Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, faced criticism from Nigerians after being photographed wearing a N260 million Richard Mille wristwatch during a meeting with the CEO of Glencore, a Swiss-based company. Alake's choice of accessory while attempting to woo the Swiss company into investing in Nigeria sparked outrage among citizens on social media who viewed it as inappropriate for a government official.

Photos of the minister sporting the expensive wristwatch quickly circulated on social media, eliciting condemnation from various quarters. Responding to the images, Chinedu, an online commentator, expressed disbelief at how a government official could afford such luxury without scrutiny, contrasting it with the standards in developed countries where officials would face scrutiny over the source of funds for such purchases.

Fortuna echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the disparity between the lifestyles of Nigerian officials and their counterparts in developed nations. The sentiment was echoed by Desire Chukwuemeka, who criticized the Nigerian political class for displaying an inferiority complex through extravagant displays of wealth.

Others questioned the logic of flaunting such opulence while seeking investment opportunities. Oluwasegun pointed out the contradiction of soliciting investment while showcasing personal wealth, while Marvellous Israel criticized Alake for potentially undermining the credibility of Nigeria's investment pitch with his extravagant display.

The incident reignited debates about the mindset and behavior of Nigerian political elites, with many expressing frustration over what they perceive as a disconnect between the country's leadership and the realities faced by ordinary citizens.

Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue State and current lawmaker representing Benue North-East Senatorial District, has expressed skepticism about the ability of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to transform Nigeria's economic landscape. Speaking on Channels Television's Newsnight program, Suswam criticized the government's economic policies, asserting that they have failed to address the country's economic challenges.

According to Suswam, the economic policies implemented by the current administration have not yielded positive results and have instead exacerbated existing problems. He cited the removal of fuel subsidy, currency floatation, and increases in interest rates and electricity tariffs as examples of policies that have negatively impacted Nigerians.

Suswam highlighted the consequences of these policies, including inflation rates reaching 31 percent and the burden placed on the average citizen due to increased transportation and production costs. He questioned the feasibility of the government's budget, noting a deficit of nearly N9 trillion and financing items that are unlikely to be realized.

Furthermore, Suswam criticized the capacity of many cabinet members appointed by Tinubu, suggesting that their lack of competence has led to inefficiency and a reliance on excuses. He emphasized the importance of selecting qualified individuals for key positions and expressed concern over the government's reliance on borrowing and printing money to finance its budget.

In conclusion, Suswam raised concerns about the sustainability of the government's economic policies and their impact on the average Nigerian's livelihood. He called for a reassessment of the government's approach to economic management to ensure the well-being of the country's citizens.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine pulls back from three villages in east, Zelenskiy pleads for weapons

Ukraine's top commander said on Sunday Kyiv's outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front where Russia has concentrated significant forces in several locations.

The statement by Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reflected Ukraine's deteriorating position in the east that Kyiv hopes it can stabilise once it takes delivery of U.S. weapons under a $61 billion aid package approved this week.

"The situation at the front has worsened," Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram app, describing the "most difficult" areas as west of occupied Maryinka and northwest of Avdiivka, the town captured by Russian forces in February.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a fresh plea to international partners to speed arms deliveries so Kyiv could maintain its positions and disrupt Russian plans.

He said he spoke on Sunday with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and "underscored that Patriot systems are needed, and as soon as possible."

Syrskyi said Kyiv's troops had taken up new positions west of the villages of Berdychi and Semenivka, both north of Avdiivka, and Novomykhailivka, further south near the town of Maryinka.

"In general, the enemy achieved certain tactical successes in these areas, but could not gain operational advantages," he said, adding that Russia had committed four brigades to the assault.

Freshly rested Ukrainian brigades were being rotated in those areas to replace units that had suffered losses, he said.

His statement did not mention the status of Novobakhmutivka, another village near Berdychi, that Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday its forces had captured.

Moscow's troops have been slowly advancing since capturing the bastion town of Avdiivka, taking advantage of Ukrainian shortages of artillery shells and manpower.

Online battlefield maps produced by open-source intelligence analysts suggest they have advanced more than 15 km (9.5 miles)in the direction of the village of Ocheretyne since capturing Avdiivka.

Further up the front, the Kyiv-held town of Chasiv Yar is a key emerging battleground because of its position on elevated ground that could serve as a gateway to the cities of Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Syrskyi described Chasiv Yar and the village of Ivanivske to its northeast as the "hottest spots" on that part of the front. Russia's defence ministry said it had repelled Ukrainian counter-attacks near Chasiv Yar.

KHARKIV BUILDUP

In what could prove a worrying development for Ukraine, Syrskyi said his forces were closely monitoring an increase in the number of Russian troops in the area of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.

The northeastern city of 1.3 million just 30 km from the Russian border has been hammered by airstrikes in recent months in what Kyiv has said is a deliberate effort by Moscow to make Kharkiv uninhabitable.

Syrskyi said there were no signs that Russia was directly preparing for an offensive in the north of the country.

"In the most threatening directions, our troops have been reinforced by artillery and tank units," he said.

Ukraine is currently expecting a long-awaited a shipment of U.S. military aid which officials say is critical to holding off Russia's two-year-old invasion. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian and U.S. teams were working on a "specific text" of a 10-year security agreement that would include weapons and other support.

A Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters this week that Russia was conducting airstrikes on Ukrainian rail lines to disrupt the delivery of U.S. weapons to the front and to complicate military logistics.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine lost over 8,000 soldiers in a week – Russian MOD

Kiev’s losses of military personnel have surpassed 8,000 over the past week amid Moscow’s continued offensive in Donbass, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a series of Telegram posts on Saturday. The nation’s military seized two settlements from Ukrainian forces and has gained ground across the region, it stated.

Moscow’s forces took control of the villages of Novomikhailovka in the central part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Bogdanovka, near the key strategic town of Chasov Yar in the DPR’s north, the statements read. Around two dozen Ukrainian attacks in the region were also repelled.

Intense fighting also broke out in the Avdeevka area of the DPR, where Russian forces were advancing towards the villages of Ocheretino and Netailovo, located further to the west of the strategic Donbass town taken by Moscow’s forces in February. The nation’s forces also pushed back 63 Ukrainian assaults in the area, according to the ministry.

Ukraine lost a total of 8,280 soldiers over the past seven days, mostly in the Donbass fighting, data provided by the ministry indicates. Kiev also lost around a dozen tanks and several dozen armored fighting vehicles, along with hundreds of other pieces of military equipment. The list includes at least one US-made Paladin self-propelled 155mm howitzer, as well as almost 30 Western-supplied artillery systems, according to Moscow.

Russian forces also destroyed eight Ukrainian multiple rocket launchers, including US-made HIMARS and Czech-supplied RM-70 Vampire systems. The nation’s Air Force and air defense systems shot down Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet and Su-25 close air support aircraft, along with more than 1,600 drones, the ministry said.

Earlier this week, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that Moscow’s forces had seized the initiative in the Ukraine conflict and “dispelled the myth of the superiority of Western weapons.”

Ukraine’s top military commander, General Aleksandr Syrsky, described the situation on the front lines as “difficult” as he talked with Kiev’s Western backers via video link on Friday. Things “have a tendency to get worse,”he said in a Telegram post reporting on the virtual meeting.

The developments come as the US adopted a $61-billion defense package on new aid for Kiev. Several media outlets reported that the first batches of aid could be dispatched to Kiev within days. The bill had been stuck in Congress for months as Republican lawmakers blocked it in a bid to squeeze concessions out of the administration of President Joe Biden on US border-control policies.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told NBC that his nation has a “chance at victory” now that more Western weapons are coming its way. The Kremlin dismissed the news by saying that no deliveries of weapons can change the dynamics on the front lines.

Reuters/RT

We all want to leave customers eager to share their exceptional experiences with our brands. But standing out from players like Netflix and Nike is no small feat. Companies thrive by creating unforgettable customer experiences and the key to retail success lies not just in making sales but in crafting a journey that turns first-time buyers into lifelong brand advocates.

The digital age has equipped us with an abundance of customer data, providing unparalleled insights into consumer behaviors and preferences. Yet, the true challenge lies in converting this data into meaningful interactions that resonate on a personal level with each customer.

In the cookie-less digital ecosystem, omnichannel loyalty programs bring clarity to the obscured passage. Companies of all sizes can follow their logged-in customers' precise movements and deliver superbly personalized experiences – the trick is getting them to sign up and stay.

We're not the only ones who have identified loyalty programs that require a revamp: 80 percent of loyalty program owners are likely or very likely to rebuild theirs in the next three years. Let's take a look at four of the most strategic loyalty solutions taking place today.

Omnichannel loyalty solutions

It's no wonder businesses have had it hard when half of customers will stop visiting a site that isn't mobile-friendly, even if they like the business.

And when e-commerce platforms like Amazon go above and beyond with multichannel entertainment value, offering loyal Prime members access to movies along with their free delivery of goods, even large-scale Fortune 500 companies have struggled to compete.

But it's a battle worth fighting – Amazon Prime members spend more than double that of non-member customers.

Omnichannel loyalty programs focus more on engagement than simply incentivizing transactions. Take Gap, for example. The Fortune 500 multibrand retailer gained an additional three million loyalty card credit users by aligning its company credit card program with its loyalty offering.

Creating one "unified loyalty" program streamlined the earning and redemption of rewards across Gap's brands, improving the customer experience.

With a broader audience and multichannel benefits, it was also able to introduce a robust tiered loyalty system, allowing customers to gain points at every touchpoint and move up the ranks, whether spending on Gap's credit cards or with cash.

Founders should look to unify their loyalty offerings in-house or join omnichannel loyalty programs with partner businesses that complement their offerings to help improve their customer experience. 

Subscription box business model

Seventy-seven percent of consumers will spend more money on brands with which they have a retail subscription – this soars past the still-strong 28 percent higher average transaction value from membership consumers.

There are subscription boxes catering to almost every interest, allowing consumers or their gift recipients to explore a variety of items that might be too costly for an individual to curate individually.

Access to higher-quality items is the biggest driver of retail subscriptions: one in 10 of all retail subscribers use these services to get elevated value they can't find anywhere else. Just look at Horti's plant subscription. They even create special gift pricing which disables the auto-renewal.

Personalizing outfits and product combinations specifically for the company's audience creates an emotional relationship with brands, be it gluten-free menus or clothing individually selected for a particular eye color and figure.

The best part? These value-driven, emotionally connected shoppers are 71 percent more likelyto become brand advocates, bringing in new business as well as being top repeat buyers.

Real-time coupon delivery

Who doesn't love a good surprise discount? We see companies like Sephora offering points on every purchase encouraging returning customers and frequent visits and this is a great starting place for businesses that are certain their customers will buy again and again. 

However, imagine your one-time customers receiving a coupon just as they're eyeing that perfect shade of lipstick or the latest fragrance. Real-time coupon delivery nudges them to make the purchase they were fantasizing about and is an impactful way to tell your customers you appreciate them. 

The important part is that your customers feel like VIPs, giving them what they want when they need it: 79 percent of customers said being able to unlock exclusive benefits made them loyal. 

This is where scalable offer management systems, such as enterprise hubs, come in. They act as an organization's nervous system, providing aggregation and real-time data analysis capabilities, enabling marketers to act in the moment.

The result is a dramatic reduction in coupon creation and delivery times, enabling customers to enjoy discounts and special offers that feel tailor-made – just when they are most likely to make a purchase. This strategic approach not only fortifies customer relationships but also drives sales, setting the stage for sustained revenue growth.

Virtual demos for physical purchases

The future of business is customers trying out products without leaving the comfort of their homes. Augmented reality, virtual reality, and Web3 offer immersive experiences that minimize the chances of post-purchase regret – saving stores a ton in return costs.

Macy's created a surrealistic re-creation of New York where users can discover and engage with curated digital versions of select apparel from the On 34th collection.

Part of the experience includes designing their digital fabric and as they navigate through star checkpoints, they will unlock a unique digital T-shirt that is personalized to match their design. All apparel featured in the experience is shoppable as well.

Investing in technology that allows customers to try out products virtually taps into the curiosity and playfulness of a consumer's childself, and makes shopping online even more convenient for the practical ones.

Whether it's a new outfit or a new home, customers want to walk around in the product without it costing them working hours, postage, or fuel. 

Customer loyalty is about creating an unforgettable journey, one purchase at a time. Businesses are on the right path if they're looking to embrace omnichannel, sprinkle in some real-time surprises, craft personalized subscription boxes and let customers try out products in a virtual world.

The trick is to start with one, gather the right data, monitor the progress, and scale at a pace that suits your team, platform capabilities, and budget. 

Inc

An improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by terrorists linked to the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed the lives of at least eight members of the civilian joint task force (CJTF) in Gamborun Local Government Area of Borno State. Three others were reported to have sustained injuries in the attack. According to Zagazola Makama, a publication focusing on counter-insurgency efforts in the Lake Chad region, the victims were killed instantly after triggering a landmine suspected to have been planted by ISWAP militants on Saturday. The CJTF members were en route from Gamborun Ngala to Maiduguri when the tragic incident occurred. The wounded victims were promptly evacuated to the hospital, while the deceased CJTF members were transported to their families for funeral arrangements.

This attack follows a similar incident on April 17, where about 10 passengers were killed and 20 others injured after their vehicle detonated an IED planted along a roadside in Borno state.