Economy
Odu’a Investment Company Shareholders to Share N320m Dividend
By Adedapo Adesanya
Shareholders of Odu’a Investment Company Limited will take their share of N320 million in dividends payable for the financial year ended December 31, 2019, after granting approval at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, October 7.
This happened at the 38th AGM of the company which took place at the company’s head office, Cocoa House, Ibadan under strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols of the Nigerian government.
The shareholders also approved, among other resolutions, the group and holding company consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2019.
According to the group chairman, Odu’a Investment Company, Mr Segun Aina, the company’s profit before tax rose by 5 per cent to N889.71 million in the year under review from N849.34 million reported in 2018.
He explained that this came from the company’s budget monitoring processes, coupled with increased productivity and reduced operating costs.
“The prudence of management and its budget monitoring processes coupled with increased efficiency and productivity reduced operating costs and boosted profitability of the company in the year under review,” the chairman said.
He also said with substantial investment, it has paid N1.53 billion cumulative dividends since 2015 and also rolls out an ambitious five-year Strategic Plan 2021-2025.
The company, as part of its corporate governance reforms, also got shareholders’ approval for the appointment of two each Independent Directors and Group Executive Directors to strengthen the Board which now has 11 members.
Mr Aina added the board remained positive about the company’s future. He said, “the Board remains positive about the company’s future and will continue to work closely with the Management and provide the needed oversight, guidance and strategic direction.”
The company’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr Adewale Raji, backed up Mr Aina noting that despite the global and domestic economic challenges during the financial year that affected our revenue trajectory, the company managed to increase its PBT by 5 per cent compared to 2018.
He assured shareholders of better performance in ensuing years as the new board and the management team had at a recent strategy retreat mapped out a new course to deliver the audacious 5-year growth plan.
This entails consolidating on existing businesses and diversifying into high growth and profitable sectors of the economy to realize our strategic objectives of creating value for our shareholders and delivering social impact to the South West States.
The GMD spoke on some of the company’s new foray into the oil and gas upstream sector and agriculture with processing component. These include the group’s mechanized farm at Imeko, Ogun State, where 1,200 hectares of cassava is currently under cultivation with a technical partner that will feed into two 50 tonnes per day modular processing plants for the conversion of cassava tubers into High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) and High-Quality Cassava Starch (HQCS).
He also added that there are also renewed organic growth efforts at our Wemabod Limited (Real Estate) and Glanvill Enthoven Insurance Brokers & Pensions Consultants Ltd (Insurance Brokerage).
He emphasized on the group’s commitment to agricultural transformation to address food security, export earnings, job creation, accelerating industrialization and lifting the rural economy.
He disclosed that the group had recently incorporated South West Agriculture Company Limited (SWAgCo) to mid-wife the agriculture transformation of the South West strictly on sound private-sector principles and strategic partnerships.
This agric investment company has already identified focused food crops, cash crops, livestock and agriculture processing that will guide its investment decisions. SWAgCo will spin-off SPVs that will bring about profitable economic growth and social impact of job creation and lifting the rural economy of their locations.
Mr Raji concluded in his outlook for the future that the group will focus its strategy in critical essential sectors of the economy like food and manufacturing, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, logistics, ICT/digital, etc which are all well covered in the new 2021-2025 strategic plan.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange decreased by 0.53 per cent on a week-on-week basis in Week 17 of the 2025 trading year.
This depleted the market capitalisation of the bourse by N10.14 billion in the four-day trading week to N1.914 trillion from the N1.924 trillion recorded in the previous week and the NASD Unlisted Securities Index (NSI) slid by 17.32 points to 3,269.06 points from the 3,286.38 points posted in Week 16.
There were only four trading days last week due to the Easter break stretching into the new week, though the market witnessed a higher turnover.
The volume of securities bought and sold by the market participants soared by 293,055.9 per cent to 3.9 billion units from the 1.33 million units recorded a week earlier, and the value of shares skyrocketed by 33,661.6 per cent to N9.9 billion from the N29.35 million achieved in the preceding week.
The most traded security by value for the week was Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (InfraCredit) Plc with N9.5 billion, Geo-Fluids Plc recorded N355.4 million, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc traded N7.2 million, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc transacted N3.8 million, and Afriland Properties Plc posted N2.5 million.
Also, InfraCredit Plc was the most traded instrument by volume with 3.7 billion units, Geo-Fluids Plc transacted 207.7 million units, UBN Property Plc recorded 1.04 million units, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc traded 0.201 million units, and CSCS Plc exchanged 0.178 million units.
Five securities ended on the losers’ table, with FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc leading after shedding 6.0 per cent to end at N35.37 per share compared with the previous week’s N37.64 per share.
Further, 11 Plc fell by 3.8 per cent to close at N236.25 per unit versus N245.50 per unit, UBN Property Plc lost 3.2 per cent to trade at N2.10 per share versus N2.17 per share, CSCS Plc declined by 1.8 per cent to N21.71 per unit from N22.10 per unit, and Afriland Properties Plc slumped by 0.1 per cent to N17.78 per share from N17.80 per share.
By Dipo Olowookere
A total of 1.854 billion shares worth N56.025 billion were transacted in 51,386 deals at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited last week compared with the 1.525 billion shares valued at N43.006 billion traded a week earlier in 51,156 deals.
The market was opened for business in the week for four days because of the public holiday observed last Monday for Easter.
In the week, the financial services sector led the activity chart with 1.266 billion stocks valued at N29.400 billion exchanged in 24,351 deals, contributing 68.28 per cent and 52.48 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
The ICT industry followed with 136.707 million stocks worth N12.472 billion in 2,974 deals, and the consumer goods space traded 118.617 million equities for N4.415 billion in 5,869 deals.
The trio of Fidelity Bank, Access Holdings, and GTCO accounted for 797.873 million shares worth N22.043 billion in 8,618 deals, contributing 43.03 per cent and 39.34 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Business Post reports that 64 equities appreciated in the four-day trading week versus 31 equities in the previous week, 27 equities depreciated versus 44 equities in the previous week, and 57 equities remained unchanged versus 72 equities recorded in the previous week.
International Breweries topped the gainers’ log with a 40 per cent rise to settle at N7.70, NASCON appreciated by 26.22 per cent to N52.95, Africa Prudential expanded by 25.64 per cent to N17.15, Vitafoam Nigeria rose by 21.22 per cent to N44.85, and Ikeja Hotel jumped by 21.00 per cent to N12.10.
On the flip side, VFD Group topped the losers’ chart with a decline of 82.19 per cent to trade at N17.10, John Holt lost 18.60 per cent to finish at N6.30, Dangote Cement shed 10.00 per cent to close at N432.00, Tripple Gee crashed by 10.00 per cent to N1.98, and Haldane McCall depreciated by 9.96 per cent to N4.70.
The All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation appreciated by 1.46 per cent and 1.47 per cent each to close at 105,752.61 points and N66.465 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished higher apart from the premium, energy, industrial goods, growth and sovereign bond indices, which depreciated by 0.43 per cent, 0.07 per cent, 3.44 per cent, 0.41 per cent and 0.06 per cent, respectively.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has expressed its commitment to strengthening the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) ecosystem in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NECA, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, made the commitment while announcing the 2025 edition of the flagship MSMEs Fair scheduled to hold on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at NECA House, Alausa, Lagos.
Mr Oyerinde said MSMEs are the lifeblood of the economy, noting that the Fair is designed to empower them with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to thrive.
This year’s Fair will feature a keynote address by Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, CEO of FATE Foundation, a leading organization in enterprise development. Her address is expected to highlight innovative approaches to MSME sustainability and growth in Nigeria’s dynamic economy.
A major highlight of the fair will be the presence of key regulatory agencies, which will engage directly with entrepreneurs to address critical pain points around licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration. This regulatory dialogue aims to demystify bureaucratic processes and promote a more enabling environment for enterprise development.
Themed Galvanizing MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability, the event will bring together financiers, tech experts, regulators, and business leaders to offer practical insights, strategic guidance, and real-time business support to participants. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to exhibit their products and services, engage with potential investors, and connect with stakeholders across various sectors.
The fair will also feature exhibitions by entrepreneur across sectors, which will give them the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the public.
The programme offers entrepreneurs a platform to be enlightened on business development strategies, digital transformation, access to finance, and market expansion—equipping MSMEs with actionable knowledge for long-term success.
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