Zenith Bank Plc said on Tuesday it would seek shareholder approval next month to raise 100 billion naira ($318 million) via a combination of share or bond sale and global depository receipts. The lender also said it would seek approval to increase its share capital to 40 billion naira from 20 billion naira at the shareholders’ meeting on March 22. …

UNICEF said women and unaccompanied child migrants rely on people smugglers to get to Europe, often under a “pay as you go system”, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and violence, including prostitution and rape. Smugglers typically demand thousands of dollars from migrants for a risky journey across the desert before cramming them onto ill-equipped boats for a perilous crossing …

South Africa’s Nedbank booked a $293 million writedown on the value of its west African associate Ecobank on Tuesday, and reported its slowest growth in annual profit since 2009. Ecobank’s operations in central and west Africa have been exposed to economies pressured by the sharp slide in commodity prices and unfavourable currency swings. The writedown reduces Ecobank’s carrying value to …