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No TV series has generated much controversy and criticism like Game of Thrones or GoT as it is popularly called.

Heated debates and arguments ensued between friends, work colleagues and even bystanders after each episode have been aired on Sunday nights.

The series was so controversial, that a Congresswoman was irked and said she is done watching it after seeing the episode ‘unbowed, unbent, unbroken’.

Despite the controversies this series has generated, it has gone on to become one of the most watched, pirated and loved series.

Even when people showed their displeasure over the movie, it is still one of the series people watched although they hated it

And it has gathered one of the most impressive awards any TV series can get. 

Here, we are going to look at the most impressive and unknown facts about the series Game of Thrones.

  1. Blind Maester Aemon is actually blind in real life

Peter Vaugh, the actor that played the role of old blind Maester Aemon was actually blind in real life.

Though blind and old, he is one of the few characters fans warmed up to largely to his appeal and the fact that he was kind to fans favorite Jon Snow and Samwell Tally.

Maester Aemon is a Targaryen who stayed in The Wall as a Watchman.

Due to his nobility and his old age, other night watchers respected him and he Jon Snow looked up to him for advice. 

  1. Jack Gleeson has not acted again

If you are wondering who Jack Gleeson is, he is known as King Joffrey the boy king who was known for his brutality, villainy and despicability.

Although he did a remarkable job in acting that role, he is hated among viewers for that role.

People so much hated him that he felt it would better not to act any movie again.

He is yet to feature in any movie ever since. His character was killed off at the Purple Wedding.

  1. One of the direwolf used in the movie was adopted

Game of Thrones is a series which is known for its animal appeal. From Direwolves to Hawks and Hounds, the producers of the series ensured that actors made use of animals as pets.

The Stark family was known to be fond of direwolves, which became a sigil of the family.

Each member of the family also had a direwolf to itself. And Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, one of the daughters of Ned Stark adopted her direwolf and named it Zunni.

  1. GoT made use of Real life rorn stars

Game of Thrones is known for its nudity and sex scenes and this drew plenty of criticism.

It is worthy to note that most of the nude and sex scenes were played by porn stars.

Porn stars who are involved in these movies included Samantha Bentley, Aeryn Walker, Jessica Jenson and many others.

  1. Real life musicians were involved in GoT

As the popularity of Game of Thrones spread, a number of musicians were cast in the series to either play in a band as lone musicians or actors.

We saw a cameo scene of Ed Sheeran, who was a Lannister soldier that came across Arya.

Gary Lightbody, one of the singers of the group Snow Patrol was seen singing the song ‘the Bear and the Maiden Fair’ in one of the episodes.

Will Champion, the lead drummer for Coldplay was seen performing during the sorrowful Red Wedding.  

Mastadon, was given a role as a wildling and Wilko Johnson, the British Rock n Roll star appeared as the mute executioner, Illyne Payne. Others included Sigur Ren and Of Monsters and Men.

  1. Brazilian sea slug was named after the mother of dragons

Daenerys Targaryen, who was loved by all fans was known as the mother of Dragons.

With her beautiful face and golden white hair with locks, she is a Khalessi as a result of her marriage to Khal Drogo and later became the love life of Jon Snow.

In 2013, a team of researchers in Brazil caught sight of a sea slug that had similar looks to the blonde lock hair Targaryen.

Hence, they named it Tritonia Khaleesi.

  1. The walk of shame nude scene was shot for three days  

Cersei Lannister Walk of Shame from the Red Keep was shot for three days.

This is one of the longest movies scenes ever shot.

Furthermore, the scene, where she had to walk nude and shamed by the people was done by a cast double by the name Van Cleave.

  1. Game of Thrones was shot in 9 countries

All through the eight seasons of GoT, the series was shot in 9 countries which included Canada, the United Kingdom, the US, Iceland, Morocco, Spain, Ireland, Malta and Croatia.

Scenes from Kings Landing, the Greta Sept of Baelor, and the High Hall of the Eyrie, the House of Black and White were shot in the United Kingdom.

The Tower of Joy was shot in Spain, the Walk of Shame was shot in Croatia, while the Great Wall and the North was shot in ice cap Iceland.  

  1. The languages spoken in the series were specially created

The Valyrian and Dothraki language spoken in the series were created by David Peterson.

As a member of the Language Creator Society, he was consulted and contracted to develop the Dothraki and Valyrian languages for the series.

Added to this, the casts of the series were also mandated to learn from these languages.

  1. The showrunners won a pop quiz before they could adapt the books into a series

The screenwriters, D.B Weiss and David Benioff had to have a lengthy discussion with R.R Martin, the author of the book that stretched late into the night before they could be allowed to produce the movies.

They had to win a quiz to get things in motion and the question was ‘Who was Jon Snow’s mother?’ which they both got correctly.  

This was way back in 2005.

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At various times during the year we travel from one place to another either for business or leisure. Whether we are visiting a new place or not, one of the things that makes our stay worthwhile is where we lodge. These days it is very easy to book a hotel, there are many options to choose from. However, too many choices can get overwhelming. It is important to have a plan in order to choose the right hotel to stay. Making the right choice of hotel can be tricky, especially when visiting for the first time, but by following these simple steps, you’ll save yourself time and reduce frustration.

Investing in the Nigerian stock market is not for the faint-hearted. Knowing the right stocks to buy is the first step for a successful stock investment. The Nigerian stock market has be largely poor when compared to the US stock market. However, there are some stocks that have performed very well over the years. This post will show you the best stocks to buy in Nigeria.

Best Performing Stocks in Nigeria

  1. Nestle Nigeria Plc

    Nestle is one of the largest conglomerate in the world. Its Nigerian arm Nestle Nigeria Plc has a solid business with strong performance over the years. On stock performance, the stock has returned close to 100% for the past five years to investors. Nestle is known as one of the most stable dividend paying stocks in Nigerian Stock Exchange.
    Nestle Nigeria has a strong business. The company recorded revenue of N351. 8 billion as of the year ended Dec. 31, 2021, representing 22.6% growth over the N287. 08 billion posted in 2020. It also posted a profit of about N40 billion in same period.
    Nestle Nigeria manufactures and markets a range of brands, which include NAN, Nutrend, Cerelac, Golden Morn, Milo, Maggi Cube, Table Water. Its product mix has strong growing demand, which solidifies its status as a strong stock to buy.

  2. MTN Nigeria Plc

    MTN is the leading telecommunications services provider in Nigeria. Since its listing on the Nigeria stock exchange in 2019, it has returned over 100% to its initial investors. Aside the returns in terms of stock price, MTN also pays a very good dividend to investors annually. In 2021, MTN paid dividend of N8.57 per share which amounts to a payout of N174. 4 billion.
    Aside the performance of the stock and dividend payment, MTN is a very strong business, its 2021 Fiscal Year audited Financial Statement revealed a 22.90% growth in revenue from N1.35 trillion to N1.65 trillion. It also made profit after tax of N298.7 billion for the 2021 financial year, up 45.5 percent from N205.2 billion the previous year.

    In April 2022, the MTN was granted a mobile banking license by Central Bank of Nigeria. This means they can run their Momo Payment service in the country. Considering the success of Momo payment service in other African countries, this is a huge growth potential for MTN.

     

  3. Dangote Cement Plc

    Dangote Cement Plc manufactures, packages and distributes cement and related products in Nigeria and rest of Africa. for the limestone mining, coal production and property investment sectors in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
    Dangote Cement Plc has returned over 75% profit to investors over the past five years.

    Dangote Cement has a solid business, in 2021 full fiscal year, its revenue increased by 33.8% to ₦1,383.6 billion from ₦1,034.2 billion the previous year. With a lot of infrastructural development going on in Africa, the cement industry is not slowing down any time soon.

 

If you are a fan of action movies we are excited to give you latest action movies to watch on Netflix we have a treat for you. We have done some extensive research to come up with the best, most recommended action movies for you to watch on Netflix this 2022.

Whether your taste is for politically charged or espionage action, crime, drug lord inspired movies etc we are sure you will find something interesting here.

In no particular order;

The Hunt for Red October

A movie based on a Tom Clancy novel, The Hunt for Red October is about a soviet nuclear weapon headed for US waters and how the CIA analyst Jack Ryan scampers to respond and mitigate the impending disaster.

The movie has an average 4.6/5 rating on Google and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty strong if you ask us.

It makes a very good political thriller and you should give it a watch if you haven’t.

21 Bridges

This is a pretty good movie headlined by the late Chadwick Boseman (famous for his role in the Black Panther).

Boseman plays an NYPD detective who is doing everything he can to catch two cop killers, including shutting down all 21 bridges leading out of New York City.

The movies takes you through an exciting, intense night as he goes on the hunt for the violent killers.

It has a healthy 4.4/5 rating on Google review and is worth a watch.

3. Extraction

A black market mercenary is hired to rescue/extract the son of an international crime lord. Extraction is an action movie heavy on the action, complete with thugs, guns, explosives and plenty action to keep the adrenaline rushing.

If you are a fan of impossible missions you should give this a watch.

It has a respectable 4.2 rating on Google reviews.

4. The Losers

In the movie – The Losers – Clay and his team are a part of an elite US special forces unit who are betrayed by their handler Max and then approached by a mysterious woman to exact revenge.

The key point of the movie is the action which comes pretty heavy.

However the downsides of the movie includes the thin plot and obvious loopholes in the story line which could have been better.

As one viewer put it the plot was thin in some areas as well as not too convincing acting in some parts. However as another viewer put it – the dialogue is fun and the action heavy enough.

You may want to check it out.

5. Street Kings

This interesting movie about a police officer who is struggling with coping with the death of his wife and then finds himself involved in an intriguing wave of police corruption and the death of a colleague pinned on him.

Keanu Reeves is always a decent actor and did not disappoint in this movie.

It is a movie about crooked cops and has quite enough violence, intrigue and twists. According to one viewer it just enough entertainment. With an average 4.3 rating we quite agree with that.

BEST RECOMMENDED MOVIES AND SERIES ABOUT CON ARTISTS AND CRIME ON NETFLIX

6. The Italian Job

In the movie John Bridger and Charlie Cooker assemble a team to carry out a tricky heist and steal gold bars from vault in Venice.

One of their team members betray them and steal the gold while leaving them for dead. Much of the movie then is about Charlie’s plot to exact revenge on the backstabber and steal back the gold bars.

According to reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes the movie is smart and exciting.

You will find enough daring action scenes to tickle your fancy.

7. Proud Mary

Proud Mary is about a female professional assassin who faces a dilemma after killing Marcus Miller, a bookkeeper leaving his son an orphan.

The movie is decent, with a good plot and strong action. Taraji P Henson who plays Mary gives a good account of herself in an action packed movie (don’t you admire her acting versatility?)

8. Red Notice

A funny but action packed movie about international crime, interpol agents, art thieves Red Notice is a big budget movie that follows the world’s greatest art thief Nolan Booth (played by Ryan Reynolds). ‘The Rock’ Dwayne Johnson also pays in the movie.

Red Notice takes you through entertaining and sometimes funny action and thrilling chases. Ryan Reynold’s try at being funny passed the muster in most cases and helped make the movie more interesting. It is both interesting, funny and exciting to watch at the same time.

9. The Accountant

The accountant, Christian Wolff is a mysterious financial whizkid who works for various illegal companies helping manipulate their books.

Ben Affleck nailed the movie as viewers raved about his acting skills in the movie.

It is a thriller/suspense/action as well as a psychological movie as one viewer put it.

It received a very healthy 4.6 review on Google from over 400 reviews.

10. The Equalizer 2

In the Equalizer 2 Robert McCall (played by the one and only Denzel Washington) is a former spy who has to investigate and revenge the killing of his dear friend Susan Plummer.

It is a solid sequel to the original Equalizer as McCall uses his extensive skills to take on the killers of his friend.

If you like the vigilante hero brand of action movie this one has a sufficient dose of action to keep you enthralled from start to finish. Denzel’s acting also gave it some edge.

 

If you are like me you always wonder what you waste your money on, as it usually appears like you cannot tell how all your money disappears. What if you could devise more clever ways to save your money and spend less?

Even if you don’t keep a budget you should still be able to reduce the things that waste your money, thus saving yourself anywhere from a few thousands to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Naira a month (depending on your disposable income).

So what are the immediate ways you can save more money right away than you thought possible?

1. Bank Fees/Charges

Do you do so many transactions in a month through your bank account online eg airtime/data topup, money transfers (via USSD or bank app), bill payments etc?

Does your bank charge you high monthly maintenance fees, SMS charges for even the most frivolous messages they send you, and any other hidden charges you can only see in your monthly account statements?

Well you will find that most people overlook the monies they lose to their bank in form of charges and fees.

If you want to know how much you are losing to bank fees/charges simply request for your statement of accounts. You can do these through your bank app yourself depending on your bank. You can log into your bank app, find the Account Statement or Inquiry tab and select the time range you want. 1, 3, 6 or 12 month account statements are fine.

If you are unable to get your account statement yourself you can email your bank requesting for your account statement for any period of time.

Comb through your statement and add up all the bank fees/charges you are debited for to get the total of what you lose to your bank monthly. If it is too high you should be either looking for another bank or ways to reduce the fees/charges you incur.

Let’s look at some ways you can reduce the fees/charges you incur from your bank(s);

  • When sending money to people (friends, vendors etc) or making payments via transfer try to see if the recipient has an account with your bank, to avoid inter bank transfer charges. Most banks will not charge you any fee to transfer money to someone else’ account with the same bank. For eg GTBank will allow you do free transfers to other GTBank accounts. So only make transfers to other banks when you have no choice.
  • Additionally look to have your expense account with banks that offer free transfers to other banks. For instance Kuda bank enables you do up to 20 free transfers in a month to any bank. If you do upwards of 50 transfers a month that’s some savings.

2. Buying Items on Sales That You Don’t Really Need

How many times in the past couple of years have you bought an item simply because you see it’s on sale. You are saving some money by buying stuff on sale right?

Wrong. Sales promos are psychological triggers to get people to spend more. On stuff they don’t really need.

Let’s say you have enough hairs and wigs already. Then you are browsing on Instagram and come across one of the hair vendors you admire. Voila! you notice they are having a massive sale – 25% off or even 40% off!. You start to get enticed and debate within yourself whether to splurge N60,000 to buy the hair (which normally goes for N100,000). Remember you do not need a new hair plus you did not budget or plan to spend on hair that month.

However, because you saw what you believe is a deal, a massive sales discount, you are willing to take out money you planned to save. To buy the hair. That’s how sales discounts get us to spend more money than we should.

3. The Wrong Set of Friends

Peer pressure is real.

If you are have friends who spend unwisely and tend to buy things to impress strangers you may just find yourself spending more than you should.

If you have a group of friends or a friend that always call you to

  •         show you yet another piece of costly shoes or clothes to buy
  •         discuss going on another Friday night partying and spending spree etc

instead of discussions that will improve your networth, maybe it’s time you changed or expanded your friend circle.

Sure you should have fun once in a while but if you want to get rich more of your time should be spent on trying to make money than trying to spend it.

4. Subscriptions You Don’t Use

Have you been in the situation where every month you get several debits and receipts from subscriptions to one service or the other? And you wonder, heck! when did I subscribe to this?

In today’s digital world subscriptions are fast becoming a normal part of our spending life. Netflix, Apple music, Spotify, phone services, gaming, dating apps, cloud storage, online book/library services, home security, magazines/newspapers etc are some of the common things people pay subscriptions on every month.

According to a survey people/consumers in the US spend an average $273 per month on subscriptions. We don’t know what this figure would be for Nigerian and African users but we expect they would be significant for a lot of people.

If you subscribe to just half of the services/products listed above you could easily be spending more than $120 monthly. For a lot of people that’s already a big chunk of their monthly income.

So to quickly cut down on your spending you need to do an audit of your subscriptions and end/cancel the ones you rarely use or don’t have need for anymore.

5. Wasting Food

Food wastage is one of the underated ways we spend money that most people miss when they are trying to save more.

From buying too much food than we need to stuffing the fridge with cooked food that goes bad especially after some days of low or no power supply, if most people calculated how much they waste on food they would have a rethink.

For lots of people up to 30% of the food they buy is never eaten and gets thrown away.

One of the ways to combat this is to make a shopping list/budget and buy strictly what you can consume within a specific period of time. Another tactic is to only buy bulk for non-perishable food items.

Perishable items like onions, even yams should be bought in moderate quantities at a time so they don’t spend too much time in the store and then start to spoil. Saving more money than you currently do is a big struggle if you waste a lot of it on food.

6. Too Much Streaming/Movie Watching/Social Media

Lots of us spend more than we should on data because we watch too much Netflix, Youtube and surf Instagram too much.

If you are in a developing country like Nigeria then you know data/internet access is still costly. If you watch too much TV/Netflix/Youtube and browse video heavy social media apps like Tiktok and Instagram you could easily spend tens of thousands of naira on data/internet cost.

Unless you are using Youtube to take online courses that will increase your earning power then that may not be wise.

Measure how much you spend on data weekly and monthly. Then cut down on the activities that suck up your data (including streaming movies on those movie websites).

What other things have you discovered makes you spend more money than you plan? Do you know of other clever ways to save more money? Let us know via the comments.

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It first started with USSD recharge code for topping up mobile airtime, now many banks have improved the service to include money transfers and bill payments all with just a USSD code. By just dialing some short codes on your mobile phone, you can now transfer money to anyone, to any bank and anywhere. I can’t remember the last time I entered a banking hall to deposit money, either I use USSD code for money transfer or I use internet banking.

With USSD code mobile money transfer service, there is no longer need to go queue up at the banking hall just to deposit small amount of money. It’s fast, convenient and secure.

Today we will list all available USSD codes for money transfer for all Nigerian banks that offer the service currently.

This is a service that allows you to transfer money or pay bills instantly by dialing a short code from your mobile phones.

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) USSD Money Transfer Code

To initiate transfers to a GTBank account, simply dial *737*1*Amount*NUBAN Account No# e.g. *737*1*1000*1234567890# from the mobile number registered with the Bank.

For transfers to beneficiaries in other Bank’s, customers should simply dial *737*2*Amount*NUBAN Account No# e.g. *737*2*1000*1234567890#. Customers will then require the last four digits of their GTBank Naira MasterCard to authenticate each transaction.

The *737* Transfer service is only available to GTBank customers via their mobile phone numbers registered with the Bank and has minimum transfer limit of N1,000 and a daily transfer limit of N20,000. Your daily limit can be up to N200,000 or more

Fidelity Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

To transfer money from Fidelity bank account to another bank account, simply dial this *770*NUBAN Account number*Amount#; NUBAN Account number is the 10 digit account number issued by any bank.
Example; if you want to transfer N1000 to someone’s Firstbank account, dial *770*1234567890*1000# from the mobile number registered/linked with your Fidelity Bank account.

Then select the beneficiary bank Name (First bank).
Access bank
First bank
Diamond bank etc

Enter your transfer PIN to confirm transfer. The recipient account number will be shown to you before you enter the ypur PIN. This lets you verify that you’re not sending money to a wrong account.

if you have used haven’t used the service before, you will be requested to create one. You can dial *770#, Enter your NUBAN Account number (Fidelity bank account number), Select a 4-digit PIN for your account.

If you have two accounts with Fidelity bank, let say current and saving account and you’re using the same phone number for both account, your current account will be debited first before your savings account.

Transfer per transaction is N10,000. Maximum transfer per day is N20,000

First Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

First bank USSD code allows you to transfer money, pay bills, withdraw money or make purchases. To transfer money, simply dial *894# and select 1; dial *894# and select 2 to withdraw money, dial *894# and select 3 to make purchase; dial *894# and select 4 to pay bills; dial *894# and select 5 to buy airtime; and dial *894# and select 7 to manage account.

Wema Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

For Wema Bank customers, to do a quick FUNDS TRANSFER, dial *322*035*NUBAN*AMOUNT#

The Wema Quick Recharge Code should only be used with the phone number registered with the bank

Diamond Bank (Access) USSD Money Transfer Code

For Diamond Bank (Access) account holders, to Transfer money to any bank Dial *901*2*amount*NUBAN Account Number# (for example, *901*1*5000*1234567890#, to transfer 5,000 naira to 1234567890 on the mobile phone number you used to open your Access Bank (Diamond) account.
Select the bank type and enter your pin for the transfer to be authenticated with the last four digit of your debit card.

For Diamond (Access) to Diamond (Access) Transfers Dial *901*1*amount*NUBAN Account Number# (for example, *901*1*5000*1234567890#, to transfer 5,000 naira to 1234567890 on the mobile phone number you used to open your Access Bank (Diamond) account.

Ecobank USSD Money Transfer Code

With Ecobank Mobile Banking you can do all your banking on your mobile phone. You can Make instant transfers, Check balances, Pay bills, Read mini-statements, Buy airtime.

Dial *326# to get started

Zenith Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

Zenith Bank’s 966 Mobile Banking allows you to open an account, check balance, load airtime or transfer money to another account.

To create a bank account simply dial *966*0# and follow the onscreen prompts.
To check for balances on any of your accounts, all you need to do is simply dial; *966*00#
To load airtime simply dial *966*Amount*Mobile Number# on your phone

To transfer money to another account
Dial *966*Amount*Account Number# (e.g. *966*1000*1234567890#) from the phone number you registered with Zenith Bank, then follow the on-screen prompts.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) USSD Money Transfer Code

To use FCMB mobile banking service
Dial *389*214#
FCMB Welcome Message is displayed with the following options
1.Activate with card
2.Activate with Account
3.Activate with Mwallet
Choose option 2 by typing 2 and send
Enter your account number
Call Contact Centre on 01-2798800 or visit any FCMB branch to generate your PIN.
Once you got your PIN Dial *389*214# on the phone and click on Security, Select Change PIN to enter your default PIN and enter your new four digits PIN when prompted

Dial *389*214# for subsequent access to FCMB Mobile service

Unity Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

Unity Bank USSD mobile banking gives you secure and fast way to transfer funds to Unity bank accounts and to other bank accounts.

Simply dial *389*215# to get started

United Bank for Africa (UBA) USSD Money Transfer Code

United Bank for Africa (UBA) USSD mobile banking gives you secure and fast way to recharge airtime, submit/update BVN Number and transfer funds to UBA bank accounts and to other bank accounts.

Simply dial *919# from your registered phone number to get started

Skye Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

Skye Bank USSD mobile banking gives you secure and fast way to transfer funds to Skye bank accounts and to other bank accounts.

Skye Bank USSD mobile banking allows you to make bill payments, check account balance, transfer funds etc hassle-free and conveniently.

Simply dial *833# to get started

Sterling Bank USSD Money Transfer Code

Sterling Bank USSD provides a smarter way of banking using *822#:

To get started, just dial *822# on the phone number linked to your sterling bank account and follow the prompts accordingly.

Note that N5 will be deducted from your airtime balance everytime you dial the sterling bank ussd code on your phone.

A PIN will also be required to complete transactions via the ussd code. You will get the pin when you register for the Sterling bank *822# service.

For Other banks: Heritage Bank, KeyStone Bank USSD money transfer codes, we will update you once it is up. In the meantime use can use Quickteller to make money transfer to bank accounts in Nigeria with phone number or account number. Well, this is an alternative to your online banking platform, Quickteller also allows you to transfer money from your account to other bank accounts in Nigeria provided you have either a verve or Mastercard, VISA ATM card.

UPDATED: All Bank USSD Codes for Money Transfer (2020)

In case you get your GTbank ATM card stolen or missing here are some ways to quickly and effectively block your bank card so no one can have access to your money via the card.

Why You May Need to Block Your Card

If it Gets Stolen

If you have your card stolen it is likely the thief may attempt to access your funds by using the card at any ATM machine or in paying for goods online. If this happens you need to quickly block the card and render it useless

If It Gets Lost

When you lose your card and are not sure where you lost it, one safe thing to do is to block the card. You never know who may pick it up and then attempt to use it or bypass the security measures on the card.

If You Get Unauthorised Debits

When you get unauthorised debits it could be from services you subscribed to that you may have forgotten about and no longer need. Worst case some online websites/service providers make it difficult (instead of easy) to unsubscribe from their service which means your card gets charged every month. In situations like this your best bet may be to cancel/block the card so the charges stop.

All the Channels You Can Use to Block Your GTBank ATM Card

If you use a GTBank account and card there are several options for you to block/cancel your card immediately.

Block Your GTB ATM Card Using USSD

To quickly block bank ATM card through USSD you dial *737*51*74# from any phone number. You will be required to input the phone number you registered the account with as well as your USSD (737) pin. This will lock your account, and block the usage of the ATM card linked to your account.

This is especially useful in cases where you get robbed and lose both your wallet and your phone.

Block Your GTB ATM Card via SMS

To do this text “HOTLIST (Account Number)” to 08076665555. Once the SMS is successfully delivered your account number and the ATM card linked to it will be blocked and unable to be used for transactions.

Block Your GTB ATM Card via Online Banking

To block your ATM card online simply login to your online account at www.gtbank.com through any internet enabled computer or phone device with your login details (username, password).

Click the menu button and select cards. You should see your card(s). Click to see and use the block button or option for the card.

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LAPO Microfinance bank is one of the more popular traditional Microfinance institutions in Nigeria known for its offline loans and aggressive loan collection methods.

LAPO offers normal banking and savings services asides loans.

LAPO Microfinance Bank Key Products

Among the core products offered by Lapo microfinance to its customers include;

Regular loans: This is a loan product offered to individuals who apply as part of a group eg a union. According to information on the bank’s website a union is a group of people who can access loans individually but will have group guarantees.

Each person in the group can access between N30,000 – N150,000 for a maximum duration of 8 months. Repayment is weekly. No collateral is required.

SME Loan: The LAPO Microfinance SME loan is a credit facility targeted at supporting small and medium enterprises in the country. The loan offers up to N5 million for a duration of 12 months without collateral (according to information on the bank’s website).

Other products offered by the bank include; regular savings, my pikin savings, educational loan, agricultural loan.

Where to Find LAPO Microfinance Bank branches nationwide

If you are looking for branches of LAPO Microfinance bank near you, take a look at the exhaustive list of LAPO Microfinance Bank branches below;

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches/locations in Lagos

  • 37 Oju Elegba Road, Yaba, Lagos
  • 1st Floor, 65 Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Lagos
  • 41 Oba Molaja Ogunlewe Road, Ikorodu, Lagos
  • Orishigun Street, Mile 12, Lagos
  • 99 Olojo Drive, Egbeda, Lagos
  • 7 Iganmu Road, Ijora, Lagos
  • 18 Bale Road, Ajengule, Lagos
  • 456 Agege Motor Road, Oshodi, Ikeja, Lagos
  • 108 Old Abeokuta Road, Oba Akran, Lagos
  • Ashafa Bus Stop, 54 Dopemu Road, Dopemu, Lagos
  • Gobi Villa II, 121 Idimu Road, Alimosho, Lagos
  • FHC7+7Q7, Aja, Lagos
  • 83 Ojo Road, Off Aduke Bus Stop, Ajegunle, Lagos
  • 2-20 Ilaka St, Ilupeju, Lagos
  • 221 Old Abeokuta Road, Agege, Lagos
  • Opposite Dapsey Oil Petrol Station, Egan Igando, Lagos
  • 3 Alaba Williams St, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos
  • 15 Ashipa Rd, Idimu, Lagos
  • Toll Gate Busstop Sango, Agege
  • 148 Okota Rd, Ilasamaja, Lagos

LAPO Microfinance Bank branche(s) in Ogun State

  • Oke – Ilewo Road, Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State

LAPO Microfinance Bank branch(s) in Oyo State

  • 197 Adekunle Fajuyi Rd, Adamasingba, Ibadan, Oyo State
  • Opp Sango Cemetry, 56 Oyo Road, Sango, Mokola Hill, Ibadan, Oyo

LAPO Microfinance Bank branch(s) in Osun State

  • 23 IdiIfa Street, Gbongan Street, Osogbo, Osun State
  • 2A Agowande Street, Ife, Osun State

LAPO Microfinance Bank branch(s) in Kwara State

  • 14 Umaru Audi Road, Ilorin, Kwara State

LAPO Microfinance Bank branch(s) in Edo State

  • Plot 6 S & T Rd, Uselu 300103, Benin City, Edo State
  • 18 Dawson Rd, Benin, Edo State
  • 2 secretariat road, Auchi, Edo State
  • LAPO Place, 18 Dawson Rd, Benin City

LAPO Microfinance Bank branch(s) in Ondo State

  • Spring Bank Building, Ikare, Ondo State

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Imo State

  • Plot 131, Ikenegbu Layout, Owerri, Imo State
  • 108 Wetheral Rd, Owerri, Imo State
  • Umuezeala, Orlu
  • 69 Douglas Rd, Owerri

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Ekiti State

  • Oke Ila Street, Ijero, Ekiti State

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Enugu State

  • 187 Old Abakaliki Rd, Emene, Enugu
  • 177 Agbani Rd, Uwani, Enugu
  • 13 Nike Lake Road, Trans- Ekulu, Enugu
  • 39 Zik Ave, Uwani, Enugu

LAPO MIcrofinance Bank branches in Abuja

  • Suite 12 And 13 Kubwa Shopping Plaza Gbazango Extension, Kubwa, Abuja

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Rivers State

  • Stadium Rd, opposite Echelon heights, Rumuibekwe, Port Harcourt
  • Harold Wilson Dr, Port Harcourt, Rivers State
  • 163 Sathcom House, Rumudara, Port Harcourt

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Abia State

  •  Beside OPM Church, 76 Km 6 Aba-Owerri Road, Osisioma Industry Layout Road, Aba, Abia State
  • 76 Faulks Rd, Aba
  • Oj Plaza Surgical Line, Ariaria, Aba

  • No 1 Ihenta Road, Ohafia
  • 22 Asa Road, Aba

LAPO MIcrofinance Bank branches in Anambra State

  • Owerri road, Army Barracks, Onitsha

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Benue State

  • Calabar Street, Ogoja
  • 2 Ankpa Quarters Road, Ankpa – Aukpa Rd, Ward, Makurdi

LAPO Microfinance Bank in Kogi State

  • Murtala Mohammed Way, Lokoja

LAPO Microfinance Bank branches in Akwa Ibom State

  • Ibo Hall Rd, Ikot Ekpene

ALSO SEE

Lots of people take loans from online loan apps (or fintech apps who mostly offer lending services) however there are several major banks who also provide loans without collateral to their customers.

These banks provide these loans mostly through their mobile apps or website.

This article will detail how you can secure small loans online from some of the traditional banks you know.

We profile only traditional banks that offer loans without collateral, through their online channels without need for paper work.

GTBank

GTBank has one of the most seamless online loan offerings through its GTWorld or GTBank apps. Customers of the bank can log into their bank apps, check the loans segment to see if they qualify for any of the online loans the bank offers.

GTBank offers two major loans online namely;

Quick Credit – Quick Credit offers loans to workers or people gainfully employed with steady income. Quick Credit, according to information on the GTBank website, can give you up to N5 million loan (or equivalent of 3 times multiples of your monthly salary) with a repayment period of up to 12 months. Repayment is with an interest rate of 1.5%, one  of the lowest available in the country. You can access Quick Credit through your GTBank/GTWorld app or by dialling *737*51*51#. More about Quick Credit here

Salary Advance – Salary Advance is another online loan from GTBank. It gives 50% of your monthly salary with a repayment period of 30 days. It is available to staff of private companies, government agencies with active salary accounts domiciled in GTBank. Once you repay you can renew the loan monthly. A customer has to have/earn minimum N25,000 (for public sector employees) or N50,000 (private sector employees). A customer can apply for this loan via their bank app, through internet banking or via the USSD code – *737*51*51#

Access Bank – Payday Loan

Access Bank has the payday loan which is an instant loan for customers who are mostly salary earners. As usual with online loans profiled in this article you do not need collateral or to visit the physical offices of the bank to apply and get the loan.

Repayment is within 31 days. The amount you can qualify to take depends on how much you earn as salary and based on the activity on your account with the bank.

Customers can apply for the loan via the bank’s internet banking website, through the Access Bank app, or by dialling *901*11*1#

Kuda Bank – OverDraft

Kuda is a microfinance bank with a digital only approach to banking. You can create a bank account, verify your identity and carry out most banking transactions (including transfers, bill payments, etc) all on the app.

Kuda offers a short term online loan you can take from the app when you have used your account actively for a period of time. The Kuda overdraft has a relatively high interest rate of 0.3% with the key advantage being the flexibility of having a daily interest so the borrower can pay less interest if he/she pays off earlier.

Users can borrow from within the app by going to tap on the Borrow tab.

Stanbic IBTC

Stanbic bank offers a couple of instant online loans for individuals and small businesses.

Personal Loans – Stanbic offers unsecured instant personal loans for individuals to meet their personal needs. You need to have minimum N20,000 monthly to qualify for the loans with a flexible repayment. You can apply online and when approved you get the funds directly to your account.

To qualify applicant must have worked with an employer for at least six months with your salary account domiciled in Stanbic bank. You must be at least 21 years old and a Nigerian citizen.

EZ Cash for SMEs – EZ Cash for SMEs is an instant loan for small businesses that qualify for certain eligibility criteria. Small businesses can apply for up to N5 million at a 2.5% monthly interest and a repayment period of up to 6 – 12 months.

You can request for the EZ Cash for SME loan through the Stanbic IBTC online and mobile banking platforms or through *909*44#. You can check here for more details on the Stanbic IBTC EZ Cash for SME Loan

Wema – ALAT Salary Based Loan

Wema Bank offers salary based loans online through its ALAT banking app. Salary earners can get from N50,000 to N4 million in loans with 2% monthly interest rate.

The process is entirely online. The customer can apply for the loans via the ALAT app and get a decision on whether they qualify for the loan or not within a few hours.

UBA Click Credit

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has an online loan product called Click Credit (sounds like a mimic of the GTB Quick Credit eh?).  The bank describes it as a super fast open to anyone with a UBA account.

Borrowers can borrow up to N1 million dependent on their monthly salary with repayment period of up to 12 months. You can access the UBA click credit loan online (via the website or app) or through the USSD code – *919#. Interest is 2.5% monthly or 30% annually.

Sterling Bank (Specta)

Sterling bank has a lending platform called Specta where individuals and businesses can get up to N5 million loan in minutes without collateral or paperwork.

Interest rate on loans are between 25.5% – 28.5% per annum. There is one off insurance fee of 2.5%, management fees of 1%, and a repayment period of between 1 – 12 months.

ALSO SEE

There are increasing opportunities to make money from refer and earn apps in Nigeria. A refer and earn app is designed to offer rewards for users who refer others to download and use the app. It is a way to drive more users/customers to use an app. Some refer and earn apps may include benefits to both the referrer and the referred user (eg in case of a coupon code where the newly referred user can get discounts simply by joining and using the app through the referral code presented by a referrer)

What is a Refer and Earn App?

Refer and earn apps are mobile applications that have a reward system to pay you for referring (bringing) someone to download and use the app.

A refer and earn app can reward a user for bringing someone else to download the app, use the app or subscribe/pay for a product/service on the app.

Eg for a fintech app it may reward users who bring others to use the fintech app for any transaction such as paying bills, making transfers etc.

Refer and earn app rewards can be in form of money, discounts, free coupons etc.

Where Can You Find Refer and Earn Apps

Usually refer and earn apps are abundant in the fintech, savings/investments app sector. You refer people to download and start using the apps to save or invest money and you get a decent referral payment in return.

You can also find several refer and earn apps in Cryptocurrency, Payments etc.

Top Refer and Earn Apps

Piggyvest

Piggyvest is a savings app that enables users save towards specific goals or generally save their money for a healthy 8-10% annual interest. This certainly makes it better to save with them than leave the money in the bank.

Piggyvest provides links for users to share and earn some money for any new users that join/use Piggyvest through their referral. Piggyvest generally pays or gives you additional N1,000 for any new referral.

Branch

Branch is another fintech app that has a refer and earn program. Branch is a personal finance app that provides loans to individuals without paperwork or collateral.

Branch also enables current users earn small amounts per new user they refer or bring in to use the app.

Umba

Umba is a digital bank that enables you save money, pay bills, make transfers, get loans and earn cashbacks for every bill you pay.

Umba promises N500 for every friend you refer to download and use the banking app.

Chipper

Chipper Cash is a remittance fintech provider that enables anyone send money across Africa. Chipper promises free transfers and low cross border money transfer rates.

Chipper promises N600 for every person you refer to use the app.

Jumia Pay

Jumia Pay is an online payment processor and solution initially built for the e-commerce giant.

You can pay for items online, book airline/bus tickets, make hotel reservations, pay for utilities, etc.

With Jumia Pay you can earn 15% cashback on gaming items (when you use Jumia Pay on checkout) such as playstations, xbox etc.

Jumia Pay also rewards you with N500 once you refer something and they spend up to N500 through Jumia Pay.

Opay

Opay is a multi purpose fintech application that enables you access banking services (such as high interest savings, bill payments, and get a card for online payments.

It also runs a mobile money, POS service that enables thousands of agents provide financial services to customers across the country.

Opay has a referral program that helps you earn at least N700 per person you refer to sign up and use the Opay app for financial transactions.

Risevest

Risevest is a savings/investment app that enables you invest in US/foreign denominated stock markets and real estate.

It’s key promise is to help you save and invest in USD to prevent the effects of inflation on your Naira while also seeing considerable long term appreciation of your funds.

Risevest has a reward program that pays you 3% of the deposit of any friend you refer to the app.

Fairmoney

Fairmoney is a digital, microfinance bank that provides loans of up to N1 million to individuals without collateral.

It pays up to N500 as loan discount for every customer you refer to use the loan app.

Abeg

Abeg is a fintech app that you can use for several financial transactions (transfers, bill payments) as well as receiving money online through giveaways etc

You can sell on Abeg, buy tickets, send money easily, get virtual cards and more.

Abeg pays N750 each time you refer someone to activate their abeg app.

Luno

Luno is a cryptocurrency trading exchange where anyone can buy, sell or trade cryptocurrencies.

Luno has a referral program that rewards you with cryptocurrency for every friend you refer to actively use their Luno account.

The amount rewarded varies.

Cowrywise

Cowrywise is a savings and investment app that helps anyone save towards specific goals and invest in mutual funds.

On Cowrywise you may earn bonuses of fee waivers when you refer a friend to a minimum deposit of N5,000 in their locked savings or investment plan.

ALSO SEE