By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Subscriptions for the November 2018 offering of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Savings Bond have been opened.
The exercise is being conducted by the Debt Management Officer (DMO) on behalf of the Nigerian government.
The bond subscription period, according to the debt office, will run from Monday, November 5 to 12 noon of Friday, November 9, 2018, with the settlement date fixed for Wednesday, November 14, 2018.
The debt office is offering two tenors; 2-year FGN Savings Bond due November 14, 2020 at 12.390 percent per annum and 3-year FGN Savings Bond due November 14, 2021 at 13.390 percent per annum.
The DMO said it will accept subscriptions of N1,000 per unit subject to a minimum of N5,000 and in multiples of N1,000 thereafter, subject to a maximum subscription of N50 million.
The FGN Savings Bonds have most of the features of the existing FGN Bond plus other benefits to the bondholder.
They are backed by the full faith of the Federal Government of Nigeria and is therefore deemed risk free, with interest paid quarterly.
The bonds qualify as securities in which trustees can invest under the Trustee Investment Act as well as government securities within the meaning of Company Income Tax Act (CITA) and Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) for Tax Exemption for Pension Funds, amongst other investors.
They FGN Savings Bonds are also listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and qualify as a liquid asset for liquidity ratio calculation for banks.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya