Economy
Nigeria Must Negotiate More Reciprocal Trading Deals—FSDH Research
**Says External Sector Highly Vulnerable
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
One of the investment firms in Nigeria, FSDH Merchant Bank, has stated that the external trades of the nation remain one-sided instead of being reciprocal.
In a report this week, the research arm of the company said this has left the external sector very highly vulnerable and called on government to work out ways to get trading deals that would be beneficial to the nation.
It noted that a one-sided relationship is rarely good or sustainable for individuals, organisations or countries because most enduring relationships are anchored on mutually beneficial tenets.
“Our review of Nigeria’s external trade figures over the years and the relationships with her trading partners show that there is a need to negotiate more reciprocal trading relationships that benefit Nigeria.
“One of the principles governing international trade is that a country should concentrate on the production of goods that it can produce more cheaply than other countries, export those goods and import other items it cannot produce or could only produce relatively more expensively than other countries,” the report said.
It stated further that, “Natural endowment in certain resources allows a country to be able to produce certain goods cheaper than other countries. Nigeria has huge petroleum deposits which, over the years, it has been exporting in its crude form, since the local refineries are not operating at reasonable capacities. With the huge investments going into Dangote Refinery, this situation may change very soon.
“FSDH Research also expects the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to sell the four non-functional refineries in the country to private investors. Alternatively, the FGN may convert the refineries to a form of joint venture arrangements with the private sector so that the wasting assets are used to generate export earnings for Nigeria.
“The country also has natural endowment in agriculture, but the country has not taken full advantage of this to increase its exports or to reduce its imports.”
Continuing, FSDH Research disclosed that its analysis of the external trade figures that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published for Q1 2019 showed that Nigeria’s exports and imports by destination are not well-aligned.
It pointed that in the NBS report, Nigeria did not export anything to the three leading countries (China, Swaziland and United States of America) which accounted for over 50 percent of its total imports.
China, which accounts for over 26 percent of Nigeria’s total imports, is not even among the 10 leading countries buying goods from Nigeria.
“Remember, China is not an oil-producing country. There should be high-level negotiations with Chinese authorities to buy goods made in Nigeria on a consistent basis to compensate for the large market China enjoys for its products sold in Nigeria. This will make the trading relationship between China and Nigeria a mutually beneficial one. Otherwise, the trading relationship will become one that drains away Nigeria’s hard-earned foreign exchange.
“On a medium to long-term basis, Nigeria must develop strategies that will enable it to enjoy cost advantage in the production of many exportable goods from its natural resources. Although both the fiscal and monetary authorities have announced particular import-substitution measures, the Next Level agenda should include clear strategies on how to make the business environment more conducive for the manufacturing sector to thrive.
“Most export-led economies around the world that we can identify today formulated and implemented specific programmes at certain points in the past to invest in their local competitiveness. This generally included massive investment in infrastructure to enable companies to scale up production at low costs, maintenance of law and order that support the growth of businesses and entrepreneurial development, maintenance of security in the country to protect lives and property, and the development of the financial system that can act as catalyst for economic growth,” it said.
Concluding, FSDH Research said there should be a system where producers of raw materials can interface with the industrial sector so that the necessary raw materials may be sourced in the local market, saying this would help to increase the quality of raw materials produced locally in order to meet specific needs of the industry.
“Ultimately, more job opportunities would be available for the growing population of the country, rural-urban migration would reduce, external reserves grow, the value of the currency more stable, inflation rate remain within an acceptable region, and savings and investments would grow as more investible funds become available in the local financial system, bringing down the interest rate,” it stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The positive run of the Naira against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) continued on Wednesday, June 3, with the former chalking up N3.79 or 0.28 per cent against the latter, closing at N1,357.26, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1,361.05/$1.
Similarly, the Nigerian currency gained N10.52 against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session to close at N1,822.67/£1 compared with the previous rate of N1,833.19/£1, and appreciated against the Euro by N9.56 to N1,574.83/€1 from N1,584.39/€1.
Further, at the black market, the Naira improved its value against the greenback at midweek by N5 to trade at N1,375/$1 compared with the N1,380/$1 it was traded a day earlier, and at the GTBank FX counter, it gained N6 to sell for N1,372/$1 versus N1,378/$1.
The boost came as the country’s external reserves continued to gain momentum. A look at the updated data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that foreign reserves continue to increase with two consecutive inflows in June 2026, settling at $49.876 billion as of Tuesday.
Foreign portfolio investors, exporters and non-bank corporates continue to keep the supply side strong, with the less aggressive FX interventions by the CBN at the official window in recent times helping to ease worries about capital flight.
The apex bank reported that interbank FX turnover declined to $133.731 million across 136 deals, from $169.822 million the previous day.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market remained bearish due to sell-offs triggered by geopolitical uncertainties and the US stock market rally.
Cardano (ADA) dipped by 5.5 per cent to $0.2046, Binance Coin (BNB) slumped by 4.8 per cent to $627.56, Solana (SOL) shrank by 3.9 per cent to $72.99, Ethereum (ETH) depreciated by 2.9 per cent to $1,844.53, and Bitcoin (BTC) slipped by 2.7 per cent to $65,675.87.
Further, Dogecoin (DOGE) depleted by 1.4 per cent to $0.0928, Ripple (XRP) declined by 0.7 per cent to $1.21, and TRON (TRX) lost 0.4 per cent to sell at $0.3336, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) gained 0.01 each to settle at $0.9986 and $0.9997, respectively.
By Dipo Olowookere
Nigeria’s stock market further depleted by 1.44 per cent on Wednesday following panic sell-offs by investors, who are cutting down their exposure to local equities.
Business Post observed that profit-taking dominated Customs Street at midweek, with all the key sectors of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited closing in red.
The insurance space shed 2.76 per cent, the industrial goods index lost 1.55 per cent, the banking counter declined by 1.53 per cent, the consumer goods segment shrank by 0.28 per cent, and the energy sector weakened by 0.05 per cent.
As a result, the All-Share Index (ASI) contracted by 3,554.05 points to 243,132.61 points from 246,686.66 points, and the market capitalisation moderated by N2.279 trillion to N155.940 trillion from N158.219 trillion.
Lafarge Africa led the losers’ chart yesterday after it gave up 9.97 per cent to trade at N307.90, Zichis lost 9.82 per cent to close at N29.20, Learn Africa depreciated by 9.80 per cent to N11.50, John Holt crashed by 9.80 per cent to N13.80, and Consolidated Hallmark dipped by 8.84 per cent to N6.19.
On the flip side, Abbey Mortgage Bank topped the gainers’ log after it grew by 9.93 per cent to N7.75, International Energy Insurance appreciated by 9.89 per cent to N6.00, Tripple G gained 9.80 per cent to sell for N4.37, Universal Insurance expanded by 8.91 per cent to N1.10, and Royal Exchange improved by 7.14 per cent to N1.50.
A total of 17 stocks gained weight yesterday, while 43 stocks lost weight, indicating a negative market breadth index and weak investor sentiment. This has been the mood of the market since the beginning of this week.
Market participants transacted 923.0 million shares worth N42.3 billion in 69,332 deals on Wednesday, in contrast to the 718.8 million shares valued at N29.3 billion traded in 71,683 deals on Tuesday, representing a drop in the number of deals by 3.28 per cent, and a rise in the trading volume and value by 28.41 per cent and 44.37 per cent, respectively.
Sterling Holdings led the activity chart with 264.6 million units valued at N2.1 billion, Access Holdings traded 76.7 million units worth N1.8 billion, Linkage Assurance exchanged 55.1 million units for N99.2 million, VFD Group sold 35.5 million units worth N378.8 million, and Ellah Lakes transacted 33.1 million units valued at N334.3 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices rose around 2 per cent on Wednesday as hostilities in the Middle East erupted anew and talks between Iran and the United States showed little progress.
Brent futures grew by $1.81 or 1.89 per cent to $97.81 per barrel, and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $2.26 or 2.41 per cent to $96.02 a barrel.
According to reports, Iran launched ballistic missiles toward regional neighbours Kuwait and Bahrain, killing one person and injuring dozens, while the US forces conducted strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
Iranian drones and missiles struck Kuwait International Airport overnight, causing the country to immediately suspend air traffic, activate emergency procedures, and divert flights to alternative airports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the operation was retaliation for recent US military actions and warned that regional states supporting American operations could face further consequences. Kuwait hosts major US military facilities and serves as a key logistics hub for American operations across the Middle East, but until then had largely avoided becoming a direct target.
Following the overnight attack, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) called for a united Gulf stance.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was involved in negotiations. He has insisted this week that discussions remain active and said a broader agreement could emerge within days, while Iranian officials have delivered contradictory messages.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said contacts with American representatives have not been cut off, but no progress has been made in the negotiations.
The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to bottleneck global energy supplies, driving sustained upward pressure on oil markets.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that global oil inventories could hit critical levels ahead of peak summer demand if stock draws continue at their current pace.
Crude oil inventories in the US decreased by 8.0 million barrels during the week ending May 29, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Wednesday. The EIA’s data release follows figures by the American Petroleum Institute (API) that were released a day earlier, which reported that crude oil inventories saw a draw of 6.75 million barrels in the period.
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