Connect with us

Economy

It’ll be Difficult to Sell Proposed FG’s N22.7trn 40-year Bonds at 9%—BudgIT

Published

on

BudgIT 40-year bonds

By Dipo Olowookere

A Nigerian civic company, BudgIT, has said, based on findings, it would be difficult for the federal government to get buyers for the proposed securitisation of the N22.7 trillion overdrafts of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at 9 per cent per annum coupon rate.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday appealed to the National Assembly to reconsider his request to convert the ways and means into securities.

The bonds, to be sold to interested investors in local denomination, would have a maturity of 40 years at a coupon rate of 9 per cent.

Last week, the Senate rejected the proposal, pointing out that it must know what the government spent the money on.

The government violated the CBN act as regards the overdrafts as it was supposed to get 5 per cent of the revenue it generated in the previous fiscal year as ways and means, which must be paid back before another is given.

However, these requirements were not met by the federal government but the central bank, under the leadership of Mr Godwin Emefiele, went ahead to give more loans to the government to fund the budget deficits.

While signing the 2023 budget into law on Tuesday, Mr Buhari begged the parliament to approve the conversion of the loans to bonds to avoid the payment of an extra N1.8 trillion as interest.

“I have no intention to fetter the right of the National Assembly to interrogate the composition of this balance, which can still be done even after granting the requested approval.

“Failure to grant the securitization approval will, however, cost the Nigerian government about N1.8 trillion in additional interest in 2023, given the differential between the applicable interest rates, which is currently MPR plus 3 per cent, and the negotiated interest rate of 9 per cent and a 40-year repayment period on the securitised debt of the Ways and Means,” he had pointed out.

But BudgIT said the claims by Mr Buhari that the 40-year bonds would be sold at 9 per cent may not be totally true.

Business Post reports that the FGN savings bond currently being offered for sale by the Debt Management Office (DMO) has coupon rates higher than what the government is claiming.

The debt office is offering the 2-year FGN savings bond maturing on January 11, 2025, at 9.60 per cent and the 3-year paper maturing on January 11, 2026, at 10.60 per cent.

At the last FGN bonds held in December 2022, the debt office sold a 10-year bond at 14.75 per cent and a 20-year bond at 15.80 per cent. Based on this, it would most likely be difficult to lure investors to purchase 40-year bonds at 9 per cent when a shorter-tenor paper can be bought at almost double the coupon rate.

In a series of tweets via its official Twitter page on Thursday, BudgIT said it would be a herculean task for the government to get buyers for the bonds at the “specified rate.”

“@MBuhari has asked @nassnigeria to approve the securitization of FG’s N22.7tn debt to @cenbank, is it legal for @nassnigeria to approve the request of the FG to securitize the Ways & Means, which goes against the CBN Act?

Since 2015, the FG has asked @cenbank to provide advances to fund its fiscal deficit without any requirement for cost-cutting measures/fiscal control. The law stipulates that such advances should be limited to 5% of the previous year’s revenues. This law has not been followed.

“Also, Section 38 of the CBN Act mandates the FG to repay all advances made by the CBN to it at the end of the financial year in which the advances were received. Failure to repay the advances in full implies that the FG will not be eligible for further advances by the CBN.

“While FG has continuously breached the CBN Act, it now seeks the @nassnigeria’s approval to offload N22.7tn debt for 40 years at a 9% interest rate. Findings have shown that it will be difficult to sell such debt at the specified rate.

“Currently, the FG has been on a borrowing binge as domestic debt increased from N8.3tn in June 2015 to N21.6tn as of June 2022, & foreign debt rose from $10b in 2015 to $39.66b in 2022.

“Similarly, interest paid in Ways and Means (CBN Debt to FG) grew from N9.51b in 2017 to N1.22tn in 2021. In the meantime, the CBN’s new debt adds at least N2.5tn annually to Nigeria’s debt servicing costs.

“According to a recent MTF, Nigeria’s debt servicing cost is projected to reach N10tn in 2025. If National Assembly approves this action, FG’s public debt will rise from its current state by 59% – from $89.5b to $142 billion.

“In 2021, FG used 91% of its N4.64tn revenue to service public debt. Unless something drastic happens with revenue growth, the FG will spend more on servicing debt. This has implications for inflation, economic confidence, higher interest rates & weakened exchange rates.

“Is it legal for the National Assembly to approve the request of the Federal Government to securitise the Ways and Means, which is in clear breach of the CBN Act? More importantly, what were the borrowings used for?” the company asked.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

Economy

BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market

Published

on

BNB price

Digital asset markets have slowed, though not in a dramatic way. Things are still moving, just not with much urgency. The BNB price reflects that shift, sitting within a tighter range as broader conditions begin to shape behavior more than short bursts of demand.

It can feel uneventful at first. No strong push higher, no sharp drop either. But the movement is still there. It just does not travel far. A rise begins, then fades. A dip forms, then steadies again. It repeats more than you might expect.

That pattern tends to linger. Sometimes longer than people anticipate, especially when there is no clear reason for it to change quickly.

BNB Price Movement Reflects Exchange-Driven Demand

BNB does not behave like assets that rely purely on outside demand. Its connection to the Binance ecosystem changes that.

Usage matters here. Trading activity, transaction volume and general platform engagement all feed into how BNB is used. That connection is not always obvious in the short term, but it sits underneath everything.

Sometimes it shows up clearly. Other times it does not. The relationship is there either way.

When activity holds steady, price often follows that tone. It does not surge, but it does not weaken much either. It stays somewhere in the middle, supported without needing strong momentum. It reflects usage more than speculation in many cases.

Market Conditions Continue to Shape Price Behaviour

There is also the wider market to consider. Binance has pointed out that liquidity remains tight, with capital concentrating in a smaller number of assets.

Bitcoin still holds close to 59% of the market. Ethereum sits much lower, around 11.8%. After that, the drop-off becomes more noticeable. Smaller assets make up far less than they once did. That shift matters. It changes how everything moves.

When capital gathers like this, movement tends to compress. Prices still change, but not as freely. It becomes harder for assets to break away from the general pattern.

BNB is part of that. It does not sit outside these conditions. It moves with them more often than against them.

BNB Utility Remains Central to Its Value

There is also the question of utility, which tends to be discussed but not always fully understood.

BNB is used across the Binance ecosystem in practical ways. Fees, transactions, access to services. These are not abstract use cases. They happen regularly, even when markets feel quiet.

That kind of activity does not always push prices higher. But it does create a base level of demand. Something that holds, rather than drives.

Over time, that can matter more than short bursts of interest. It gives the asset a different kind of stability. Not fixed, but less reactive. That difference tends to show up more clearly over longer periods.

Institutional and Retail Activity Remain Balanced

Participation is mixed. Institutional involvement has increased, but it does not dominate. Retail activity is still there and often more visible in certain phases. Neither side controls the market on its own. That is part of why movement feels less defined.

At times, it can seem like different forces are pulling in slightly different directions. Not enough to create volatility, but enough to prevent a clear trend from forming.

So price moves, then pauses. Moves again, then settles. It continues like that, without fully committing to either direction.

Global Participation Continues to Expand

Outside of price, participation continues to grow. Estimates suggest global cryptocurrency users are now approaching 860 million, reflecting continued expansion across digital asset markets.

That kind of growth does not always appear in charts straight away. It builds slowly. People enter the space, others remain active and usage continues in ways that are not always easy to track day to day.

BNB sits within that broader expansion. As the ecosystem grows, so does the potential for continued use. It is not immediate. It rarely is. But it accumulates over time. That gradual build tends to matter more than short-term spikes.

Local Economic Conditions Add Perspective

Broader economic conditions still play a role. Inflation remains around the mid-teen range, which suggests the environment is stabilizing, though not completely settled.

That kind of backdrop tends to influence behavior. When conditions feel uncertain, decisions become more measured.

It does not directly control how BNB moves. But it helps explain the pace. Why do things feel slower, more contained? Markets do not exist in isolation, even when they seem separate. External factors tend to feed in gradually.

Right now, the market feels balanced more than anything else. The B&B price reflects that. Not pushing higher, not dropping away. Just holding.

There is still activity underneath. Usage continues. Participation grows. Liquidity shifts, even if it is not always visible.

For now, BNB is sitting in that middle space. Not doing too much, but not losing ground either. It might not stand out. But these phases tend to matter more than they first seem. Over time, they often shape what comes next, even if that is not immediately obvious.

Continue Reading

Economy

NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again

Published

on

NASD Unlisted Security Index

By Adedapo Adesanya

The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.

Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.

The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.

The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.

However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.

During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.

At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units traded for N1.2 billion.

GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.

Continue Reading

Economy

Naira Slips to N1,358/$1 as FX Reserves, Policy Uncertainty Concerns

Published

on

Naira-Yuan Currency Swap Deal

By Adedapo Adesanya

It was not a good day for the Nigerian Naira in the currency market on Friday, April 24, as its value depreciated against the major foreign currencies at the close of transactions.

In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), it lost N4.53 or 0.33 per cent against the United States Dollar yesterday to trade at N1,358.44/$1, in contrast to the N1,353.91/$1 it was exchanged on Thursday.

Equally, the domestic currency slipped against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N8.14 to close at N1,834.02/£1, compared with the previous rate of N1,825.88/£1 and dropped N8.01 against the Euro to sell at N1,590.73/€1 versus N1,582.72/€1.

Also, the Naira depreciated against the US Dollar at the GTBank FX desk on Friday by N4 to quote at N1,370/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,366/$1, and at the parallel market, it depleted by N5 to settle at N1,380/$1 versus the preceding day’s N1,375/$1.

Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that NFEM interbank turnover surged to N43.562 million across 68 deals, up from N28.117 million the previous day.

Despite the CBN’s reassurance that the recent drop in external reserves is not worrisome, the market remains unsettled by persistent concerns over liquidity constraints, policy transparency, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s FX market as gross reserves continue to decline to $48.4 billion.

The outlook for the Dollar appears supported by broader macro risks, including elevated oil prices tied to the tanker traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a continued US-Iran standoff over ceasefire negotiations.

A look at the digital currency market showed that investors are sitting on the edge as the US Dollar rebounded amid geopolitical and inflation risks despite continued inflows into US spot bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

Solana (SOL) rose by 1.2 per cent to sell $86.45, Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 1.1 per cent to $0.2517, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.9 per cent to $0.0989, Ripple (XRP) improved by 0.3 per cent to $1.43, Ethereum (ETH) soared by 0.2 per cent to $2,316.83, and Binance Coin (BNB) chalked up 0.1 per cent to sell for $637.44.

However, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 1.3 per cent to $0.3235, and Bitcoin (BTC) lost 0.2 per cent to close at $77,562.27, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.

Continue Reading

Trending