Economy
Retirement Planning Specialist Urges Investors to Avoid Quick Returns
By Dipo Olowookere
A retirement planning expert, Ms Folashade Onanuga, has advised investors not to be tempted to invest in assets that offer quick returns as they wipe away their funds.
She gave this advice at the first virtual education summit organised by the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) themed Redefining Success in A Changing World.
During her presentation, she urged investors to consider diversifying their portfolio ahead of retirement as this would ease pressure on them when one asset class was doing badly.
“If you are planning for a good retirement, you must be able to distinguish between your needs and your wants right now.
“To retire well, you need money, you need assets and don’t put all of your assets in one basket, diversify. Always avoid the desire for quick returns and most importantly manage your health,” Ms Onanuga stated.
Another speaker at the conference, Ms Adetola Adegbayi, the Executive Director in charge of Corporate Services at Leadway Assurance, reminded the audience of the redefined place of women in the modern-day.
“Our society now requires and says women must come to the front and when they come to the front, they must be fearless, they must not say this is how things are done. They must be careful of dogmas, they must challenge everything.
“We have to see how we can create value and as we create that value, where we need to be, the ladder we need to step, the mountains we need to climb and the flag we need to fly on top of that mountain would obviously come,” she said.
On his part, a foremost Gambian Insurance expert, Mr Frederick Bowen John, while commenting on redefining insurance in Africa in the 21st century as well as gender diversity from an international perspective, highlighted the challenges facing insurance globally and in the African market and the possible solutions to address these challenges.
As for the CEO of Edumark Consult, Ms Yinka Ogunde, she detailed how professional women spoke can attain leadership positions and make a change.
“Preparation is very important if you want to get into the C-Suite. It is a place that requires extensive experience, proven impact, excellent leadership skills, strong management attributes and great problem-solving capacity, the vision to see what others see and before others see,” she submitted.
The president of PILA and MD/CEO of African Alliance Insurance Plc, Mrs Joyce Ojemudia, while setting the tone for the event, said, “As we all know, success, by its very essence is about meeting and exceeding set expectations.
“In this COVID-19 imposed new normal, the parameters for measuring success have become quite stricter. However, if there is one thing we all here have in common, it is that we are in the business of uncertainty being insurance practitioners.
“We, therefore, are supposed to naturally thrive in uncertainties due to our training and professional leanings. But you and I know this is usually not the case.
“It is with this at the back of our minds that PILA has put together this education summit to help us, reinvigorate us, remind us and indeed realign our thoughts towards success despite the uncertainties.”
The education summit organised by PILA was first held in 2002 as an educational seminar for women in insurance which later transformed into an international program where members would embark on an educational tour in an African country. This year’s summit was the association’s first virtual summit due to the restriction of COVID-19.
The event had other opinion leaders in the Nigerian insurance industry like Funmi Babington-Ashaye, MD/CEO, Risk Analyst Insurance Brokers; Adeyinka Adekoya, former MD/CEO, Coronation Insurance PLC and Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, MD/CEO, NSIA Insurance, amongst others in attendance.
By Dipo Olowookere
A 0.31 per cent gain was recorded by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Tuesday, helped by renewed bargain-hunting by investors, with the year-to-date return extending to 6.61 per cent.
It was observed that the growth achieved by Customs Street yesterday was supported by the banking and the industrial goods indices, which went up by 1.32 per cent and 0.69 per cent apiece.
They offset the losses recorded by the three other sectors, with the insurance counter down by 1.32 per cent, the consumer goods segment down by 0.23 per cent, and the energy space down by 0.17 per cent.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) increased by 516.94 points to 165,901.57 points from 165,384.63 points and the market capitalization appreciated by N333 billion to N106.495 trillion from N106.162 trillion.
The market breadth index was positive yesterday after the bourse ended with 35 price gainers and 34 price losers, representing bullish investor sentiment.
The quartet of Industrial and Medical Gases (IMG), Union Dicon, Zichis, and Austin Laz chalked up 10.00 per cent each to sell for N34.65, N9.90, N5.06, and N4.07, respectively, while RT Briscoe appreciated by 9.95 per cent to N9.50.
On the flip side, Omatek lost 10.00 per cent to trade at N2.43, Cutix also fell by 10.00 per cent to N3.15, Union Homes shrank by 9.95 per cent to N76.90, Sunu Assurances declined by 9.94 per cent to N4.62, and Deap Capital crashed by 9.93 per cent to N7.62.
During the trading day, 736.4 million stocks worth N24.7 billion exchanged hands in 46,026 deals compared with the 762.8 million stocks valued at N18.4 billion traded in 55,374 deals a day earlier, indicating a rise in the trading value by 34.24 per cent, and a slip in the trading volume and number of deals by 3.46 per cent and 16.88 per cent apiece.
The activity chart was led by volume on the second trading session of the week by GTCO with 65.9 million equities valued at N6.5 billion, Chams transacted 55.7 million shares worth N249.8 million, Custodian Investment traded 49.8 million stocks for N2.2 billion, Universal Insurance sold 36.1 million equities valued at N51.5 million, and Zenith Bank exchanged 35.4 million shares worth N2.6 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The oil market was up by nearly 2 per cent on Tuesday after the United States shot down an Iranian drone approaching an aircraft carrier and armed boats in the Strait of Hormuz, stoking concerns talks aimed at de-escalating US-Iran tensions could be disrupted.
This action caused the Brent futures to rise by $1.03 or 1.6 per cent to $67.33 per barrel, as the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures jumped by $1.07 or 1.7 per cent to $63.21 a barrel.
Both crude benchmarks dropped more than 4 per cent on Monday after President Donald Trump said Iran was seriously talking with America.
However, the US military shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday.
In the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Iranian gunboats approached a US-flagged oil tanker in what US and British maritime security sources describe as a failed attempt to interfere with the vessel’s transit.
Members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, remains Iran’s most obvious pressure point.
Despite the latest development, the UAE urged Iran and the US on Tuesday to use the resumption of nuclear talks this week to resolve a standoff that has led to mutual threats of air strikes. Iran, meanwhile, is demanding that talks be held in Oman not Turkey.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia on Tuesday of exploiting a US-backed energy truce to stockpile munitions, and using them to attack Ukraine a day before peace talks. This boosted worries that Russia’s oil would remain sanctioned for longer.
On Monday, President Trump announced a trade deal with India, one of the world’s biggest economies and oil importers, on Monday to cut tariffs to 18 per cent from 50 per cent in exchange for the country halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the US decreased by 11.1 million barrels in the week ending January 30. Crude oil inventories decreased by 247,000 barrels in the week prior.
Official data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be published later on Wednesday.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has reiterated its commitment to playing a pivotal role to support transformative reforms in Nigeria’s power sector.
This is as it act as co-Financial Adviser to the Nigerian government on the successful issuance of the recent N501 billion inaugural tranche under the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme (PPSFRP), as part of the N4 trillion Power Sector Bond Programme, aimed at resolving over a decade of legacy debt obligations in Nigeria’s electricity supply industry and restoring financial stability across the sector.
AFC provided comprehensive financial advisory services to the federal government, including the design of the Programme’s negotiation strategy framework, support in negotiating and executing Settlement Agreements with Power Generation Companies (GenCos), and structuring the bond issuance. Working in partnership with CardinalStone Partners as co-Financial Advisers, AFC deployed its deep sector expertise and strong local market knowledge to deliver the landmark transaction.
The programme was overseen by the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Committee (PPSDRC), with technical leadership from the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, and implemented through NBET Finance Company Plc, a special purpose vehicle of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET). Proceeds from the issuance will be used to settle verified, overdue receivables owed to GenCos for electricity supplied between February 2015 and March 2025, injecting liquidity into the power sector and extinguishing long-standing claims.
Commenting on AFC’s involvement, Mr Banji Fehintola, Executive Board Member and Head, Financial Services at Africa Finance Corporation, said: “The successful issuance of the inaugural tranche under the Power Sector Bond Programme underscores AFC’s commitment to supporting transformative reforms in Nigeria’s power sector. By resolving long-standing liquidity challenges and restoring confidence among investors and operators, this transaction lays the foundation for sustainable growth and improved electricity supply across the country.”
When fully implemented, the programme is expected to impact approximately 5,398MW of electricity generation capacity by Nigerian GenCos and finalise settlement for 290,644.84GWh of electricity billed since 2015. It will also strengthen companies serving about 12 million active registered customers, creating a solid platform for new investments in capacity enhancement and expansion.
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