Economy
27% of Nigerian Adults Financially Healthy, 34% Vulnerable—Report
By Adedapo Adesanya
The latest report from Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) has revealed that only 27 per cent of adults in Nigeria are financially healthy.
Business Post reports that financial health is reached when someone has funds in place to meet his short, mid and long-term needs and this could be in terms of income, savings and retirement planning.
In a survey titled The EFInA Access to Financial Services in Nigeria 2020, it was also revealed that 39 per cent of Nigerian adults are financially coping, while 34 per cent are financially vulnerable.
“Nigerians require a range of useful, affordable, and accessible financial services to meet all of their needs.
“Many Nigerian adults continue to rely on different types of providers to meet those needs; while the use of banks increased in 2020, so did the use of unregulated services such as savings groups and village associations,” the CEO of EFInA, Ms Ashley Immanuel, said at the presentation of the report.
It was also noted in the report that Nigeria, which prides itself as Africa’s largest economy, is lagging behind in its target for financial inclusion strategy for 2020, though it said more Nigerian adults are financially included, the National Financial Inclusion Strategy targets were not met.
The method points to strategies used to sets targets for overall financial inclusion, which counts Nigerians that use either formal financial services or informal financial services not nationally regulated, such as savings groups.
The report noted that, “Growth in digital financial services and agent banking highlights opportunities to drive faster progress toward financial inclusion, particularly for excluded groups such as women, rural and Northern Nigerians.
“For the first time, more than half of Nigerian adults are using formal (regulated) financial services.”
The report explained that 51 per cent of Nigerian adults use commercial banks, microfinance banks, mobile money, insurance, or pension accounts, up from 49 per cent in 2018.
“This has largely been driven by growth in banking, with 45 per cent of Nigerians banked in 2020, up from 40 per cent in 2018.
“The overall financial inclusion target was 80 per cent by 2020; EFInA data shows that only 64 per cent of Nigerian adults were financially included by the end of 2020.
“This means that 36 per cent of Nigerian adults, or 38 million adults, remain completely financially excluded.
“In addition, large gaps in financial access remain for some of Nigeria’s most financially excluded groups,” it said.
By gender inclusion, the report showed that women continue to be more financially excluded than men, with only 45 per cent of women using formal financial services, compared with 56 per cent of men.
“Adults in Northern Nigeria continue to be significantly more financially excluded than those in the southern zones, and rural adults are still more excluded than those in urban areas.
Young adults, between the ages of 18-25, are significantly more likely than older adults to be financially excluded.”
While further commenting on the report, Ms Immanuel disclosed that “At our current rate of progress, we will not reach the 2020 financial inclusion targets until around 2030.
“However, we can reach these targets much faster if we follow paths taken by other African countries that have seen rapid financial inclusion growth due to mobile money.
“EFInA’s Access to Financial Services in Nigeria Surveys show that the use of digital financial services and agent networks started to grow significantly between 2018 and 2020. Phone ownership has also increased, with 81 per cent of Nigerians now owning mobile phones.
“Now is the time to build on this initial progress and drive faster financial inclusion growth through digital financial services such as mobile money.
“We can do this by creating an open and the level playing field for a wide range of providers, creating the right environment for fintech to thrive, and encouraging partnerships between different providers.”
She explained further that financial inclusion can benefit individuals, families, and businesses, supporting key outcomes such as GDP growth.
The EFInA Access to Financial Services in Nigeria Survey highlights a significant market opportunity for financial service providers to address Nigerians’ financial needs.
It was noted that only 2 per cent of Nigerian adults are insured, but 18 million uninsured adults say they would be interested in micro-insurance.
Only 7 per cent of Nigerian adults have pension accounts, but 24 million adults without pensions are making regular savings for their retirement. While only 45 per cent of Nigerians are banked, 35 million unbanked Nigerians own mobile phones and could be reached with mobile money.
Mrs Gail Warrander, Economic Development Team Leader, Nigeria for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, remarked that “The EFInA Access to Financial Services in Nigeria 2020 Survey shows that Nigeria has made progress on financial inclusion but there’s still a way to go.
“The report models how the journey to the financial inclusion goal can be speeded up by encouraging the scale-up of mobile money.
“I firmly believe that the majority of those excluded, especially women and youth, could then enjoy the convenience of financial services, including using remote payments systems.
“This survey is full of rich data for policymakers, development partners and financial services companies to use,” she said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability (FSS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs Aishah Ahmad, noted that “financial inclusion is a strong lever for bridging income inequality, combating poverty and preserving social harmony.
“The CBN has accordingly been at the forefront of the efforts to drive financial inclusion in Nigeria by championing the development & implementation of Nigeria’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy led by the CBN Governor.”
The Deputy Governor and Chair of the Financial Inclusion Technical Committee stated that “Despite the progress achieved to date, critical groups remained excluded including women, rural dwellers and citizens in the northern area.
“To address the issue with women, CBN launched a Framework for Advancing Women’s Financial Inclusion in Nigeria in 2020 and is leading the industry to implement the framework, which we expect to lead to a significant increase in women financial inclusion in Nigeria.”
By Dipo Olowookere
The week-on-week trading volume on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited contracted by 38 per cent amid profit-taking by investors as a result of cautious trading.
Data from Customs Street showed that in the five-day trading week, market participants transacted 3.075 billion shares worth N254.614 billion in 287,157 deals, in contrast to the 4.964 billion shares valued at N207.521 billion traded in 235,966 deals in the preceding week.
Analysis showed that financial equities led the activity chart, with 2.074 billion units sold for N64.490 billion in 121,981 deals, contributing 67.44 per cent and 25.33 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Services stocks recorded a turnover of 175.743 million units worth N2.759 billion in 19,590 deals, while consumer goods shares exchanged 133.375 million units valued at N12.680 billion in 30,730 deals.
Access Holdings, Sterling Holdings, and Jaiz Bank accounted for 819.234 million shares worth N12.247 billion in 21,809 deals, contributing 26.64 per cent and 4.81 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
In the week, 11 equities gained weight versus 40 equities a week earlier, 78 shares lost weight versus 53 shares in the previous week, and 57 stocks closed flat versus 53 stocks of the preceding week.
Cornerstone Insurance chalked up 11.01 per cent to sell for N6.05, Academy Press rose by 8.72 per cent to N8.10, Conoil improved by 8.25 per cent to N210.00, Neimeth expanded by 4.68 per cent to N8.95, and Ikeja Hotel grew by 3.36 per cent to N44.60.
On the flip side, International Energy Insurance shed 28.83 per cent to trade at N5.06, First Holdco lost 20.29 per cent to finish at N55.00, John Holt slipped by 17.65 per cent to N11.20, NAHCO depreciated by 17.27 per cent to N148.50, and Zichis dropped 16.13 per cent to settle at N26.00.
Business Post reports that the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation depreciated by 3.59 per cent to close the week at 235,941.27 points and N151.327 trillion, respectively. Also, all other indices finished lower except the sovereign bond index, which remained unchanged.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dimension Data SPV Funding Plc has opened subscriptions for its Series 1 Corporate Bond issuance of up to N5 billion under a N20 billion bond programme, with proceeds earmarked for expanding Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
The offer, led by Pathway Advisors Limited as the Lead Issuing House and Bookrunner, is being executed through a book-building process and will close on June 29, 2026.
According to transaction details, the three-year bond is being offered at a book-build price range of 18.50 per cent to 20.00 per cent per annum, with coupon payments to be made semi-annually. The final coupon rate will be determined at the conclusion of the book-building exercise. The minimum subscription has been set at N10 million.
Dimension Data SPV Funding Plc said the funds raised from the issuance would be deployed towards strategic investments in fibre network expansion, capacity enhancement and service quality improvements.
The company noted that the investments would strengthen the infrastructure supporting Nigeria’s rapidly expanding fintech sector, enterprise connectivity needs and the broader digital economy.
“The proceeds from the bond issuance are intended to support strategic investments in fibre network expansion, capacity enhancement and quality service delivery. This will bolster the critical infrastructure supporting Nigeria’s broader fintech, enterprise connectivity and digital ecosystems,” the company stated.
The bond has been assigned ratings of BBB+ by Agusto & Co and A- by DataPro Limited, while the sponsor, Dimension Data Limited, holds BBB+ ratings from both Agusto & Co and DataPro.
Dimension Data Limited, incorporated in 2003, is a provider of end-to-end Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions in Nigeria.
The company provides services including IP telephony, SD-WAN, dedicated internet services and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) solutions, while also offering managed services, hosting, storage and virtual machine solutions. Its operations span connectivity services, systems integration, data centre management and cloud solutions.
Dimension Data operates a purpose-built data centre with a 47-rack capacity, serving clients across the banking, telecommunications, retail and enterprise sectors.
According to the company, its business model combines recurring revenues from managed services with project-based income from systems integration activities, creating a diversified revenue base and stable cash flows.
The firm also said it has maintained long-standing relationships with a broad portfolio of local and multinational clients, with more than 70 per cent of its major customers retaining business relationships with the company for over a decade.
Commenting on the transaction, Pathway Advisors Limited said the offer presents investors with an opportunity to gain exposure to a critical infrastructure segment positioned for sustained long-term growth as Nigeria accelerates its digital transformation agenda.
Pathway Advisors, a Securities and Exchange Commission-regulated issuing house and financial advisory firm, said it remains committed to facilitating access to capital and supporting sustainable economic growth across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government says Nigeria’s solid minerals sector has attracted about $3 billion in investments over the past three years, driven by interests in lithium, gold and other strategic minerals.
The disclosure was made recently during a press briefing ahead of the 5th African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS), scheduled to hold from June 23 to 25, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, noting that the investments are being supported by policy changes introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aimed at repositioning the mining sector as a major contributor to economic diversification.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, who was represented at the briefing by the chief executive of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, Mr Martins Imonitie, said the inflow of $3 billion within three years was significant, given the capital-intensive and long development cycles typical of mining projects globally.
According to him, mineral development requires extensive geological studies, financing arrangements, and offtake agreements, meaning investment decisions are rarely immediate and often take years to materialise.
“For Nigeria to attract about $3bn in investments within this period is unprecedented and demonstrates growing confidence in the direction of reforms in the sector,” he said.
He noted that mining projects can take between 15 and 20 years to reach full commercial maturity, stressing that the sector demands long-term capital commitment rather than short-term returns.
“These investments cut across lithium, gold and several other minerals. More importantly, they signal what lies ahead for the sector in terms of sustained growth and global investor interest,” he added.
Mr Alake said the forthcoming AFNIS 2026 would focus on repositioning Africa from a raw materials exporter to a value-added industrial hub capable of driving job creation, technology transfer and inclusive growth.
He noted that Africa’s natural resource base must be leveraged not only for exports but for domestic industrialisation and long-term economic transformation.
“The significance of AFNIS 2026 goes beyond its fifth edition. It comes at a defining moment for Africa, as global demand for critical minerals continues to rise amid the energy transition,” he said.
He added that the summit’s theme, “One Africa, One Resource Vision,” reflects the need for stronger regional cooperation in developing mineral resources, energy infrastructure and integrated value chains.
According to him, isolated national approaches are no longer sufficient, given the scale of global demand and the need for competitive positioning in supply chains for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements.
Mr Alake also disclosed that the 2026 edition would place greater emphasis on implementation, with structured investment sessions, sovereign meetings, project financing discussions and deal-oriented engagements.
“The objective is clear: participants should leave Abuja with concrete partnerships, investment commitments and actionable projects that translate into jobs and economic growth,” he said.
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