Economy
NASD Plc Q1 2020 Profit Rises 73% to N24.2m
By Adedapo Adesanya
NASD Plc recorded a profit after tax (PAT) of N24.2 million for the first quarter of 2020, higher by 73 percent than the N14.0 million reported in the same period of 2019.
According to the unaudited statement of the securities exchange company, which has a platform for trading of stocks of unquoted public organisations, its profit before tax (PBT) was also at N24.2 million in Q1 2020 as against N14.0 million in Q1 2019.
The firm, which also trades its stocks on its platform, said it raked N53.5 million from fees and commission income, higher than N38.3 million generated in the corresponding period of last year by 39.7 percent.
In the results, the employment benefits and compensation benefits incurred in the period under review increased to N22.7 million from N20.8 million in the same period last year.
Other operating expenses were flat at N20.3 million over the two comparative periods despite efforts to cut down the trading costs, marketing expenses, consultancy fees, travelling expenses and training costs..
In the first three months of this year, NASD Plc said it recorded an operating profit of N10.5 million compared with an operating loss of N2.8 million in the same time of last year.
However, the company suffered an 18.5 percent decrease in interest income, recording N13.7 million in the first quarter of 2020 in contrast to N16.8 million recorded in the first quarter of 2019.
Business Post observed that NASD Plc did not pay tax in the period under review and the company explained in the financial statements that, “The company’s income tax for 2019 would be determined after the profit figure is verified by the auditors due to its carried forward unrelieved losses situation (2018: nil). Minimum tax would be computed if situation persist for 2019.”
On its balance sheet, the total assets stood at N701.4 million as at March 31, 2020 compared with N660.8 million as at December 31, 2020, while the total liabilities stood at N36.3 million versus N19.9 million in three months earlier.
NASD Plc said its investment in securities stood at N103.1 million in Q1 2020 as against N440.8 million in FY 2019. This is made up of N103.1 million invested in bonds in Q1 2020 versus N159.8 million in FY 2019 and no investment in treasury bills in the period under review in contrast to N281.1 million in December 2019.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria slightly surpassed its quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in July 2026.
In the month under review, the country produced about 1.57 million barrels of crude oil per day.
It was the third consecutive month Africa’s largest oil-producing nation was meeting its monthly quota, set to stabilise the price of the commodity on the global market by the oil cartel.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Wednesday showed that the 1.5 million barrels per day ceiling for Nigeria was surpassed last month.
The agency disclosed in a statement today that the country produced 1.505mbpd of crude oil and 0.17mbpd of condensate, bringing the combined daily production to 1.67mbpd.
In the month under review, the daily peak production of crude oil and condensate was 1.78mbpd, while the lowest daily production was 1.57mbpd.
Although Nigeria met its OPEC quota in the month of July, the statistics show that on a month-on-month basis, production fell by 4 per cent.
This was attributed to the decline in production due to operational challenges experienced at the Erha and Akpo fields, which impacted crude oil output during the period under review.
These disruptions constrained production volumes and contributed significantly to the overall reduction in national crude oil output.
Despite the challenges, production operations across most other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators implementing measures aimed at maintaining production efficiency and minimising the impact of operational constraints, NUPRC stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The over 9 billion shares of Lasaco Assurance Plc issued to shareholders of the company via a rights issue have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The equities were brought to Customs Street on Wednesday by the organisation, increasing its total issued and fully paid-up share capital.
Lasaco Assurance, which scaled the recapitalisation hurdle of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in July 2026, raised fresh capital from the capital market to shore up its capital base.
The underwriting firm got about N18.5 billion from the rights issue, which involved the issuance of 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares at a unit price of N2.00.
The exercise was on the basis of five new ordinary shares for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Confirming the listing of the additional stocks of Lasaco Assurance today, the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of NGX RegCo, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, announced in a circular that, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Lasaco Assurance Plc were today, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N2.00 per share on the basis of five new ordinary shares for every existing six ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Friday, February 20, 2026.
“With the listing of the additional 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up share capital of Lasaco Assurance Plc has now increased from 11,083,585,855 to 20,319,907,401 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) has said the successful recapitalisation of the insurance industry will strengthen the sector’s ability to support financial stability and economic growth.
NIA Chairman, Mrs Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, said a well-capitalised insurance industry would be better positioned to meet its obligations promptly, underwrite complex and large-scale risks and serve as a dependable pillar of the Nigerian economy.
She made the remarks while commending the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for its structured implementation of the new minimum capital requirements under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
Mrs Nwachukwu said NAICOM’s clear guidelines, systematic verification process, defined timelines and rigorous supervision had provided operators with a credible framework for navigating the recapitalisation exercise.
She described the outcome as a major milestone for the industry and congratulated the 43 insurance and reinsurance companies that have successfully met the prescribed minimum capital requirements.
According to her, the exercise represents “a major win not just for regulators and operators, but for policyholders, investors and the wider Nigerian economy.”
Mrs Nwachukwu said the association would continue to work with NAICOM and other stakeholders to consolidate the gains of the exercise, with emphasis on sustainable industry growth, stronger market conduct and improved consumer confidence.
The official also expressed solidarity with the eight companies still undergoing final verification and regulatory review, urging them to remain confident as NAICOM completes the process within the 14-day review period.
The NIA chairman assured policyholders and the wider business community that the insurance industry would emerge from the recapitalisation exercise stronger, more resilient and better positioned to contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
