Economy
Nigeria, Hong Kong Ink Deal to Eliminate Double Taxation
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China have signed an agreement to eliminate double taxation on income, a move aimed at strengthening economic ties, promoting cross-border investment and tackling tax evasion.
The agreement was signed during a virtual ceremony by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, on behalf of Nigeria, and Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Mrs Mary-Ann Duke Okon, the agreement marks a major milestone in the growing economic and commercial relationship between both jurisdictions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Oyedele described the pact as “another significant milestone in the growing economic and commercial relationship between Nigeria and Hong Kong” and said it reflects Nigeria’s commitment to creating “a transparent, predictable, and investor-friendly tax environment that supports trade, investment, and sustainable economic growth.”
The minister noted that although the signing ceremony was conducted virtually, it underscored the commitment of both governments to strengthening economic cooperation and creating a more conducive environment for international trade and investment.
He said the agreement comes at a critical time as Nigeria continues to deepen its integration into global value chains and expand economic partnerships across Asia.
Mr Oyedele described Hong Kong as “a leading international financial and commercial hub and a gateway for investment and trade opportunities,” expressing confidence that the treaty would encourage stronger private sector collaboration and unlock new opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
He also commended the negotiating teams from both sides for their professionalism and dedication throughout the negotiation process.
According to him, their efforts produced “a balanced and forward-looking Agreement reflecting international best practice while safeguarding the legitimate interests of both jurisdictions.”
The minister further expressed appreciation to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other stakeholders for their contributions to the successful conclusion of the agreement.
The treaty is designed to eliminate double taxation on income earned in both jurisdictions, prevent tax evasion and avoidance, and provide greater certainty for businesses and investors operating between Nigeria and Hong Kong.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The names of about 100,000 companies registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) are about to be deleted for inactivity, especially for failing to file their annual tax returns, Business Post reports.
This information was disclosed by the CAC via a notice signed by its management on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
The list contains organisations like the Nigeria-Poland Chamber of Trade Invest Ltd, Alariwo of Afrika Ltd, Ovation Sports International, First Union Pension Fund Administrators, Investopedia Limited, Baptist High School Abuja Ltd, and Yobe Aluminium Manufacturing Industries Ltd, amongst others.
In the statement, the commission said its decision to strike off the names of the affected firms from the register aligns with the provisions of Section 692(3) (3) and (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.
However, the affected companies can still salvage the situation by filing all outstanding annual returns and regularising their records within 90 days.
“Please note that companies that fail to comply within the stipulated timeline shall be struck off the register without further notice,” it declared, expressing its continued commitment to providing prompt and efficient registration and regulatory services to the satisfaction of its valued customers.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange gained 1.75 per cent on Wednesday, July 15, pushing the NASD Security Index (NSI) up by 74.20 points to 4,316.51 points from 4,242.31 points, as the market capitalisation added N44.54 billion to finish at N2.590 trillion compared with the preceding session’s N2.546 trillion.
During the session, there was an 11.5 per cent rise in the value of transactions at midweek to N72.7 million from the preceding session’s N65.2 million, as there was a 3.7 per cent growth in the number of deals to 28 deals from the previous session’s 27 deals, while the volume of securities slumped by 64.5 per cent to 4.9 million units from 13.7 million units.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc ended as the most active security by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, with the second spot occupied by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc after selling 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and the third position was taken by Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, which exchanged 74.3 million units for N5.3 billion.
GNI Plc also finished the trading day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with a turnover of 3.4 billion units traded for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units transacted for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units sold for N415.7 million.
Business Post reports that the market breadth index was negative yesterday, as there were two price gainers and three price losers.
11 Plc added N22.36 to its value to close at N250.00 per share versus N227.64 per share, and CSCS Plc improved by N7.95 to N90.35 per unit from N82.40 per unit.
On the flip side, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc lost N1.37 to end at N150.00 per share versus N151.37 per share, UBN Property Plc depreciated by 6 Kobo to N1.75 per unit from N1.81 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc dropped 1 Kobo to close at N2.49 per share versus N2.50 per share.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Pressure on the Naira eased on Wednesday, July 15, as it appreciated against the United States Dollar by 90 Kobo or 0.07 per cent on Tuesday, July 15, in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) to close at N1,382.18/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,383.08/$1.
Also, the local currency gained a further N4.07 against the Euro in the official market to sell at N1,576.69/€1 versus Tuesday’s rate of N1,583.76/€1, but depreciated against the Pound Sterling by N1.71 to quote at N1,856.69/£1, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1,854.98/£1.
At the GTBank forex counter, the Naira lost N1 against the greenback at midweek to close at N1,389/$1 compared with the preceding day’s N1,388/$1, and at the black market, it traded flat at N1,405/$1.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that interbank FX turnover moderated as trading activities among financial institutions and market makers declined sharply.
Daily FX data released showed that NFEM interbank FX turnover closed the day at $121.727 million, about 50 per cent below the previous record of $243.095 million set on Tuesday.
Official trading records released by the central bank revealed that interbank FX deals among market makers went down from the previous day to 115 from 140.
Inflation news also eased pressure, even if the print dropped marginally to 15.91 per cent in June, a 0.2 per cent reduction from the 15.93 per cent recorded in the preceding month. The month-on-month headline inflation rate in June 2026 was 1.66 per cent, which was 0.09 per cent lower than the rate recorded in May 2026, which came in at 1.75 per cent.
In the crypto market, prices were mixed as some traders banked on softer-than-expected US inflation reports for June, while others say the inflation data is obsolete, given the renewed strength in oil prices, which sparked after fresh fighting in the Middle East.
US inflation had earlier cooled more than expected, sharply reducing market odds of a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike.
Ethereum (ETH) rose by 1.9 per cent to $1,921.62, Ripple (XRP) appreciated by 0.4 per cent to $1.11, and Binance Coin (BNB) also increased by 0.4 per cent to $582.42.
However, Solana (SOL) dropped 1.3 per cent to finish at $77.29, TRON (TRX) slumped by 0.8 per cent to $0.3240, Dogecoin (DOGE) shrank by 0.6 per cent to $0.0741, Bitcoin (BTC) declined by 0.3 per cent to $64,762.28, and Cardano (ADA) lost 0.2 per cent to end at $0.1640, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.
