges and propose strategies for using ICT-enabled innovation and entrepreneurship to diversify the economy and create jobs.

Pokemon Go. If you haven’t heard of it, go download it. This new game is by far the most widely used augmented reality (AR) based app that existed to date. The growing awareness of AR by the masses is a good sign that we will be seeing more of the technology outside of gaming, including financial services and banking specifically.

As the financial crisis led customers to low levels of trust and engagement with the banking system, technologies like AR, that elevate a strong level of engagement and social interaction, can burst the negative bubble and expose customers to a whole new positive experience. As AR and virtual reality become mainstream, customers will be expecting these technologies in every product. Personal finance might become fun after all.

According to Brett King, CEO of Moven, host of Breaking Banks and author of the book, “Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane,” “Pokémon GO isn’t a banking app, but it does give us a glimpse into how very different the world of banking, investment and financial advice will be in 10 year’s time. The game also illustrates why banking is no longer a place you go, but something you do – on a phone, in AR and as a person lives their life. It also shows that mobile is far from being a mature platform, it still has plenty of surprises left.”