Economy
SEC Lied, Never Gave us Fair Hearing—Oando Insists
By Dipo Olowookere
Embattled Nigerian energy company listed on both the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Oando Plc, has maintained its stance that it was not given the opportunity to defend itself during a forensic audit ordered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to look into its books.
SEC had some days ago sanctioned the firm and some board members, with the Group CEO and his deputy asked to resign and barred from being on the board of any publicly quoted firm for a period of five year.
However, this was challenged at a Federal High Court in Lagos and an order obtained by Oando to stop the apex capital market regulator in Nigeria to executive its sanctions.
While reacting to a statement issued by Oando few days ago, SEC said it followed due process in punishing the company and that the firm was given fair hearing.
But Oando in a statement on Monday, said SEC was not truthful in its June 9, 2019 press released because it (Oando) was “not accorded a fair hearing because we simply co-operated with the process and responded to questions posed by the auditors in the course of their fieldwork for findings in a report that the company has still not seen.”
Oando stressed that a “hearing can only be said to be fair when all the parties to a dispute are given an opportunity to present their respective cases, and each side is entitled to know the details of the
case/findings being made against it and is given an opportunity to reply thereto.”
The firm noted that, “Prior to the commencement of the forensic audit, the company was not afforded the same opportunity to meet with the SEC as was afforded to the petitioners, despite repeated written requests to that effect.
“The first of these requests was on Thursday, August 24, 2017 from the Chairman, HRM Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo CFR who wrote to the then SEC Director General as follows ‘We would like to request for a meeting with you, in your capacity as Director General of the SEC and regulator on matters involving the securities of our company, to formally table our concerns to you and clarify any further questions that you may have in respect to the issues that we have raised in this and previous letters to the SEC.’
“During the 18 month long forensic audit exercise, the company was never given an opportunity to present its case based on the concerns or findings of the forensic auditor to the SEC.
“In the kick off meeting with Deloitte on the 29th of March 2018, they assured the company that we would be allowed to read their report on the forensic audit and give further clarification or comments on matters raised in their report. Minutes from the meeting which was shared with parties in attendance state ‘Deloitte concluded by repeating that the audit will be done fairly and from a factual perspective. There will be ‘no surprises’. Oando will be allowed to read their report on the forensic audit and give further clarification or comments on matters raised in the report.’
“In the course of Deloitte’s forensic audit exercise, the company had a second meeting with Deloitte on the 1st of November, 2018, and this was at the company’s insistence. At the said meeting, Deloitte promised that on the conclusion of its audit, it would hold a close out meeting with the company, however, this meeting never took place.
“With the exception of the aforementioned meetings, all other engagements with both the SEC and Deloitte were via letters and emails.
“On Monday, February 11, 2019 at Oando’s request the company’s management team met with the SEC for the purpose of getting approval for certain proposed transactions as part of our corporate strategy pending the release of the forensic audit. At the said meeting, the company was assured by the Acting Director General (DG), Mary Uduak, that they would call us in to defend the findings from the forensic report before making a final conclusion. A promise that she has not honoured.
“The company also disagrees with the assertion by SEC in its press release that ‘The actions of
the commission were properly effected pursuant to the provisions of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007 and the SEC Rules and Regulations mad pursuant to the ISA 2007’.
“Rule 599(1) of the SEC Rules and Regulations establishes the Administrative Proceedings Committee (APC) and states as follows:
“1) Pursuant to sections 310 of the Act, there is hereby established an administrative body to be known as Administrative Proceedings Committee (the Committee) for the purpose of hearing capital market operators and institutions in the market who are perceived to have violated or have actually violated or threatened to violate the provisions of the Act and the rules and regulations made there under and such operators or persons against whom complaints/allegations have been made to the commission”
“By virtue of this provision, it is evident that SEC circumvented its own rules and procedures when
it failed to invite Oando to appear before the APC and hear its position. The commission instead approached the media to publish the purported findings and punitive directives against the company.
“We are aware that the APC forum was rightly adopted by the SEC in the case of Mr Olubunmi
Oladapo Oni vs. Administrative Proceeding Committee & Securities and Exchange Commission (2014) N.W.L.R. (part 1424) 334 ‘The Cadbury Case’, the case of Afolabi Gabriel Oluwaseyi &
9 others vs. BGL Securities Limited & 22 others as well as in the case of the investigation of a certain financial institution. In these aforementioned cases cited, the parties involved were afforded opportunities to be heard before the panel prescribed appropriate punishments.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Schedule VIII of the SEC Rules stipulates as follows:
“The Administrative Proceedings Committee of the Commission is a body established pursuant
to the Investments and Securities Act for the purpose of resolving disputes in the capital market
and giving opportunity for fair hearing to capital market operators and other institutions in the market who are perceived to have violated or have actually violated or threatened to violate the provisions of the ISA and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder or such operators against whom investors have lodged complaint.”
“It would have therefore been in line with due process for the aforementioned committee to have
been rightly constituted by the SEC in accordance with the ISA, in order to afford Oando the
opportunity to present its case.
“We maintain that the SEC has not followed due process, failed to grant Oando a fair hearing, has
acted in a way that is contrary to best practice and has not proven itself to be a fair and reasonable regulator acting in the best interest of the capital market and minority shareholders, in all its dealings on this matter.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
United Capital Plc has acquired a 5 per cent equity stake in the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc for an undisclosed fee, deepening its involvement in Nigeria’s capital market.
The pan-African investment banking and financial services group announced this in a statement on Monday, noting that the transaction had been successfully completed and describing the investment as a key milestone in its long-term growth strategy.
NGX Plc, which serves as the holding company for Nigeria’s premier securities exchange and related market infrastructure businesses, plays a central role in Nigeria’s capital formation, market development, and economic growth.
United Capital said the acquisition reflects its confidence in the future of Nigeria’s capital markets and positions the Group to contribute more actively to the development of the nation’s financial system.
Commenting on the development, the chief executive of United Capital, Mr Peter Ashade, said the investment aligns with the company’s vision of creating sustainable value while supporting institutions critical to economic development.
“This acquisition reflects our confidence in Nigeria’s capital markets and our responsibility to contribute to their growth actively,” Mr Ashade said.
“We have always said that United Capital is not just a participant in Nigeria’s capital markets; we are also builders. This strategic investment in NGX Plc is exactly that: we are building for impact. It is our vote of confidence in the leadership and strategic direction of the NGX and where the capital market is headed,” he added.
According to him, the acquisition underscores the firm’s commitment to supporting the continued evolution of Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure while delivering long-term value to shareholders.
United Capital, which operates across 12 countries in West, East and Central Africa, provides a range of services spanning investment banking, asset management, securities trading and wealth management.
The company said the stake in NGX Plc would enable it to leverage its regional footprint and market expertise to support the Exchange’s next phase of growth and transformation.
The acquisition comes amid a series of strategic milestones for the financial services group, including the successful recapitalisation of all its subsidiaries ahead of regulatory deadlines and the recent acquisition of operational licences in Ethiopia and Rwanda.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerians have kicked against suggestions by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the federal government to consider increasing the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate and introducing excise duties on telecommunications services as part of efforts to boost revenue generation and create fiscal space for development spending.
IMF, in its 2026 Article IV Consultation Report on Nigeria, warned that despite recent tax reforms, additional revenue measures would likely be required over the medium term to support critical social and infrastructure spending.
According to the IMF, Nigeria’s revenue mobilisation efforts must go beyond administrative improvements to address the country’s persistently low revenue-to-GDP ratio and rising expenditure pressures.
The Fund stated that, “Further tax policy changes will likely be needed, such as increasing the VAT rate, extending VAT to fuel products, rationalising tax expenditures in particular VAT exemptions on extractive industries and some customs duties, and introducing telecom excises, to complement administrative gains.”
It noted that while the recently enacted tax reforms are expected to improve revenue collection over time, some of the measures are revenue-reducing in the short term and may take time to yield significant gains.
On X (formerly Twitter), user @RealCeecee wrote – “You want to impose more suffering on people living on empty pockets. Where exactly does all this revenue go to? IMF would never give this kind of advice to any country that has good leaders, when the masses are already going through extreme suffering.”
“To be honest Nigerian need to stand its feet against the IMF, no be anything them go detect for us. The revenue they are talking about has anyone seen where it goes, let alone imposing another way to generate that will actually cause discomfort for Nigerians,” another handle, @KingMasy, wrote.
The IMF had stressed that continued revenue mobilisation is essential if the government is to sustain higher capital spending and expand social intervention programmes aimed at cushioning the impact of economic reforms on vulnerable Nigerians.
“Over the medium term, continued revenue mobilisation is essential to creating fiscal space for development and social spending,” the Fund said, adding that there was limited room to maintain the projected increase in capital expenditure without additional revenue sources.
The Bretton Woods institution, however, cautioned that the timing of any new tax measures should take into account the worsening poverty and food insecurity situation in the country.
It emphasised that any tax increases should be accompanied by a fully funded and effective cash transfer programme to shield vulnerable households from additional economic hardship.
“The timing of reforms must consider the poverty and food insecurity situation and ensure that the cash transfer system is in place and funded,” the report stated.
The IMF’s recommendation comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with weak revenue generation despite recent reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to improve tax administration.
The Fund projected that poverty and food insecurity could worsen amid higher global fuel and food prices, noting that poverty had already reached 63 per cent of the population while about 27 million Nigerians faced food insecurity in 2025.
It also reiterated its call for a neutral fiscal stance in 2026, warning that spending pressures linked to poverty, food insecurity and preparations for the 2027 general elections could widen fiscal deficits and increase financing needs if not carefully managed.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate in May 2026 rose to 15.93 per cent from 15.69 per cent in April, as the pressure from the Iran war continued to affect the global economy.
In the report on Monday, the statistical office showed that the headline inflation rate for May on a month-on-month basis was 1.75 per cent. 0.39 per cent lower than the 2.13 per cent recorded in April 2026.
On an annualised basis, the print was down from 26.06 per cent in the same month of the preceding year (May 2025). This was due to the rebasing of the calculation year from 2009 to 2024.
The rise in prices, which stemmed from the continued conflict in the Middle East, continued to stoke food prices and energy costs, which account for a huge chunk of average spending.
According to the NBS, “this can be attributed to the rate of change in the average prices of the following products: Millet whole grain, yam flour, ginger (Fresh), beef, garri, tam tuber, pepper (Fresh), cray fish, cassava tuber, Beans, Irish Potatoes, tomatoes (fresh), wheat grain (Sold loose), soya beans, guinea corn, plantain, carrots (Fresh) etc.”
The Food inflation rate in May 2026 on a month-on-month basis was 2.98 per cent, down by 0.65 percentage points from April 2026 (3.63 per cent), while on a year-on-year basis, it was 16.96 per cent and stood at 24.55 per cent in the same month of the preceding year (May 2025).
In its recent assessment of Nigeria, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) acknowledged the country’s ongoing macroeconomic reform efforts while warning that rising inflation, deepening poverty, and external shocks linked to geopolitical tensions could undermine recent gains.
The IMF projected a reversal in the disinflation trend, with headline inflation rising from 15.1 per cent in February 2026 to 15.4 per cent in March, driven largely by food price increases. It projected year-end inflation of 17.0 per cent, citing global commodity shocks and domestic pass-through effects.
The lender also recommended that the Central Bank of Nigeria maintain a cautious, data-dependent monetary policy stance following its recent steadying of interest rates at 26.5 per cent.
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