Economy
Rise in MTN Nigeria Mobile Subscribers Buoys Q3 Earnings
By Adedapo Adesanya
Top telecommunication service provider, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has released its year-on-year nine months interim financial statements ended September 30, 2019 with result indicating there were rise in both profit and revenue in the period so far.
The company recorded a revenue of N856.5 billion compared with N764.5 billion recorded as at September 2018, meaning that the company’s profit within a period of 12 months by over 10 percent or N92 billion.
The profit for the year also went up by N33.3 billion in the period under analysis to N148.3 billion against NN115.0 billion it was during the same period of 2018.
The telecommunication company attributed this growth to the increase in mobile subscribers by 0.1 million (100,000) to 61.6 million users and complemented by active Internet data users which rose by 1.6 million to 22.3 million subscribers this year.
The company made N72.5 million from other income sources in the first nine months of 2019 while as at September 2018, the figure stood at N69.8 million.
MTN Nigeria was able to reduce its direct network operating cost this year to N117.9 billion against N227.3 billion that was expended during the same period last year. Following suit, value added services cost also dropped this period to N8.9 billion from N14.2 billion as at September 2018.
The company also saw reductions in its roaming and transmission costs, which went down to N2.9 billion and N4.1 billion from N3.4 billion and N4.2 billion respectively.
Employee benefits and sales promotion means (advertisements, sponsorships) both saw increases as the company spent a total of N23.1 billion on the former from N19.1 last year September while the latter went up to N13.6 billion as against N12.3 billion in the same period, 2018.
The company’s operating profit culminated into N286.3 billion as at September, a difference of N80.5 billion compared to N205.8 billion last year. This brought about a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N212 billion despite recording a higher finance cost (equal to N92 billion) and lower finance income (N17.7 billion) compared to N171 billion recorded before tax despite its relative lower finance cost (N53.2 billion) and higher finance income (N18.4 billion)
MTN Nigeria paid a total of N63.7 billion in taxes as at September 2019 compared to N56 billion at the period under review in 2018.
The company which listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange earlier this year also disclosed that its earnings per share rose by 29 percent to N7.29k.
It will be recalled that in early September, Business Post reported that the telco suffered a set back in its operations as result of retaliatory xenophobic attacks on the company’s facilities across the country.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Two advisers to Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s planned Initial Public Offering (IPO) on Tuesday announced a $1 billion underwriting programme for the offering, giving the plant potentially powerful new route to African and international capital.
Marob Strategies and Consulting DIFC Limited and Lilium Capital Group said in a statement that the programme comprises a completed and funded $600 million private placement and a $400 million underwriting commitment for the planned IPO.
The $600 million placement is already complete.
The remaining $400 million commitment will only come into effect when the IPO is launched and remains subject to market conditions, regulatory and corporate approvals, and definitive documentation and securities-law requirements, according to the advisers.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery, built by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, has become a symbol of Nigeria’s attempt to reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products while building domestic refining and petrochemical capacity.
Recall that it has applied to Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a $5 billion IPO. However, the final size of the offering has yet to be determined.
The refinery has emerged as a major beneficiary of supply disruptions linked to the Iran war, increasing sales of jet fuel across Africa and into Western Europe as buyers seek alternative supplies.
The planned listing could rank among the largest IPOs in Africa, depending on the final size of the offering and market conditions at launch.
“This is an important milestone for DPRP and for African capital markets,” Mr Dangote said in the announcement, describing the completed placement and IPO underwriting commitment as a sign of confidence in the refinery’s strategic role.
On his part, Marob Strategies Chairman, Mr Benedict Oramah, a former president of the refinery’s backer Africa Export-Import Bank, said investor interest demonstrated appetite for African-led capital markets transactions involving transformative assets on the continent.
Adding his part, Lilium Capital Chairman, Mr Simon Tiemtoré, similarly framed the deal as an effort to connect major African investment opportunities with institutional capital across the continent and international markets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) could impose fines of up to five per cent of the annual turnover of petroleum operators found guilty of serious anti-competitive practices in the midstream and downstream sectors.
This was contained in the draft regulations of the proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations, 2026.
According to the proposal, errant companies of serious offences such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, market allocation, abuse of market dominance and other conduct capable of causing significant harm to competition could be fined between three and five per cent of their annual turnover.
It further proposed that persistent or serious offenders may also have their licences suspended or revoked, while the NMDPRA may impose daily penalties on operators that fail to comply with its orders or continue prohibited conduct after being directed to stop.
The draft regulation stated: “Where the Authority determines, after investigation and due process, that a licensee or any other person has engaged in anti-competitive conduct or breached any provision of this Regulation or the Act, it may impose administrative fines as provided herein.
The maximum administrative fine shall not exceed five per cent of the annual turnover of the offending undertaking for the preceding financial year.
“For purposes of these regulations, ‘annual turnover’ means gross revenues or sales derived from the regulated business activities in Nigeria. Where multiple entities or group structures are involved, the Authority may consider the turnover of the group, subsidiary, or segment most directly involved in the infringement.”
“Where a licensee or person fails to comply with an order or directive of the Authority, a daily penalty may be imposed for each day the violation continues.
“Where a prohibited practice continues after a final order, the daily penalty could rise to between N10m and N50m. Before imposing a fine, the NMDPRA would issue a Notice of Intention to Fine setting out the facts and findings, the nature of the infringement, the basis for calculating the proposed fine and the proposed deadline for payment,” it proposed.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian billionaire, Mr Femi Otedola, the chairman of First HoldCo, has acquired an additional 147.74 million shares of the financial services group through his investment vehicle, Calvados Global Services Limited.
According to a regulatory filing obtained from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Monday, Mr Otedola purchased the stocks valued at N20.68 billion.
The notice said the investor purchased about 147,737,699 ordinary shares at N140 per share on August 14.
The transaction increases Mr Otedola’s stake in the financial services group from 11.99 billion shares (26.1 per cent) to 12.13 billion shares (26.4 per cent).
The acquisition comes less than two weeks after the billionaire bought 138.04 million ordinary shares for about N18.11 billion.
Prior to that, Mr Otedola had said he had invested more than N600 billion of his personal wealth in the bank, describing the investment as a “long-term generational commitment” rather than a turnaround play.
Responding to speculation about increasing his stake, Mr Otedola said his investment philosophy favours majority control.
“My investment threshold is always over and above 51 per cent,” the billionaire had said.
“One of my key investment principles is that firm shareholder control, with due regard for minority interest, is a key ingredient to executing reforms and restructuring to deliver value to all stakeholders.”
The bank’s share price had recently risen to an all-time high of N140 per share, pushing its market capitalisation to N6.37 trillion.
In recent months, Mr Otedola has also made other high-profile investments outside the banking sector, including the acquisition of a luxury residence in London’s exclusive Mayfair district, further expanding his international real estate portfolio.
He is also believed to have participated in a financing arrangement involving the Dangote Refinery, providing funds to support its working capital needs as the facility scaled up operations.
