Dear Subscriber,

Be seen, be heard

In personal and professional settings, we often focus on getting our points across and forget the value of truly listening to others. From constant distractions and technological noise to cognitive biases that shape how we perceive others, many factors contribute to the difficulty of truly being heard. As the famous philosopher Epictetus reminds us, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” In this section of the Unity Bank Digest, we explore four reasons why getting your point across can be challenging and how to overcome these obstacles.

No food for the hardworking 

In Q3’24, Nigeria’s economy grew more than expected, expanding by 0.27% to 3.46%. Despite this overall positive performance, the agricultural sector experienced a continued slowdown for the third consecutive quarter, shrinking by 0.27% to 1.14% in Q3’24. Nigeria has long grappled with food insecurity, but the issue has recently intensified. This is primarily due to escalating insecurity in the northern regions and adverse climate conditions. According to the United Nations, around 33.1 million people are projected to face food insecurity in 2025, a 26.82% increase from the 26.1 million people estimated for 2024. With only 4.3% of the population (9.62 million people) unemployed, it is projected that at least 23.48 million employed individuals (around 70.9% of the food-insecure population) will face food insecurity in 2025. The continuous decrease in food production could support higher food prices in the near term and weigh on consumers’ income.

This edition of the Unity Bank Digest provides a comprehensive analysis of these economic trends and engaging lifestyle and entertainment stories for your reading pleasure.

Enjoy your read!