Economy
BDC Operators Trade Pound at N620 in Abuja, N617 in Lagos
By Adedapo Adesanya
The pressure on Naira seems not to be easing as the country prepares to open up its airspace to international flights from Saturday, August 29, 2020.
Ahead of this date, potential international air travellers are shopping for foreign exchange (forex) for different reasons, with supply not able to meet their demands. This has put huge pressure on the local currency at the market.
On Monday, the pressure mounted further, crashing the Nigerian Naira against the British Pound Sterling at the Bureaux De Change (BDC) segment of the market.
Data obtained by Business Post from the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), which hopes to begin to get forex allocation from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from this week, showed that in the nation’s capital, Abuja, the Naira lost N7 on the British currency to close at N620/£1 compared to N613/£1 it sold last Friday.
However, on the Dollar, the local currency closed flat at N475/$1 and appreciated by N10 against the Euro to trade at N555/€1 in contrast to the previous rate of N565/€1.
At the Lagos BDC market, the domestic currency depreciated by N4 against the Pound to sell for N617/£1 in contrast to N613/£1 it traded previously and lost 70 kobo against the greenback to close at N475.70/41 versus N475/$1 and declined by N1 on the Euro to close at N553/€1 compared with N552/€1.
In Port Harcourt, the local currency suffered a N4 loss against the Pound Sterling to sell for N611/£1 versus N607/£1 and depreciated by N1 on the US Dollar to N475/$1 from N474/$1 and as well lost N2 against the Euro to N548/€1 from N546/€1.
However, in Kano, the local currency traded flat against the Pound Sterling at N595/£1. It equally remained unchanged against the Dollar and Euro at N475/$1 and N548/€1 respectively.
In the same vein, the local currency traded flat against the Pound, Dollar and the Euro at the black market on Monday at N611/£1, N477/$1 and N552/€1 respectively.
Equally, at the interbank window of the market, the exchange rate of the Naira paired with the American Dollar remained stable yesterday at N381/$1.
This trend was extended to the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment of the market where the local currency was traded against the greenback at N386/$1, the same rate it was sold last Friday.
This was supported by the significant decrease in the demand for the greenback at the market segment yesterday, by 87.9 per cent or $52.44 million as only $7.20 million worth of transactions occurred in the session compared with the previous $59.64 million
Economy
Zichis Confirms Intention to Borrow from Capital Market
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the newest members of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Zichis Agro-Allied Industries Plc, has confirmed its intention to approach the capital market to raise funds, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.
However, it denied reports suggesting it’s “set to undertake an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or related capital raising activity.”
In a notice on Monday, the firm affirmed proposing “to seek shareholders’ approval at its forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) to raise additional capital, which may be through equity, debt, or a combination of both, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions.”
“At this stage, the structure, timing, and details of any such capital raising have not been finalised, and no specific transaction has been concluded,” a part of the statement signed by the company secretary, Solomon Itsede, stressed.
Zichis expressed its commitment to upholding “the highest standards of corporate governance, transparency, and timely disclosure.”
“Accordingly, any material corporate actions or capital market activities will be formally communicated through the appropriate regulatory channels,” it said, advising shareholders and the investing public “to rely solely on official disclosures and filings made by the company through the NGX and other authorised regulatory platforms when making investment decisions.”
Zichis welcomed the “continued interest of investors and market participants in its operations and performance,” promising to remain focused on delivering sustainable value through disciplined strategic execution.
It also lauded the continued support of its shareholders, saying it remains committed to maintaining transparency in all its communications.
Economy
NERC Orders Transparent Reporting of Transmission Loss Factors
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a directive to ensure transparency in reporting the Regional Electricity Transmission Loss Factor, as it remains above the 7 per cent threshold.
In a public notice posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the order, contained in No. NERC/2026/026 is aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s power grid through enhanced reporting of Regional Transmission Loss Factors (TLF).
The regulator disclosed that the order is backed by the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which enables the commission to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the power sector.
According to the statement, the Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicate that the national average TLF was 8.71 per cent in 2024 but was reduced to 7.24 per cent in 2025.
The statement added that the report exceeds the 7 per cent benchmark approved by NERC in the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).
The statement reads, “The Order dated 8 April 2026 establishes a formal framework for reporting transmission losses across regions operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“Taking effect from 13 April 2026, the Order is backed by provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, which empower NERC to regulate, monitor, and ensure efficiency in the electricity market.”
The directive reads, “NISO to install smart meters at all boundary regional interconnection points by December 2026 to accurately measure energy flows for each region of the transmission network.
“NISO to measure and document all energy flow of power transformers at transmission substations.
“NISO to file quarterly reports on TLF to NERC on a regional basis.”
It added, “TCN to file an action plan by July 2026 on the reduction of TLF to a value within the 7 per cent approved benchmarks in the regions.
“TCN to ensure that TLF across transmission regions shall not exceed 6.5 per cent by December 2026.”
NERC concluded that the order is designed to strengthen accountability in transmission operations and support better grid performance through structured loss reporting.
Economy
Dangote Refinery Plans Cross-border Listing of Shares
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian businessman, Mr Aliko Dangote, is planning to list shares of his $20 billion oil refinery on multiple African stock exchanges.
The landmark cross-border public offering on the continent was disclosed by the chief executive of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Mr Frank Mwiti, following a meeting held last week in Lagos between Mr Dangote and several heads of African exchanges.
Last year, Mr Dangote unveiled plans to list a 10 per cent stake in his Lagos-based refinery on the Nigerian Exchange this year.
According to a Bloomberg report, citing an email from the chief executive of FirstCap, Mr Ukandu Ukandu, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Vetiva Advisory Services Limited, and FirstCap Limited have been appointed as advisers for the initial public offering of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
Mr Mwiti said the proposed listing is designed to cut across multiple markets and deepen investor participation across the continent.
“The plan is to structure a pan-African IPO,” he said.
Bloomberg also reported that a spokesman for the Dangote Group confirmed that discussions had taken place between Mr Dangote and exchange officials but declined to provide further details.
In February 2026, Mr Dangote said that the IPO could be launched within the next five months.
“But individually Nigerians too will have an opportunity in the next maximum four or five months, they will actually be able to buy their shares,” he said at the time.
He added that investors would have flexibility in how they receive returns.
“People will have a choice either to get their dividends in naira or to get their dividends in dollars because we earn in Dollars.”
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