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83.7% Dividend Payout Ratio Excites Shareholders of CSCS

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Shareholders of CSCS

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Shareholders of the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc have expressed pleasure over the decision of the board of the company to pay a cash reward to them for the 2021 financial year.

On Friday, May 6, 2022, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, shareholders of CSCS gathered for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the board presented the payment of a dividend of N3.7 billion to them for approval.

The amount translates to an 83.7 per cent payout ratio, reflecting the resilient profitability of the organisation despite the impact of lower trading activity on most exchanges in the Nigerian capital market and inflationary pressures.

The investors were happy with the payment, commending the board and the management of CSCS for an incredible performance in the midst of the challenging operating environment.

Chairman of CSCS, Mr Oscar Onyema, while addressing the shareholders at the meeting, stated that, “Notwithstanding the volatile operating environment and moderated capital flows, as reflected in the subdued capital market activities, the earnings fundamentals of your company remained resilient and indeed stronger than ever.

“This fact is evident in the impressive revenue growth of 39.2 per cent, driven by stellar growth in ancillary income. The equity market recorded one of the weakest secondary market activities in the past few years, with the average daily trade value of N3.9 billion, some 10 per cent below the trading activity recorded in the 2020 financial year, explaining the tepid transaction fees.

“Albeit income from ancillary services recorded a significant boost, contributing N2.2 billion or 21.5 per cent of total income in 2021 FY, from N526 million or 11.3 per cent of total income in 2020FY.

“This performance reinforces the capacity of the management in delivering on the board’s vision result of diversifying the business and enhancing the value accretion prospect to shareholders in a sustainable manner.

“More importantly, my colleagues and I on the board of your company are excited at the prospect of new offerings arising from strategic partnerships and new initiatives.

“In our oversight role, we are working with the management to invest relevant resources towards exploring new frontiers for growth, especially as these initiatives are expected to foster retail investor penetration and broader capital market growth.”

While commenting on the outlook for the business, the Chairman noted: “typical of a pre-election year, 2022 comes with its unique macro challenges but I am optimistic on the earnings capacity and overall resilience of our business as we hope to consolidate on the strong foundations and extract synergies opportunities with our participants and partners in sustaining the positive trajectory of the business.

“Hence, with the support of shareholders and other stakeholders, CSCS would continue to deliver superior performance and create wealth for shareholders.”

In the same vein, the chief executive of the firm, Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, said; “Reflecting the ingenuity of our participants and more importantly quick adoption of new remote access technologies, the Nigerian capital market remained active through the prolonged COVID-19 crisis. The collaboration of our regulator and participants has been incredible in sustaining our operational protocols and IOSCO PFMI standards.

“Though clearing and settlement activity waned by 10.2 per cent due to lower participation of foreign investors in the Nigerian equity market and a host of macro challenges, we are excited at the growth in our depository assets by 6.1 per cent to N23.0 trillion, reflecting new listings of securities across our multiple exchange partners as well as issuers’ and investors’ confidence in the safety and secured accessibility of our systems.

Continuing, Mr Jalo-Waziri said: “Despite the average inflation rate of 17.0 per cent during the year, we sustained our cost efficiency strategy, leading to a 1.6 per cent decline in operating expenses.

“Overall, we achieved N5.8 billion and N4.4 billion profit before tax and profit after tax respectively, underpinning the resilience of the business and commitment of my colleagues and me in delivering on our pledge to sustainably create value for shareholders and our broader ecosystem.

“It has been 25 years of meritorious service, as the infrastructure for the Nigerian capital market. We have pioneered a number of initiatives and efficiencies in the market and have enjoyed the best collaborative engagements with different stakeholders.

“Whilst we relish our progress working with other stakeholders in transforming the Nigerian capital market, we reckon there is a long way to go in bridging the gap towards our aspiration of positioning the Nigerian capital market as the hub of securities services in Africa and one of the leading capital markets, globally.

“To this end, we have reinvigorated our strategic thrust with the development of a medium-term playbook that would enhance our capabilities in executing new initiatives towards deepening the Nigerian capital market and strengthening our business growth frontiers for the mutual prosperity of all our stakeholders.”

In the year under consideration, the organisation achieved its diversification drive with the ultimate objective of creating sustainable and superior wealth for shareholders and its broader stakeholders.

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Economy

All On Invests $1m in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited to Strengthen Cold-Chain Infrastructure in Off-Grid Markets

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All One Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited

All On, an impact investing company focused on expanding access to renewable energy solutions in Nigeria, has announced a $1 million investment in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, a provider of solar-powered refrigeration and cold chain infrastructure.

The investment will support Eja-Ice’s manufacturing and operational scale-up as the company enters its next phase of growth. It is expected to enable the expansion of its cold-chain solutions and improve access to reliable cooling services for households, small businesses, and institutions operating in off-grid and weak-grid environments.

Access to dependable cold storage remains a significant constraint across Nigeria, particularly in coastal and rural communities where limited energy infrastructure contributes to post-harvest losses and income instability for small-scale agro-producers.

By delivering energy-efficient refrigeration systems, Eja-Ice is helping to address these challenges while supporting the preservation of perishable goods and strengthening local value chains.

“All On’s investment in Eja-Ice reflects our approach of supporting solutions that improve energy access while enhancing livelihoods, reducing costs, and enabling businesses to grow. Strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is an important step towards building more resilient local economies and expanding opportunities in underserved markets,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou, commented on the investment.

Eja-Ice’s integrated cold-chain model allows for greater control over product design, operational efficiency, and service delivery, ensuring that its solutions are tailored to the needs of underserved markets. The company’s systems are already supporting micro enterprises, cooperatives, and community-level infrastructure, particularly in areas where reliable electricity remains limited.

Also commenting, the founder and chief executive of Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, Mr Yusuf Bilesanmi, said, “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses with products designed, assembled, and optimised right here on the continent. It’s not just about access to electricity—it’s about dignity, productivity, and opportunity for the over 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who are still off-grid.”

Through this investment, All On continues to advance its mission of closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by supporting the renewable energy ecosystem and businesses that deliver sustainable, market-driven solutions.

All One Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited $1m

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Economy

First Holdco Lists N45bn Private Placement Shares on Stock Exchange

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first holdco subsidiaries

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Shares of First Holdco Plc worth N45.0 billion issued through a private placement have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

A circular issued by the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of the NGX Regulation Limited, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, disclosed that the equities were admitted for trading at the stock market on Monday.

According to the notice, the additional shares brought for listing to rank pari passu with existing shares of the organisation were 1,021,334,544 units.

These stocks were sold to one of the company’s major shareholders at a unit price of N44.06, amounting to N45.0 billion.

The total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco, as a result of this listing, are now 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.

“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of First Holdco Plc were on Monday, June 22, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.

“The additional shares listed on NGX arose from the company’s private placement of 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N44.06 per share.

“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc have now increased to 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 44,453,693,133 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” the disclosure stated.

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Economy

AA Rano, Nipco, Matrix, Others Secure Q3 Petrol Import Permits

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Petrol Import Bill

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved fresh import licences for petrol and diesel for the third quarter of 2026 (July – September) to prevent potential supply shortages in the domestic market.

According to a report by global energy intelligence firm, Argus Media, the latest approvals were issued to major downstream operators amid declining fuel stock levels and concerns over reduced petrol production at the 700,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.

The move comes as Nigeria continues to balance increasing local refining capacity with the need to guarantee adequate supplies of petroleum products across the country.

According to the Argus report, domestic firms, including AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono Energy, Nipco, Matrix Energy and Pinnacle Oil, received permits to import Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, during the July-September period.

The publication further reported that the same companies, with the exception of Nipco, were granted approvals to import Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel. The fresh approvals follow an earlier batch of petrol import permits issued by the regulator in May, covering about 720,000 metric tonnes.

Quoting a regulatory source, Argus noted that many of the companies granted the latest approvals were among those that had received permits in previous rounds. “These are some of the same ones that previously received the PMS permits,” the source was quoted as saying.

It was also claimed that AA Rano and Matrix Energy each received approvals to import 180,000 metric tonnes of petrol. AYM Shafa received approval for 120,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle Oil received a permit covering 150,000 metric tonnes.

For diesel imports, Argus reported that AYM Shafa obtained a permit for 60,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle secured approval for 45,000 metric tonnes. The report stated that the import approvals were issued only recently, after being delayed from an initial target date of June 15.

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