Nigeria’s Mercedes Benz premier distributor Weststar Associates appoints Ebere Anenih as substantive MD, gives reasons

Weststar Associates Limited, the authorized general distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria, has announced the appointment of Ebere Anenih as the company’s managing director.
It said in a statement that her appointment signified a strategic leadership transition aimed at further strengthening Weststar’s position as the premier distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Nigeria and enhancing operational excellence across all areas of the business.
It noted that Ebere Anenih had been an invaluable part of Weststar since joining the company in 2016.
Part of the statement read, “Over the years, she has played a pivotal role in the organisation’s growth and success, serving in key leadership capacities, including Head of Legal, Compliance, and Business Network, as well as General Counsel for Legal Compliance and Human Resources.
“Her strategic approach to corporate governance and business operations has been instrumental in reinforcing the organisation’s reputation for excellence, compliance, and industry leadership.
“In her most recent role as Acting Managing Director, she successfully navigated the organisation through a challenging economic climate, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to sustainable business practices.
“Under her leadership, Weststar has continued to uphold the highest standards of service, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction, ensuring that Mercedes-Benz remains the leading luxury automotive brand in Nigeria.
“Ebere Anenih’s professional expertise, leadership acumen, and dedication to excellence align seamlessly with Mercedes-Benz’s core philosophy of delivering ‘The Best or Nothing.’
“Her ability to drive strategic initiatives, promote innovation and collaboration, and lead high-performing teams has positioned her as a respected leader within the organisation and the broader automotive industry.

“Her tenure at Weststar has been marked by a deep commitment to optimizing business operations, enhancing stakeholder relationships, and fostering a culture of integrity and continuous improvement.”
Now as the substantive MD, she will be responsible for steering Weststar through the next phase of growth and transformation, according to the statement.
“Her focus will be on strengthening the organisation’s market position, driving operational efficiencies, and advancing strategic partnerships that align with the long-term vision of Weststar and Mercedes-Benz,” it statement.
She has a strong and experienced management team to rely on for support.
The management team dedicated to upholding Weststar’s standard of excellence comprises General Manager Sales, Christopher Irumudomon; General Manager, After-Sales, Ifeanyi Igbokwe; General Manager, Abuja Branch, Hakeem Isa; Head of Finance, Chima Otuechere; Parts Manager, Christiana Kanabe; Head of Commercial Vehicles, Umoh Ekanem; Head of Inventory, Raheem Adegboye, Head of Marketing, Oluwatobi Abimbola; and Head of Information and Technology, Chigozie Oranugo.
The company described Ebere Anenih’s appointment as a reflection of Weststar’s commitment to recognizing and empowering exceptional talent within the organisation.
“Her proven track record of success, strategic leadership, and deep understanding of the automotive landscape makes her a natural choice to lead Weststar into a future defined by customer-centric solutions, strong corporate governance and sustainable growth,” it added.

Elon Musk confirms massive cyberattack on X traced to Ukraine

X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, suffered a major disruption on Tuesday as thousands of users reported difficulties accessing the site.

Responding to the disruptions, Musk confirmed that X had been targeted by a significant cyberattack.

“There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against 𝕏. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved. Tracing …,” he said.

When asked about the attack on X later the same day, Musk provided further details in an interview on Fox Business Network with Larry Kudlow. He revealed that they had traced the attack to “IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.”  

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“We are not sure exactly what happened, but there was a massive cyberattack trying to bring down the X system, with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area,” he said.

According to DownDetector, a platform that tracks outages across various digital services, over 41,000 users reported issues around 10:03 a.m. EDT, with most complaints indicating problems with the app and website.

Although the number of reports declined after the peak, users continued to experience disruptions, with complaints ranging between 25,000 and 36,000 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Earlier in the day, at 5:43 a.m., similar issues were reported, reaching a peak of 22,766 complaints just before 6 a.m. before appearing to resolve an hour later.

The attack raises concerns about the security of the platform, which has faced scrutiny over cybersecurity measures since Musk’s acquisition.

Elon Musk confirms massive cyberattack on X traced to Ukraine

Dangote, NNPCL back to negotiation over Naira-for-crude deal

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Monday said discussions are currently ongoing towards emplacing a new naira-for-crude contract with local refiners.

The company reacted after the reported collapse of the naira for crude deal between the NNPCL and the local refiners, prompting marketers, stakeholders and Nigerians to express mixed feelings.

The deal, which lasted barely six months, was said to have collapsed, raising fear of increase in prices of petroleum products and further depreciation of naira against the dollars.

Newstrends reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed the sale of crude oil to Dangote in naira as part of move to bring down the cost of premium motor spirit (pms) otherwise known as petrol.

In October 2024, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved that 450,000 barrels intended for domestic consumption be offered in Naira to Nigerian refineries, with the Dangote Refinery acting as a pilot project.