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PalmPay Named One of the World’s Top 300 Fintech Companies of 2025 by CNBC & Statista

LAGOS, Nigeria, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PalmPay, a leading neobank and fintech platform focused on emerging markets, has been recognised in CNBC and Statista’s 2025 Top 300 Fintech Companies in the World list. This marks the second consecutive year that PalmPay has earned a place among the world’s most innovative and impactful financial technology firms.

The selection is based on a rigorous evaluation of thousands of companies globally, assessing growth, innovation, market penetration, and impact.  This year’s list includes a mix of global leaders – including Revolut, Nubank and Ant Group alongside rising stars from high-growth markets, underscoring the growing influence of emerging-market fintechs like PalmPay.

PalmPay’s inclusion reflects its continued momentum as one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms. With over 35 million registered users and up to 15 million transactions processed daily, the company offers a comprehensive suite of digital financial services tailored to the needs of underserved communities.

In its main market, Nigeria, PalmPay operates as a full-service neobank, offering consumer financial services such as transfers, bill payments, credit, savings, and insurance – all accessible through its user-friendly app and supported by a nationwide network of over 1 million agents and merchant partners. The company also provides POS and API-driven B2B solutions tailored to the needs of merchants and enterprise clients.

“To be recognised as one of the world’s top fintech companies by CNBC and Statista is a powerful affirmation of our mission to build a more inclusive financial system,” said Sofia Zab, Founding Chief Marketing Officer at PalmPay. “Through cutting-edge technology, deep local distribution, and a customer-first mindset, we’ve built Nigeria’s leading neobank. As we scale PalmPay to more emerging markets, including Tanzania and Bangladesh, our focus remains on closing financial access gaps for everyday consumers and businesses, while expanding the partner ecosystem that fuels our reach and impact.”

As part of its broader expansion strategy, PalmPay recently launched in Tanzania and Bangladesh through a smartphone device financing model that serves as an entry point to digital financial services.

“PalmPay is building a neobanking platform tailored to the realities of emerging markets,” said Jiapei Yan, Group Chief Commercial Officer at PalmPay. “We are creating the infrastructure for a connected digital economy – where people and businesses can thrive through reliable, inclusive financial tools. This recognition from CNBC and Statista affirms our progress and also the scale of the opportunity ahead. As we expand across more emerging markets, we are committed to creating lasting value for our users, partners, and the communities we serve.”

PalmPay’s inclusion follows another major recognition earlier this year: the company ranked #2 overall and #1 in the financial services sector on the Financial Times  – Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2025 list. The ranking, based on revenue growth between 2020 and 2023, highlighted PalmPay’s rapid scale and market traction across Africa.

PalmPay currently operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh, and is expanding its presence across Africa and Asia through device financing, digital banking, and B2B payment services. Backed by a robust neobanking platform and a partnership-led approach, the company is committed to shaping the next chapter of inclusive financial growth.

About PalmPay

PalmPay is a leading neobank and fintech platform driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.

PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, credit, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.

Since launching in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has grown to over 35 million app users and processes up to 15 million transactions daily. PalmPay has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.

For more information, visit www.palmpay.com

China Huadian Corporation (CHD) Wins the Platinum Award for Global Sustainable Development at Asian Impact Awards 2025

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PT Huadian Bukit Asam Power (HBAP) has been honored with the Platinum Award for Global Sustainable Development at the Asian Impact Awards 2025, in recognition of its “Green Village” program. This marks the company’s second consecutive year receiving the award, highlighting CHD’s long-term commitment to sustainability and community partnership.

CHD’s award-winning “Green Village” program transforms treated coal ash into eco-friendly fertilizer, develops greenhouse farming, and delivers agricultural training for local communities. According to local officials, its four core contributions — free fertilizer, improved seeds, expert guidance, and guaranteed produce procurement — have raised household incomes and enhanced food security.

Situated in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, the 2×660 MW mine-mouth power plant is CHD’s largest investment in Indonesia. With Unit 1 entering commercial operation in October 2023, the project is not only delivering stable energy but also advancing CHD’s vision of integrating green development with local community growth, creating shared economic and social benefits.

 

China Huadian Corporation (CHD) Wins the Platinum Award for Global Sustainable Development at Asian Impact Awards 2025

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PT Huadian Bukit Asam Power (HBAP) has been honored with the Platinum Award for Global Sustainable Development at the Asian Impact Awards 2025, in recognition of its “Green Village” program. This marks the company’s second consecutive year receiving the award, highlighting CHD’s long-term commitment to sustainability and community partnership.

CHD’s award-winning “Green Village” program transforms treated coal ash into eco-friendly fertilizer, develops greenhouse farming, and delivers agricultural training for local communities. According to local officials, its four core contributions — free fertilizer, improved seeds, expert guidance, and guaranteed produce procurement — have raised household incomes and enhanced food security.

Situated in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, the 2×660 MW mine-mouth power plant is CHD’s largest investment in Indonesia. With Unit 1 entering commercial operation in October 2023, the project is not only delivering stable energy but also advancing CHD’s vision of integrating green development with local community growth, creating shared economic and social benefits.

 

China Huadian Corporation (CHD) Wins the Platinum Award for Global Sustainable Development at Asian Impact Awards 2025

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PT Huadian Bukit Asam Power (HBAP) has been honored with the Platinum Award for Global Sustainable Development at the Asian Impact Awards 2025, in recognition of its “Green Village” program. This marks the company’s second consecutive year receiving the award, highlighting CHD’s long-term commitment to sustainability and community partnership.

CHD’s award-winning “Green Village” program transforms treated coal ash into eco-friendly fertilizer, develops greenhouse farming, and delivers agricultural training for local communities. According to local officials, its four core contributions — free fertilizer, improved seeds, expert guidance, and guaranteed produce procurement — have raised household incomes and enhanced food security.

Situated in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, the 2×660 MW mine-mouth power plant is CHD’s largest investment in Indonesia. With Unit 1 entering commercial operation in October 2023, the project is not only delivering stable energy but also advancing CHD’s vision of integrating green development with local community growth, creating shared economic and social benefits.

 

Linking production and sales with a rich array of activities, the 33rd Guzhen Lighting Fair empowers the four major engines of the lighting industry

ZHONGSHAN, China, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Connect intelligence globally, illuminate the future. The 33rd Guzhen Lighting Fair (“China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair”) will be grandly held from Oct. 22 to 25, 2025 at the Guzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province.

As a leader in the industry, the Guzhen Lighting Fair leverages “ideological resonance, ecological empowerment, traffic fission, and digital drive” as its core engines. The main venue, the Guzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, collaborates with 8 sub-venues to form a comprehensive platform through pre-exhibition traffic operations and digital tools. During the exhibition, it hosts high-end forums and fosters a cross-border e-commerce ecosystem, effectively connecting brand enterprises with global buyers and advancing the lighting industry towards intelligence, globalization, and sustainability.

Ideological Resonance Hub: Foster exchange, sharing, and collaboration to spark fresh ideas for the industry

The Guzhen Lighting Fair will collaborate with authoritative institutions like the China Association of Lighting Industry and Guangdong E-commerce Association, and specially invite elites from leading domestic enterprises to host a series of sharing sessions on cutting-edge topics such as smart AI, global cross-border business, and green low-carbon development, creating a global lighting industry shared think tank.

During the exhibition, over 3,600 exhibitors and 100,000 buyers can closely access innovative achievements, gain insights into industry trends, and expand global business opportunities. Exhibiting enterprises can not only comprehensively showcase their products and technical strengths but also precisely grasp industry trends, cross-border strategies, and new tracks in domestic e-commerce, explore new technology applications and plan paths for market breakthroughs.

Meanwhile, 8 sub-venues, including Lihe Lighting Expo Center, Huayi Plaza, Star Alliance Global Brand Lighting Center, Lighting Era Center, Guzhen Chang’an Lighting Parts & Electronic City, Caosan International Lighting Parts City, Guyi Qingfeng LED Lighting Trading City, Guyi Ruifeng International Lighting Fittings City, simultaneously exert efforts, with themed procurement festivals, new product launches, live-streaming store tours, and other exciting activities taking turns to unfold, jointly creating a multi-level and all-round autumn purchasing event.                                                                        

E-commerce ecosystem: Full-chain integration, break through the lighting industry’s global expansion dilemma

In 2024, Guzhen Town was awarded the title of “Zhongshan E-commerce Cluster Area”, and its total export volume exceeded RMB10bn. In the first half of 2025, the export of Zhongshan lamps increased by about 26.4%.

In view of the cross-border characteristics of “small orders with quick response” in the lighting industry, the exhibition collaborates with well-known e-commerce platforms at home and abroad to hold an official matchmaking sessions to create a closed-loop ecosystem of “cross-border e-commerce + industrial belt”. 

Full-link resources such as platform service providers, MCN institutions, and cross-border payment will gather on site to provide one-stop solutions for logistics distribution, payment security, data compliance and risk control, and help enterprises bridge the “last mile” of going global.

Digital Link Port: Empower via cloud to create a 365-day global lighting business hub

The B2B website of Guzhen Lighting Fair “Denggle.com” and ” Denggle EZBuy” mini program integrate high-quality brand resources from upstream and downstream of the industry chain, covering all categories of products such as home commercial lighting, outdoor cultural and tourism, industrial lighting, mechanical accessories, etc. The platform adopts an “online + offline” dual-driven model to achieve “integration of exhibition and online network”, effectively breaking the limitation of time and space and creating an “everlasting exhibition”.

The newly launched AI intelligent inquiry system and AI customer service use advanced big data algorithms, acting like a smart ‘matchmaker’ to automatically analyze buyers’ needs, accurately match potential partners, and significantly enhance cooperation efficiency between production and sales parties.

Rooted in the Lighting Capital, extend a global reach. Guzhen Lighting Fair will provide a golden platform for brand enterprises to directly access the international market and build an efficient, precise, and sustainable trade ecosystem for buyers. We look forward to your visit from Oct. 22-25.

State Grid Gansu Linxia Power Supply Company: Grid construction injects “electricity” into local economic development

LINXIA, China, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With the hoisting of the crane and the roaring of the machines, on September 22, at the construction site of Zhangba Village, Puchuan Township, Jishishan County, Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, the final 12-meter electric pole was precisely positioned, marking the final sprint of the consolidation and enhancement project of the rural power grid in Jishishan County in 2025.

The 2025 consolidation and improvement project of the rural power network in Jishishan County includes 907 individual projects, covering 17 townships and 134 administrative villages in Jishishan County. The State Grid Linxia Power Supply Company adheres to “daily scheduling and weekly consultation,” dynamically optimizing the construction list, and 11 construction teams are working intensively to accelerate the construction work.

“After the project is completed, it will not only allow the people to use ‘stable and reliable electricity’, but also provide ‘powerful electricity’ for industrial development,” said Zhou Wei, manager of the State Grid Jishishan County Power Supply Company. With the implementation of the distribution network and business expansion projects, Jishishan County will form a more comprehensive power guarantee system.

In order to revitalize the industry, electricity needs to take the lead. State Grid Linxia Power Supply Company regards the expansion project as a “key move” for industrial development. The first batch of 12 units has been put into operation, and the second batch of 14 units is about to be accepted. The new distribution transformer capacity is 800 kVA, and the new line is 2.2 kilometers. Directly benefiting six demonstration projects, including the quinoa processing park in Liuji Township, the cold chain in Dahejia Town, and the drying of Chinese medicinal materials in Shiyuan Town, will drive employment for more than 1,000 people.

Wherever the electricity reaches, flowers bloom. State Grid Linxia Power Supply Company will continue to shoulder the responsibility of central enterprises, escorting the “three carriages” of people’s livelihood, industry, and investment with “full power,” helping to revitalize local industrial resources, drive employment and income growth, and inject “electricity power” into the long-term development of the local economy.

Vietnam to Evacuate 250,000 from Coast Ahead of Typhoon Bualoi

This handout photo taken September 26, 2025 and received through the courtesy of Facebook page of Engineer Jerome Martinez, shows a resident walking past a building with ripped roof destroyed at the height of Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Bualoi, in Masbate City, Bicol region, south of Manila. The Philippines shut schools and scrapped flights on September 25, as a fresh storm threatened to hit just days after a super typhoon killed nine people in the archipelago. (Photo by Handout / ENGINEER JEROME MARTINEZ / AFP)

AFP – Vietnam plans to evacuate more than 250,000 residents from coastal areas on Sunday ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Bualoi, which is expected to lash the country’s steel-producing central belt.

The storm, the 10th to affect Vietnam this year, is currently at sea generating winds of 130 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour) and is expected to make landfall at 7:00 pm (1200 GMT), according to the meteorology agency.

Central Vietnam’s largest city Danang plans evacuate more than 210,000 residents, state media reported, while more than 32,000 residents of Hue living near coastal areas are also set to be moved to safer areas.

More than 15,000 residents in Ha Tinh, known as a key steel production hub, have been slated for evacuation to schools and medical centers converted into temporary shelters, authorities said.

Nearly 117,000 military personnel have been mobilized. Four domestic airports were shut and all fishing boats in the typhoon’s path have been called back to harbor.

“I feel a bit anxious but still hopeful that everything will be fine in the aftermath. We were all safe after the recent typhoon Kajiki. I hope this one will be the same or less severe,” Nguyen Cuong, 29, a resident of Ha Tinh City, told AFP.

The typhoon is expected to pack winds of around 133 kph as it makes landfall on Sunday evening, Vietnam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said on its website.

“This is a fast-moving storm with very strong intensity and a wide area of impact, capable of causing a combination of various types of natural disasters such as strong winds, heavy rain, floods, landslides, and coastal inundation,” state media quoted center director Mai Van Khiem as saying.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to the effects of human-driven climate change.

In Vietnam, more than 100 people were killed or missing from natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025, according to the agriculture ministry.

Vietnam suffered USD 3.3 billion in economic losses last September as a result of Typhoon Yagi, which swept across the country’s north and caused hundreds of fatalities.


© Agence France-Presse

World Tourism Day 2025: Malaysia Sets New Standard for Sustainable Tourism

More than 700 delegates gathered in Melaka, Malaysia, from 27 to 29 September for the World Tourism Day (WTD) and World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2025.