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Oil Prices Gain 5% After Omicron Induced Crash

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oil prices driving up Trump

By Adedapo Adesanya

Oil prices returned to the bullish territory on Monday amid news of lockdown plans in Europe following the emergence of a new coronavirus variant.

The global crude benchmark, Brent crude, rose by 5.2 per cent or $3.64 to settle at $73.52 per barrel, while the United States West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 5.4 per cent or $3.58 to trade at $69.84 per barrel.

Crude oil recorded six consecutive weeks of losses which worsened in the last week of November as a result of a 15 per cent decline.

The shrinkage was caused by the combination of the emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) release news, and more oil coming from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) after the group agreed to stick to its output addition agreement in January as well.

On the Omicron front, reports in South Africa said cases there had only shown mild symptoms, putting ease to comments made at the onset by the World Health Organization (WHO) that it could be more resistant to vaccines thanks to its mutations.

Meanwhile, the US government said on Monday that the country’s ban on foreign nationals entering the country from eight southern African countries is something President Joe Biden’s public health advisers reconsider daily.

Prior to this, one of the market leaders, Saudi Arabia signalled optimism about the demand by hiking its official January crude oil selling prices for Asia and the United States—its biggest markets.

The Saudis raised the price of flagship Arab Light for Asia by $0.60 per barrel from December to a premium of $3.30 over the Dubai/Oman spread.

The OPEC+ group last week decided to continue increasing monthly supply by 400,000 barrels per day in January, even after a slide in prices driven by Omicron concerns.

Prices were also supported by diminishing prospects of a rise in Iranian oil exports after indirect US-Iranian talks on saving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal broke off last week.

In addition, Iraq’s Oil Minister, Mr Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar, gave a bullish outlook to the market noting that he expects oil prices to reach over $75.

He added that OPEC is trying to “positively contain” the energy market after recent headwinds.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

Economy

Lagos Lists N230bn Series 4 10-Year Bond on Stock Exchange

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Lagos N230bn Series 4 10-Year Bond

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The N230 billion 10-year bond issued to investors by the Lagos State government has been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

It was the Series 4 of the state government’s N1 trillion Debt and Hybrid Instruments Issuance Programme, which was sold at a coupon rate of 16.25 per cent.

It was offered for sale to bondholders in November 2025, with Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited as the leading issuing house and bookrunner.

The joint issuing houses and bookrunners were Asset & Resources Management Limited, Capital Bancorp Plc, Cardinal Stone Partners Limited, Cedrus Capital Limited, Comercio Partners Capital Limited, Cordros Advisory Services Limited, Coronation Merchant Bank Limited, Dynamic Portfolio Limited, FCMB Capital Markets Limited, FCSL Asset Management Company Limited, FirstCap Limited, G.A. Capital Limited, LeadCapital Plc, Light House Capital Limited, Phoenix Global Capital Markets Limited, Quantum Zenith Capital and Investments Limited, Radix Capital Partners Limited, SFS Financial Services Limited, Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, United Capital Plc, and, Vetiva Advisory Services Limited.

The debt instruments are callable at par after 60 months, on any coupon payment date, subject to the issuer having obtained prior regulatory approvals and upon issuance of the requisite notice to bondholders.

Business Post reports that the bond was sold at a unit price of N1,000, with the interest to be paid to investors on every May 20 and November 20 until maturity.

According to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, proceeds from the exercise would be used for critical infrastructure in transportation, housing, the environment, healthcare, education, urban renewal, and the provision of other sustainable infrastructure that would serve the future needs of the state.

The listing of the debt instrument on the stock exchange today, Monday, February 9, 2026, allows investors to trade the bond at the secondary market.

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Economy

CBN to Begin 304th MPC Meeting February 23

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CBN MPC meeting rate

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced plans to hold its 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Monday, February 23 and Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

This information was disclosed in a circular published on the apex bank’s official website on Monday. This will be the first meeting of 2026.

The gathering comes amid sustained efforts by the CBN to rein in inflation, stabilise the foreign exchange market, and strengthen macroeconomic conditions.

At its last MPC meeting in November 2025, the central bank retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27 per cent, maintaining its restrictive posture in a bid to curb inflationary pressures and stabilise the foreign exchange (FX) market.

The MPC is one of the bank’s highest policy-making bodies, responsible for formulating monetary and credit policies aimed at ensuring price stability.

Through key instruments such as the MPR, Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), and Liquidity Ratio (LR), the committee guides interest rate conditions and overall monetary direction in the economy.

Comprising the CBN Governor, Deputy Governors, Board members, and appointed external members, the committee meets periodically to review critical economic indicators, including inflation, gross domestic product, and exchange rate developments, before taking policy decisions.

The apex bank outlined the timetable and venue in its official notice.

“The 304th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled to hold as follows,” the CBN said.

“Day 1: Monday, February 23, 2026 – Time: 10.00 a.m.”

“Day 2: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – Time: 8.00 a.m.”

According to the circular, the meeting will take place at the MPC Meeting Room on the 11th floor of the CBN Head Office in Abuja.

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Economy

NGX Lifts Suspension on Fortis Global Insurance

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Fortis Global Insurance

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The suspension placed on trading in the shares of Fortis Global Insurance Plc has been lifted by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited after six years.

The embargo arose from the company’s violation of Rule 3.1: Rules for Filing of Accounts and Treatment of Default Filing (Default Filing Rules).

The underwriting firm, formerly known as Standard Alliance Insurance Plc, was suspended by the exchange on July 2, 2019, after the board failed to file the necessary financial statements.

Rule 3.1 provides that if an issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the cure period, the exchange will: a) send to the issuer a second filing deficiency notification within two business days after the end of the cure period, b) suspend trading in the issuer’s securities, and c) notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the market within 24 hours of the suspension.

A notice from the bourse last week disclosed that the company has now filed all outstanding financial statements due to the NGX, and in view of this, the embargo has been lifted pursuant to Rule 3.3 of the Default Filing Rules.

This section states that, “The suspension of trading in the issuer’s securities shall be lifted upon submission of the relevant accounts, provided the exchange is satisfied that the accounts comply with all applicable rules of the exchange.

“The exchange shall thereafter also announce through the medium by which the public and the SEC were initially notified of the suspension, that the suspension has been lifted.”

The bourse informed trading license holders and the investing public “that the suspension placed on trading on the shares of Fortis Global Insurance was lifted on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.”

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