Economy

Investment Opportunities for Retail Investors

Published

7 years ago

07/05/2019

By FSDH Research

There are now investment products in the Nigerian financial market for all Nigerians, irrespective of their income level. Opening an investment account is now easier than ever, after meeting the basic regulatory Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.

In fact, in some cases, it could be as simple as A, B, C. Technology has made the process of transferring money into an investment account easy, simple and convenient. Since direct cash payments into investment accounts are not allowed in all cases, investors can now transfer money into their investment accounts through their phones and other convenient online platforms.

A mutual fund is an instrument that creates investment opportunities for retail investors in Nigeria. So instead of stacking your hard-earned money in a place where it does not increase in value, why not commit to a mutual fund and let your money start working for you, even when you are sleeping.

Mutual funds provide retail investors with an opportunity not only to preserve their wealth, but to grow their money. They are similar to the ‘esusu’, ‘ajo’ or ‘adashe’ systems prevalent in Nigeria where a group of people contribute monies on a regular basis to a common purse, usually managed by the leader.

After a specified period, say a week or a month, each person gets back his or her money after paying some sort of commission to the manager. Mutual funds are also similar to piggy banks, which are used to encourage savings amongst both children and adults.

However, mutual funds are better than these forms of savings because the managers of these funds invest the money paid into mutual funds accounts to generate additional income. The fund managers pool funds from various individuals and invest them in financial securities such as Nigerian Treasury Bills, Government Bonds, Commercial Papers, Real Estate and Stocks and Commodities.

In addition, mutual funds offer other benefits to the retail investor. Investors benefit from lower transaction costs. Since knowledgeable and experienced fund managers manage the fund, retail investors can sleep with both eyes closed. The fund managers make the ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ investment decisions on behalf of the investors in a bid to protect investment and earn the maximum return possible. Fund managers decide what security to invest in, when to do so and why.

From a national perspective, the monies from mutual funds could help to increase savings level in Nigeria, which is currently low compared to other countries. Investment in mutual funds is also a way to provide both short-term and long-term capital for companies and government to expand operations and improve infrastructure. This would help increase production, employment and consumption, and stimulate the economy.

Government would also be able to generate greater revenue through taxes on businesses.

In Nigeria, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates mutual funds operations and the professionals that are involved in them.

Most mutual funds are open-ended investment schemes: new investors can buy additional units at any time. The fund managers are also able to provide active liquidity by buying units from existing investors who want to sell units for cash.

Mutual funds offer investors an opportunity to diversify their investment portfolio. The existence of a Trustee and Custodian to a mutual fund ensures the safety of investments, as the Trustee ensures that the fund is managed in line with approved investment guidelines, while the Custodian holds the fund assets in safe custody.

The mutual fund assets in Nigeria have grown significantly in the last five years, an indication of the growing interest in this class of investment.

Data from the SEC on the Net Asset Value (NAV) of all registered mutual funds in Nigeria shows that the collective NAV grew by 328% between 18 April 2014 and 18 April 2019. This translates to a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 34% between this period.

Despite the impressive growth rate, FSDH Research notes that there is significant room for growth in mutual fund assets as we estimate the ratio of mutual funds to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to be 0.57%.

FSDH Research notes, however, that mutual funds need more support than is currently available to enable potential investors to fulfil their wealth creation and developmental goals. Government, regulators and the operators in investment management need to provide mutual funds additional support. Government should intensify its efforts at improving the business environment. This will lead to job creation in the country, consequently reducing unemployment, increase savings and investable funds. Regulators could promote innovative legislation to increase investment in mutual funds and expand investment channels to increase returns on the funds invested.

The Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN) should continue to create public awareness on the benefits of mutual funds in order to generate interest from the investing public.

Economy

NBA Demands Suspension of Controversial Tax Laws

Published

24 hours ago

24/12/2025

Modupe Gbadeyanka

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The federal government has been asked by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to suspend the implementation of the controversial tax laws.

In a reaction to the tax reform acts, the president of the group, Mr Afam Osigwe (SAN), the suspension of the laws would allow for a proper investigation into allegations of alterations in the gazetted and harmonised copies.

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that some parts of the laws passed by the parliament were different from the gazetted copy.

To address the issues raised, the NBA said it is “imperative that a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation be conducted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process.”

“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” the association declared.

It noted that the controversies “raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.”

“These developments strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and call into question the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society,” it noted.

“Legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences. It unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions required to comply with the law. Such uncertainty is inimical to economic stability and should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.

“Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach. Anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests.

“We therefore call on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing this controversy, in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law,” the organisation stated.

Economy

MRS Oil, Two Others Raise NASD Bourse Higher by 0.52%

Published

1 day ago

24/12/2025

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Demand for hot stocks, including MRS Oil Plc, buoyed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.52 per cent on Tuesday, December 23.

The energy company was one of the three price gainers for the session as it chalked up N19.69 to sell at N216.59 per share versus the previous day’s value of N196.90 per share.

Further, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained N2.95 to close at N56.75 per unit versus N53.80 per unit and Golden Capital Plc appreciated by 84 Kobo to N9.29 per share from Monday’s N8.45 per share.

Consequently, the market capitalisation went up by N10.95 billion to N2.125 trillion from N2.125 trillion and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) rose by 18.31 points to 3,570.37 points from 3,552.06 points.

Yesterday, the NASD bourse recorded a price loser, the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), which gave up 17 Kobo to close at N33.70 per unit against the previous trading value of N33.87 per unit.

The volume of securities traded at the session went down by 97.6 per cent to 297,902 units from the previous day’s 12.6 million units, the value of securities decreased by 98.5 per cent to N10.5 million from N713.6 million, and the number of deals remained flat at 32 deals.

By value, Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc ended as the most actively traded stock on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units exchanged for N16.4 billion. This was followed by Okitipupa Plc, which traded 178.9 million units valued at N9.5 billion, and MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.

In terms of volume, also on a year-to-date basis, InfraCredit Plc led the chart with a turnover of 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion. Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc ranked second with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.7 million, while Impresit Bakolori Plc followed with the sale of 536.9 million units valued at N524.9 million.

Economy

NGX All-Share Index Soars to 153,354.13 points

Published

1 day ago

24/12/2025

Dipo Olowookere

By Dipo Olowookere

It was another bullish trading session for the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited as it closed higher by 0.59 per cent on Tuesday.

The market further rallied due to continued interest in large and mid-cap stocks on the exchange by investors rebalancing their portfolios for the year-end.

Yesterday, Aluminium Extrusion sustained its upward trajectory after it further appreciated by 9.96 per cent to N14.90, as Austin Laz gained 9.81 per cent to close at N2.91, Custodian Investment improved by 9.69 per cent to N38.50, and First Holdco soared by 9.35 per cent to N50.30.

Conversely, Royal Exchange declined by 7.22 per cent to N1.80, Champion Breweries shrank by 6.57 per cent to N15.65, NASCON lost 5.36 per cent to trade at N105.05, Sovereign Trust Insurance depreciated by 5.28 per cent to N3.77, and Japaul went down by 4.51 per cent to N2.33.

At the close of business, 29 shares ended on the gainers’ table and 27 shares finished on the losers’ log, representing a positive market breadth index and bullish investor sentiment.

This raised the All-Share Index (ASI) by 895.06 points to 153,354.13 points from 152,459.07 points and lifted the market capitalisation by N579 billion to N97.772 trillion from the previous day’s N97.193 trillion.

VFD Group finished the day as the busiest stock after it recorded a turnover of 192.0 million units worth N2.1 billion, GTCO exchanged 63.5 million units valued at N5.6 billion, Access Holdings traded 49.8 million units for N1.0 billion, First Holdco sold 45.8 million units valued at N2.3 billion, and Secure Electronic Technology transacted 38.3 million units worth N28.4 million.

In all, market participants bought and sold 677.4 million units valued at N20.8 billion in 27,589 deals compared with the 451.5 million units worth N13.0 billion traded in 33,327 deals on Monday, showing an improvement in the trading volume and value by 50.03 per cent and 60.00 per cent apiece, and a shortfall in the number of deals by 17.22 per cent.