Economy
AFEX Drives Investor Education in Agricultural Sector
By Adedapo Adesanya
AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited has announced plans to drive initiatives for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to promote investor education in a bid to help them make informed investment decisions as the sector continues to expand.
This is part of efforts aimed at ensuring that farmers and other relevant stakeholders in the commodities market are financially literate to harness opportunities in the capital market.
Part of the initiatives will involve knowledge-sharing sessions, video tutorials, one-on-one with financial experts, and detailed reports on commodity value chains, all of which will be incorporated into its technological platforms.
Speaking on this, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AFEX, Mr Ayodeji Balogun, noted that financially literate market participants stand a better chance of taking advantage of new opportunities in the capital market which directly drives up the level of activities and diversity in the market.
“Our vision is to grow our education campaigns into an open-source library of content for commodity exchanges in Africa,” Mr Balogun said in Abuja when the company joined the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to ring the bell for Financial Literacy to kick investment week in Nigeria.
“The content will span across membership procedure, market access, trading strategies, and community engagement, and will be accessible to investors at the click of a button,” he added at the event.
Addressing the topic of inclusion in the commodities market, Mr Balogun also revealed that in a bid to ensure a wider reach, the company operates in 600 communities with 60 technologically-run warehouses across 15 states servicing over 110,000 farmers who are currently registered with AFEX through their different cooperatives.
This, alongside some of the programmes the company offers, such as Input Finance, he explained, will go a long way in securitizing trade by helping farmers access loan bundles that improve mechanization and crop protection while also connecting them to off-takers interested in their products.
“As a member of AFEX as a farmer, you are sure that you can get the right financing and double/triple your yields in a year or two,” he said.
Mr Balogun also listed some of the commodities available for trade and investment currently include Maize, Sorghum, Rice, Cocoa, Ginger, and Soya Bean.
The Head, Registration, Exchanges, Market Infrastructure and Innovation, at SEC, Mr Emomotimi Agama, who represented the Executive Commissioner of the SEC at the event, reiterated the commission’s support and confidence in the work AFEX has and continues to do in the area of investment in the commodities’ sector.
“We aim to facilitate the dissemination of information about Nigeria’s capital market that provides investors with the critical knowledge required to make better decisions about investing in the market. We are happy that together with key stakeholders like AFEX we can facilitate this movement of financial literacy,” he said.
Calling for young Nigerians and also international investors to secure investments in agriculture before it’s too late, Mr Agama recognized the humongous opportunities available in the country’s commodity space in relation to its ever-growing population.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pre-registration training and examination for capital market operators (CMOs) for the second quarter of 2026 has been postponed.
Business Post gathered that the new date for the exercise is now Monday, June 15, 2026.
This information was disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through a circular on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The Nigerian capital market regulator stated that this postponement has also resulted in the extension of the deadline for registration to Friday, June 12, 2026.
In the notice today, the SEC expressed its regret for the inconvenience this action may cause operators, who had prepared for the initial date of the training and examination.
“Further to the recent circular on Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hereby informs all eligible applicants for the Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination that the commencement date has been postponed to Monday, June 15, 2026.
“Registration on the designated portal has also been extended to Friday, June 12, 2026. All other conditions contained in the circular remain unchanged.
“The commission regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding of all applicants,” the disclosure noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading healthcare firms in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new stocks absorbed into the stock market were 600 million units, raising the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 2,400,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
The fresh equities came from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share.
They were issued to existing investors on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Confirming the development, the regulator in a notice said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Fidson Healthcare Plc were on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson Healthcare Plc have now increased from 2,400,000,000 to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
This news will surely excite local contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less, as the federal government has approved their payments.
This approval for the disbursement was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
This followed a verification and reconciliation exercise designed to ensure only validated claims qualify for payment.
The beneficiaries cover contractors across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. The release of the funds is expected to enable contractors to return to project sites, pay workers, settle suppliers and meet outstanding financial commitments.
In an announcement on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Finance also said this latest batch of payments would ease liquidity pressure on small businesses and accelerate economic activity nationwide.
It was noted that the payments for verified claims of N100 million below were strategically done to spread economic impact broadly rather than concentrate disbursements among a handful of large firms.
The payments form part of a broader push to clear inherited contractor obligations, with over N700 billion verified in recent months.
“For many beneficiaries, the release of funds represents more than a financial transaction. It provides the certainty needed to sustain operations, preserve jobs, complete ongoing projects, and contribute to economic recovery and growth,” the ministry said in a statement.
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