Economy
2017 Budget: CBN to Spend N10b on Lunch, Others

By Taiwo Adisa
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to spend the sum of N3 billion to buy lunch and another N7.029 billion on other allowances for its officials at the end of the 2016 Fiscal year, the bank’s 2017 budget already approved by the Committees on Banking in the National Assembly has revealed.
The budget, submitted to the National Assembly in July, had experienced some delays in passage, but a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on banking and other financial institutions had recommended the approval of a N408.8 billion budget for 2017 in 2016.
Though the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 mandated the CBN and other revenue making agencies to submit their budgets for appropriation by the National Assembly, the apex bank had resisted the process until President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded the budgets of the agencies to the National Assembly in July.
Under the leadership of Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as CBN governor, the bank resisted the attempt to submit its budget to the National Assembly, claiming that the CBN Act indicated that its budget should be approved by the CBN Board.
But the National Assembly had insisted that while Section 6(3) of the CBN Act vested the approval of the budget on the CBN Board, Section 21(3) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 provided that the budget must be transmitted to the National Assembly for appropriation.
Details contained in the budget document also showed that the CBN expected an operating surplus of N12 billion in 2016. While it expects to spend the sum of N408.8 billion, it expects to make a total income of N420.7 billion.
The CBN, according to the approved budget, projected to make N34 billion from interests on foreign investment; the sum of N298.2 billion from interests on domestic investment; another N37 billion on interest on domestic loans and advances and the sum of N50 billion income from operational activities.
A breakdown of the expenses indicated that the apex bank would spend the sum of N80 billion on staff cost and N44 billion on administrative expenses, while operational expenses in general would cost N283.5 billion.
Besides the sum of N3 billion earmarked for lunch, the bank has also earmarked the sum of N9.4 billion for payment of 13th month bonus; another N6 billion for furniture allowance and another N7.9 billion as transportation allowances.

The document also indicated that the apex bank would spend the sum of N2.3 billion on medical allowances and the sum of N641 million as security guards expenses.
Further breakdown of the expenditure profile showed that the CBN would spend N27 billion on currency management and monetary operations ; another N150 billion on liquidity management; N50 billion as contribution to banking sector resolution; N3 billion on development expenses; N8.7 billion on strategic initiative; N40.4 billion on intervention projects and N4 billion as contingencies.
The budget document provided a list of over 60 intervention projects being undertaken by the CBN at the various universities and colleges at the cost of over N40 billion.
Intervention projects include the construction of Centre of Excellence at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus at the cost of N231 million; Centre of Excellence at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria(N530.3 million);Centre of Excellence at University of Ibadan(198.5 million); Hostel Block at NIPSS, Kuru (N676 million); Auditorium building at NIPSS, Kuru (N10.7 million); Construction of Science Laboratory at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (166 million); Centre of Excellence at the University of Lagos(N950 million); Centre of Excellence at Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (N872 million; Construction of Students’ Hostel at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus(N189 million);Development of Centre of Excellence at the University of Port Harcourt(N1.250 billion); provision of new facilities at Offa Grammar School, Kwara State(N2 billion); Construction of Office/lecture hall at Faculty of Arts, Environmental Sciences and Supply of equipment at the Kaduna State University, Kaduna (N404 million); projects at Administrative Staff College Badagry, Lagos(N1bn) and another project at Federal Medical Centre, Azare, Bauchi State at N800 million, among others.
The CBN also budgeted the sum of N760 million for rebuilding of Nyanya Motor Park, as well as the sum of N3.025 billion as intervention in public infrastructure in military barracks across the six geopolitical zones.
Other big-spending projects of the CBN included intervention projects in the six geopolitical zones put at N8.750 billion; intervention at the University of Abuja at N750 million; a N710 million project at Federal Treasury Academy, Orozo, FCT and another N5.7 billion project called International Convention Centre, Abuja.
http://tribuneonlineng.com/2017-budget-cbn-spend-n10bn-lunch-others/
Economy
Food Concepts Return NASD OTC Exchange to Danger Zone
By Adedapo Adesanya
Food Concepts Plc neutralized the gains recorded by three securities, returning the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange into the negative territory with a 0.27 per cent loss on Thursday, December 4.
Yesterday, the share price of the parent company of Chicken Republic and PieXpress declined by 34 Kobo to sell at N3.15 per unit compared with the previous day’s N3.49 per unit.
This shrank the market capitalisation of the OTC bourse by N5.72 billion to N2.136 billion from N2.142 trillion and weakened the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 9.57 points to 3,571.53 points from 3,581.10 points.
Business Post reports that Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc went down by 50 Kobo to N38.50 per share from N38.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained 29 Kobo to sell at N55.79 per unit versus N55.50 per unit, and Geo-Fluids Plc added 5 Kobo to close at N4.60 per share compared with Wednesday’s closing price of N4.55 per share.
Trading data indicated that the volume of securities recorded at the session surged by 6,885.3 per cent to 4.3 million units from the 61,570 units posted a day earlier, the value of securities increased by 10,301.7 per cent to N947.2 million from N3.3 million, and the number of deals went up by 146.7 per cent to 37 deals from the 15 deals achieved in the previous trading session.
At the close of business, Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc was the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with the sale of 5.8 billion units for N16.4 billion, trailed by Okitipupa Plc with 170.4 million units worth N8.0 billion, and Air Liquide Plc with 507.5 million units valued at N4.2 billion.
InfraCredit Plc also finished the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units transacted for N16.4 billion, followed by Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.2 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 536.9 million units traded for N524.9 million.
Economy
Investors Gain N97bn from Local Equity Market
By Dipo Olowookere
The upward trend witnessed at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited in recent sessions continued on Thursday as it further improved by 0.10 per cent.
This was despite investor sentiment turning bearish after the local equity market ended with 23 price gainers and 28 price gainers, indicating a negative market breadth index.
UAC Nigeria gained 10.00 per cent to finish at N88.00, Morison Industries appreciated by 9.94 per cent to N3.54, Ecobank rose by 8.53 per cent to N36.90, and Coronation Insurance grew by 8.47 per cent to N2.56.
On the flip side, Ellah Lakes depreciated by 10.00 per cent to N13.14, Eunisell Nigeria also shed 10.00 per cent to finish at N72.90, Transcorp Hotels slipped by 9.95 per cent to N157.50, Omatek shrank by 9.23 per cent to N1.18, and Guinea Insurance dipped by 8.46 per cent to N1.19.
Yesterday, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 152.28 points to 145,476.15 points from 145,323.87 points and the market capitalisation chalked up N97 billion to finish at N92.726 trillion compared with the previous day’s N92.629 trillion.
Customs Street was bubbling with activities on Thursday, though the trading volume and value slightly went down, according to data.
A total of 1.9 billion stocks worth N19.2 billion exchanged hands in 23,369 deals during the session versus the N2.3 billion valued at N21.0 billion traded in 21,513 deals a day earlier.
This showed that the number of deals increased by 8.63 per cent, the volume of transactions depleted by 17.39 per cent, and the value of trades decreased by 8.57 per cent.
For another trading day, eTranzact led the activity chart with 1.6 billion units sold for N6.4 billion, Fidelity Bank traded 31.0 million units worth N589.3 million, GTCO exchanged 28.3 million units valued at N2.5 billion, Zenith Bank transacted 27.1 million units for N1.6 billion, and Ecobank traded 21.9 million units worth N744.3 million.
Economy
Naira Loses 18 Kobo Against Dollar at Official Market, N5 at Black Market
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira marginally depreciated against the United States Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on Thursday, December 4 amid renewed forex pressure associated with December.
At the official market yesterday, the Nigerian currency lost 0.01 per cent or 18 Kobo against the Dollar to close at N1,447.83/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,447.65/$1.
It was not a different scenario with the local currency in the same market segment against the Pound Sterling as it further shed N15.43 to sell for N1,930.97/£1 versus Wednesday’s closing price of N1,925.08/£1 and declined against the Euro by 20 Kobo to finish at N1,688.74/€1 compared with the preceding session’s N1,688.54/€1.
Similarly, the Nigerian Naira lost N5 against the greenback in the black market to quote at N1,465/$1 compared with the previous day’s value of N1,460/$1 but closed flat against the Dollar at the GTBank FX counter at N1,453/$1.
Fluctuations in trading range is expected to continue during the festive season as traders expect the Nigerian currency to be stable, supported by intervention s by to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)in the face of steady dollar demand.
Support is also expected in coming weeks as seasonal activities, particularly the stylised “Detty December” festivities, will see inflows that will give the Naira a boost after it depreciated mildly last month, according to a new report.
“As the festive Detty December season intensifies, inbound travel, tourism spending, and diaspora inflows are expected to provide moderate support for FX liquidity,” analysts at the research unit of FMDA said in its latest monthly report for November.
Traders cited by Reuters expect that the Naira will trade within a band of N1,443-N1,450 next week, buoyed by improved FX interventions by the apex bank.
Meanwhile, the crypto market was down as the US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, core PCE, likely rose in September—moving in the wrong direction. However, volatility indices show no signs of major turbulence.
If the actual figure matches estimates, it would mark 55 straight months of inflation above the US central bank’s 2 per cent target. The sticky inflation would strengthen the hawkish policymakers, who are in favour of slower rate cuts.
Ripple (XRP) depreciated by 4.5 per cent to $2.08, Solana (SOL) went down by 3.8 per cent to $138.11, Litecoin (LTC) shrank by 3.1 per cent to $83.23, Dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 2.5 per cent to $0.1463, Cardano (ADA) declined by 2.1 per cent to $0.4368, Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.9 per cent to $91,975.45, Binance Coin (BNB) crumbled by 0.9 per cent to $899.41, and Ethereum (ETH) dropped by 0.7 per cent to $3,156.44, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 apiece.
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