Economy
SEC Wants 2.5% of Fees Collected by NSE, FMDQ, NASD, CSCS, Others
By Dipo Olowookere
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the apex regulatory agency in the Nigerian capital market, is proposing to take 2.5 percent of fees collected by the securities exchanges under its control so as to get more funds to carry out its statutory duties.
These securities exchanges and clearing houses include the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), FMDQ Securities Exchange Plc, which does clearing and depository functions; NASD OTC Securities Exchange and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS).
The commission, in a notice justifying this move, explained that, “In order for the commission to continue to effectively carry out its core mandate, which is increasingly becoming more expensive due to the expansion of the market in terms of size, complexity and product offerings, it is imperative that the commission charges annual fees on Exchanges and FMIs.”
It further said it “expends huge resources in the course of regulating these entities, ranging from costs of target and periodic inspections/investigations, review and approval of requests for rules making/amendments, etc,” pointing out that, “Currently, Exchanges and other FMIs do not pay renewal fees.”
Business Post reports that in order to achive its goal, SEC, in the amendment titled Proposed amendment to Schedule I (Registration Fees, Minimum Capital Requirements, Securities and others), which seeks to create a new “Part E” to provide for annual regulatory charges to be paid by Securities Exchanges and FMIs, it wants a registered securities exchange to “pay to the commission, within thirty days of end of each financial year, an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the aggregate listing fees paid to it by issuers whose securities are listed or admitted on it, during that year.”
It further proposes that, “A depository shall pay to the commission, within thirty days of end of each year an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the aggregate annual depository fees paid to it by the issuers whose securities are deposited with it.”
Also, SEC further proposes that, “A registered clearing house or central counterparty clearing house shall pay to the commission, within thirty days of end of each financial year, an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the aggregate clearing fees charged by it for clearing functions, [while] other FMIs shall be required to pay annual fees to the commission as may be determined from time to time.”
Business Post reports further that SEC is proposed an amendment to Rule 199(3), which guides removal of a company trading its shares on any of the exchanges from the different trading platforms..
The existing rule states that, “The issuer of a security listed on an exchange may file an application to withdraw the security from listing on any exchange in accordance with the rules of that exchange and notify the commission accordingly. The exchange shall within ten (10) days consider and dispose of the application and notify the commission when such application is approved.”
In the proposed amendment, SEC wants this changed to, “The issuer of a security listed on an exchange may file an application to withdraw the security from listing on any exchange in accordance with the rules of that exchange. The Issuer shall give prior notice of such an application to the commission and notify the commission accordingly. The exchange shall within ten (10) days consider and dispose of the application and notify the Commission when such application is approved.”
Explaining the reason for this change, the agency said, “Rule 199 (1) requests an exchange to notify the commission seven (7) days prior to delisting an issuer when the initiative to delist is from the exchange itself. Thus similarly when such initiative is from the issuer, it is proposed for the concerned Exchange to similarly notify the commission before delisting the issuer.”
Economy
Regency Alliance Urges Shareholders to Participate in N3.04bn Rights Issue
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The N3.04 billion rights issue of Regency Alliance Insurance Plc is expected to open on Monday, June 22, 2026, and close on Friday, July 3, 2026, with shareholders urged to participate.
The underwriting firm recently signed an agreement on the rights issue, with board members, management, issuing houses, legal advisers, stockbrokers, and other key stakeholders in attendance.
Regency Alliance is offering to shareholders 3,201,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at 95 Kobo per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every five ordinary shares held.
The purpose of the fresh capital raise is to bolster the company’s solvency ratios, support business growth, and invest in digital infrastructure and new product development.
The insurance company noted that the rights issue provides an opportunity to existing shareholders to subscribe for additional shares in proportion to their current holdings, protecting them from dilution while enabling them to participate in the organisation’s future growth.
“This capital raise will give us the firepower to meet evolving risks, expand our reach, and deepen the promise we make to every policyholder; that Regency Alliance will be there when it matters most,” the acting chairman of Regency Alliance, Mr Wale Taiwo (SAN), stated.
“We are particularly encouraged by the unwavering support of our shareholders who have stood by the company through its growth journey. We urge all eligible shareholders to take advantage of this rights issue and fully exercise their rights.
“By doing so, they will not only protect their investment from dilution but also participate directly in the exciting growth opportunities that lie ahead for Regency Alliance Insurance,” he added.
Also commenting, the Managing Director of the firm, Mr Bode Oseni, said, “Regency Alliance has always prided itself on being agile, customer-focused xd, and financially sound. The proceeds from this rights issue will accelerate our digital transformation, enhance claims efficiency, and enable us to introduce innovative products tailored to SMEs, Gen Z, and other underserved segments across Nigerian and beyond. We are not merely raising capital; we are raising our ambition.”
“We remain optimistic that our shareholders will embrace this opportunity and demonstrate their confidence in the company’s future by taking up their rights. Together, we are building a strong and more competitive insurance institution,” he added.
Economy
Unlisted Securities Exchange Retreats After Okitipupa Price Decline
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil palm processing firm, Okitipupa Plc, and two other securities weakened by the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.4 per cent on Thursday, June 18.
During the trading day, Okitipupa Plc lost N20.00 to end at N280.00 per share compared with the previous day’s N300.00 per share, NASD Plc declined by 36 Kobo to finish at N37.00 per unit versus N37.36 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc depreciated by 23 Kobo to N86.34 per share from N86.57 per share.
As a result, the market capitalisation retreated by N10.39 billion to N2.609 trillion from N2.619 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) slid by 17.36 points to 4,361.09 points from 4,378.45 points.
Business Post reports that the sole price gainer for the session was Afriland Properties Plc, which improved by 65 Kobo to N16.20 per unit from N15.55 per unit.
Yesterday, the volume of securities transacted by market participants shrank by 71.6 per cent to 792,835 units from Wednesday’s 2.8 million units, the value of securities fell by 61.8 per cent to N49.0 million from N128.3 million, while the number of deals went down by 39.4 per cent to 20 deals from 33 deals.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units valued at N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 67.7 million units traded for N4.7 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the day as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units exchanged for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units sold for N415.7 million.
Economy
Naira Falls to N1,363/$ at Official Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira free-fall against the US Dollar continued in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Thursday, June 18, losing 0.24 per cent or N3.23 to trade at N1,363.30/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,360.07/$1.
However, the domestic currency appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N19.12 to trade at N1,805.69/£1 versus midweek’s N1,824.81/£1, and gained N12.89 on the Euro to sell at N1,565.07/€1, in contrast to the preceding day’s N1,577.96/€1.
At the GTBank FX counter, the Naira lost N1 against the Dollar to trade at N1,373/$1 versus Wednesday’s closing rate of N1,372/$1, and at the black market, it remained unchanged at N1,385/$1.
Tightness in FX liquidity continued to pressure the local currency, contributing to a decline in the official exchange rate due to rising demand for foreign payments.
Analysts also attribute the market liquidity dynamics to the lack of substantial Open Market Operation (OMO) bill positioning by foreign portfolio investors, who are key sources of hard currency inflows for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The apex bank’s daily FX report revealed that interbank FX turnover increased to $69.918 million across 85 interbank transactions, up from $54.293 million the previous day.
As for the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin (BTC) traded below $63,000 after losing 1.7 per cent to close at $62,742.28 on Thursday, as risk assets sold off worldwide, erasing the gains it made earlier in the week on the back of the US-Iran peace deal.
The pressure came from a wider retreat in markets as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz returned to normal under the signed US-Iran deal and eased what had been a historic supply shock.
Attention now turns to talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, with Vice President JD Vance saying a 60-day clock to settle the deal’s details has started.
During the session, Solana (SOL) crashed by 3.3 per cent to $68.68, Ripple (XRP) depreciated by 2.7 per cent to $1.13, Cardano (ADA) slid 2.4 per cent to $0.1606, Binance Coin (BNB) slumped 2.0 per cent to $576.11, Dogecoin (DOGE) slipped by 1.9 per cent to $0.0826, and Ethereum (ETH) went down by 1.7 per cent to $1,696.74.
However, TRON (TRX) improved by 0.1 per cent to $0.3204, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 each.
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