By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The rating of a money market fund managed by EDC Fund Management Limited, a subsidiary of Ecobank Group, EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund, has been upgraded by Agusto & Co.
The pan-African credit rating agency raised the rating of the fund, which was launched in February 2017, to A(f) for having low to moderate exposure to downside risk, and impairment of net asset value in the medium term.
In its latest rating assessment report, which covers the review period of August 2021 – August 2022, Agusto attributed the impressive performance to the fund’s improved adherence to established guidelines, particularly in periods of significant asset growth as well as low exposure to credit and interest rate risks, adding that the rating also reflects the adequate internal credit assessments conducted on proposed counterparties and automated pre and post-trade checks.
The rating agency noted that, “Overall, we considered EDC MMF’s exposure to credit and interest risk to be low.
“Its exposure to liquidity risk is also low to moderate the Fund’s investment. Risk management processes are adequate for the fund’s operational level, and it is growing net assets despite uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment.”
The high rating for EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund comes despite the nation’s weakening macroeconomic environment, has the potential to heighten risk exposures and pressure investment performance, the report stated. It also identified challenges such as persistent depreciation of the nation’s Naira and high inflationary trends that would make holding investments in local currency unattractive and impact the positive returns to unitholders.
Commenting, Mrs Oluwayemisi Ogunmola, Managing Director of EDC Fund Management Limited, expressed excitement over the positive rating after a holistic assessment of its operations by the globally recognized credit rating agency. She restated EDC’s commitment to ensure the Fund becomes the most preferred investment channel in the industry.
“This positive rating attests to the structures we have in place. Our remarkable performance in all the key rating indices shows that we are on the right path.
“We will continue to adhere to stipulated guidelines and regulatory requirements, settle redemption requests within 24-48 hours and make positive returns to unitholders despite the current harsh operating environment,” she stated.
EDC Fund Management is the investment management subsidiary of Ecobank Development Corporation, which was established in 2012 and licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to carry out fund and portfolio management activities in Nigeria.
The firm provides a broad range of advisory services, including privatisation, mergers and acquisitions, structured trade financing, underwriting and syndication to sectors such as telecommunications, mining, transportation, power, oil and gas, construction and manufacturing.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya