Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, is set to launch the 4th season of its transformative reward initiative, the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo. The highly anticipated Season is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

Introduced in 2021 the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo is a reward initiative pioneered by the Bank with the goal of rewarding its diverse range of customers for active loyalty to the brand, its products, and offerings. The Promo is executed seasonally via thoroughly regulated live draws where winners are selected from the Bank’s pool of active and transacting customers, based on the stipulated minimum requirements and modalities of the season. With benchmarks for qualification set as low as N5,000 in monthly transactions, the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo has evolved through each season, solidifying its repute as a source of hope, financial support, business growth and goal acceleration for thousands of Nigerians nationwide.

Over the course of 3 seasons, the 5 for 5 Promo has disbursed over N150,000,000 to 2,378 Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, with 639 customers winning N31,500,000 in season 1, 539 winning N31,850,000 in season 2 and 1,200 winning N90,000,000 in the 3rd season of the 5 for 5 Promo which spanned August 2023 to July 2024. As a new season of the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo approaches, tensions are heightening as Nigerians await a new season of financial rewards and pleasant surprises from Wema Bank. Customers of the Bank are encouraged to request a debit card or get onboarded on the ALAT app and *945# and start transacting via any of these channels in anticipation of the season’s kick-off. Other Nigerians interested in participating are encouraged to open Wema Bank/ALAT account(s) to get started.

Reiterating the Bank’s commitment to providing a rewarding banking experience for its customers, Moruf Oseni, MD/CEO of Wema Bank, elaborated on the significance of the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo for its customers. “At Wema Bank, we have made it a duty and core value to provide optimum returns for our customers, and this commitment is evident in all that we do as a Bank. ‘Optimum returns’ for Wema Bank is limitless which is why we continue to raise the bar and set new standards, innovating new and improved ways to provide a highly rewarding banking experience for our customers. It is this sense of duty to our customers that inspired the launch of the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo”.

“The past seasons of the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo have been highly successful, but I can assure you that the coming season will be the biggest in 5 for 5 Promo history to date. We are, yet again, raising the bar, and with more to win this season, every Wema Bank customer is in for a treat. It’s beyond the rewards customers are getting. With the 5 for 5 Promo, we are telling customers that we’re grateful, showing them that we care, and empowering lives and businesses to thrive. Through this initiative, we have made undergraduate millionaires, established businesses across Nigeria, boosted existing ventures despite economic fluctuations, given hope to Nigerians of various ages and walks of life; and this season, we are more than prepared to exceed all milestones, break new ground and transform more lives for the best. The Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo Season 4 kicks off on October 1 and we have a special Independence Day live draw to kickstart the season, so I welcome every Nigerian to Wema Bank and encourage all to get on ALAT, request a Wema/ALAT card or onboard on *945# and get ready for an intriguing new 5 for 5 Promo Season, bigger than ever before”, Oseni concluded.

The Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo season 4 promises to be a game changer and every Nigerian can participate and secure big wins throughout the season by being a Wema Bank customer and getting onboarded on the valid transaction channels which include the ALAT app, the Wema/ALAT card and the Bank’s USSD Banking platform, *945#.

All transactions made using the qualifying Wema Bank and ALAT transaction channels from October 1, 2024, are potentially qualifying transactions and could secure rewards ranking in millions for Nigerians across Nigeria.

T&Cs Apply.

Jambo, the largest web3 mobile infrastructure bringing emerging markets on-chain, announced that it’s expanding to the Solana blockchain along with Tether to offer blockchain-enabled financial and educational technologies that cater to emerging markets.

Central to this is the JamboPhone, a $99 web3 smartphone that has been powerful in onboarding all types of users on-chain in a mobile-first way. Combined with the Solana blockchain’s high throughput capabilities and Tether’s dominant stablecoin, USDT, access to web3 financial and educational products will be democratized to those who need them most in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Introducing the JamboPhone

Priced at $99 and already sold in over 120 countries, the JamboPhone is targeted towards Gen Z consumers in emerging markets as their portal to the best digital products and opportunities globally.

Users can engage with the global economy by utilizing the preloaded Jambo Ecosystem applications featuring DeFi, gaming, and web3 infrastructure applications. The JamboPhone aims to address some of the most challenging issues faced by emerging markets, such as a large unbanked population and limited access to smartphones. Users can purchase the JamboPhone with Solana Pay on JamboPhone.xyz.

The Jambo App: Empowering Users

The smartphone is equipped with the JamboApp, a comprehensive web3 platform that offers users a range of services including decentralized finance, gaming, and educational content, all designed with the emerging market user in mind. The JamboApp includes the JamboWallet, a non-custodial multichain wallet which includes support for Solana tokens and USDT. Jambo will be giving out rewards primarily in

USDT, leveraging its broad acceptance and stability in emerging markets. Users will be able to complete quests sponsored by Jambo and Jambo ecosystem partners, ranging from educational initiatives to promotional tasks, with rewards now distributed primarily using SPL USDT. This initiative underscores Jambo, Solana, and Tether’s role as pioneers in bridging the digital divide, aiming to democratize access

to digital financial tools and providing users with earning opportunities in emerging markets.

Leveraging Local Solana Communities

Additionally, Jambo will engage local Superteams to accelerate web3 adoption. Superteam is a global community of web3 builders who are passionate about Solana. Their mission is to help web3 talent learn, earn and connect with the Solana ecosystem. These teams, composed of local experts and enthusiasts, will play a pivotal role in educating communities, fostering local development, and driving grassroots initiatives that ensure sustainable growth within the web3 ecosystem.

“Back when I was building earn.com in 2017, our vision was to build a product ‘where there’s a phone, there’s a job.’ Alice, James, and the Jambo team have realized that vision by developing web3 mobile infrastructure bringing financial access to emerging markets,” said Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation. “Jambo offers a gateway to web3 that is accessible to nearly anyone in the world, while Solana enables financial access for nearly anyone with an internet connection. Together, we are committed to making self-custody, financial opportunity, and educational resources accessible to millions.”

Why Emerging Markets, Emerging markets face their own unique set of economic challenges that Solana and Tether can address with their blockchain and stablecoin solutions. In emerging markets, the use of USDT (Tether) significantly surpasses that of other stablecoins, with over 34.2 million unique wallets utilizing USDT as of April 2024.

This broad user base highlights the widespread trust and adoption of Tether in these regions. With Jambo’s game-changing smartphone, Solana’s fast transaction processing, low transaction fees, and Tether’s robust and widely-used stablecoin, users now have access to stablecoin and crypto payment rails, alternative banking access, and global earnings opportunities.

“We want to bring emerging markets on-chain,” said James Zhang, Co-founder of Jambo. “Bringing Jambo to Solana and Tether allows us to provide a comprehensive solution that addresses the unique needs of these regions.”

“Emerging markets stand out as promising grounds for financial inclusion. Their demand for tools like USDT fuels our dedication to shaping a brighter financial future for users in these regions.” said Paolo Arodino, CEO, Tether. “By providing affordable access to web3 technologies through the Jambo Phone and leveraging the power of the Solana blockchain, Jambo is empowering users in these regions with the tools they need to participate in the global digital economy. The integration of SPL USDT as a reward mechanism further strengthens this initiative, offering users a stable and secure digital asset.”

Learn more about the latest from Jambo on X and purchase your JamboPhone.

By Zhang Bolan, People’s Daily
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) carries forward the spirit of good-neighborliness, and advances equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations.
It calls for peaceful coexistence and harmonious development of different civilizations, and expands people-to-people and cultural cooperation. It has enhanced the popular support for state-to-state relations.
In recent years, the SCO has built sound platforms for youth exchanges to deepen mutual understanding among the younger generation and bring them closer together. The development of the SCO is highlighted by the constantly strengthened friendly exchanges among the youth of SCO member states.
Ilya Kryzhevich, a journalist with Belarus Today, has been reporting on the Chinese economy for nine years. He told People’s Daily that he goes to the Great Stone China-Belarus Industrial Park, a landmark Belt and Road cooperation project, for interviews almost every month.
“Drastic changes are taking place there. We sometimes joke that you’ll never enter the same China-Belarus Industrial Park twice,” Ilya Kryzhevich said.
He noted that young people in Belarus have benefited very much from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “Many innovative enterprises in the medical industry from China have entered the Belarusian market, providing immense job opportunities for young Belarusians. Besides, many young people in Belarus have established innovative sci-tech firms in the industrial park,” he added.
Connectivity is key to Belt and Road cooperation. Islom Okhunov, head of the Division for the Development of International Cooperation and Ratings of the Ministry of Youth Policy and Sports of Uzbekistan, said that the construction of the highway network among Central Asian countries has made constant progress thanks to the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt, turning Uzbekistan from a landlocked country to a land-linked one.
“This has connected my hometown to the sea and ports. I’m looking forward to the early operation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway,” he told People’s Daily.
From the release of the Declaration of the SCO Youth Council to the establishment of an SCO exchange base for young entrepreneurs, and from hosting the SCO Youth Campus to the solid progress made by the China-Russia Youth Entrepreneurship Incubator, the SCO is advancing youth development in an orderly manner.
Last year, an SCO forum on youth development was hosted at the Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center in the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA), east China’s Shandong province, where youth representatives from SCO member states shared the experience and cases of youth development in their respective countries, renewing friendship and seeking for a better future through a collision of ideas.　
Nikolai Zhdanov, a youth representative from Russia, has been involved in the youth work of the SCO since 2020. He believes that youth development has become an increasingly important topic for SCO member states.
“Youth exchanges are vital for maintaining good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation among SCO member states. During this event, I had the opportunity to communicate with young people from countries such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and we agreed to launch many bilateral and multilateral youth exchange programs,” Zhdanov said.
“This is Geely, and that is BYD.” On a street in Qingdao, Taalaybek Dayirbekov, chairman of the Youth Public Council of Kyrgyzstan, effortlessly named the Chinese car brands as new energy vehicles (NEVs) passed by.
“In Bishkek, an increasing number of Chinese NEVs are running on the streets, which help alleviate air pollution and improve the urban environment. The BRI not only brings economic benefits but also improves the life quality for the people in partner countries,” Dayirbekov noted.
Jehangir Mushtaq, assistant director at the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan, hopes that the youth exchanges and cooperation among SCO member states can enable young people to better participate in public policymaking, access quality and equitable education, and enhance digital skills.
“With over 800 million young people living in SCO member states, pursuing better youth development is crucial for the future of the organization,” Mushtaq said.
Shapkat Wushur, secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) Central Committee and vice president of the All-China Youth Federation said that the development of the SCO fully demonstrates the guiding role of the “Shanghai Spirit” and the cohesion of true multilateralism.
In response to development challenges, the world is expecting young people to take on responsibilities, thus making youth development more important, he added.
He called on countries to further build consensus, strengthen cooperation, innovate youth development concepts, working methods, and cooperation mechanisms, and jointly lead the international agenda for youth development, so as to foster new growth drivers for global development.