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Capital Market Activity Should Align With National Economic Agenda—Kwairanga

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Umaru Kwairanga

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The chairman of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, Mr Umaru Kwairanga, has joined others to call for a unified action on capital formation.

At the 2025 Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) National Workshop held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he stressed the importance of aligning capital market activity with the broader national economic agenda.

Mr Kwairanga also underscored the market’s role in financing infrastructure, supporting enterprise, and attracting both local and foreign investment as Nigeria pursues sustainable growth.

This view was also shared by the chief executive of the exchange, Mr Temi Popoola, who urged stakeholders to align their efforts toward building a market capable of mobilizing long-term capital and advancing Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy aspiration.

He described the market’s recent resurgence as a direct outcome of deliberate reforms, improved macroeconomic signals, and technological advancements across market infrastructure.

While acknowledging the momentum, he stressed that sustaining progress would require coordinated action among industry players, regulators, and policymakers to strengthen industries, empower institutions, and deepen market structures.

“The capital market stands at a pivotal point in Nigeria’s economic journey and with deliberate reforms and a strong regulatory environment, we have an opportunity to position the market as a key enabler of long-term capital formation, one that supports industries, empowers institutions, and scales our economy to new heights,” he submitted.

Mr Popoola highlighted NGX Invest, a platform designed to simplify market access for investors and issuers, which has already facilitated over N2 trillion in primary market transactions.

This, he noted, reflects growing confidence in the market and demonstrates what can be achieved when industry players, regulators, and institutions work in concert.

“These achievements are testament to what is possible when market operators, professionals, and institutions pull in the same direction,” Mr Popoola remarked, adding that stockbrokers play an indispensable role in product innovation, investor education, and expanding access to the capital markets.

On his part, the chairman of the Council of CIS, Mr Oluropo Dada, affirmed the institute’s commitment to fostering professionalism and integrity within the capital market, noting that a resilient and ethical market is critical to sustaining investor confidence and deepening participation.

Also, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, underscored the agency’s role in enabling capital formation as a core mandate of the market.

“Beyond investor protection and market development, our responsibility is to build a market where we can pool resources to power national growth. A $1 trillion economy may be a tall order, but with deliberate effort and the right structures, it is within reach,” Mr Agama stated, stressing that achieving this target will depend on collaborative effort across all segments of the financial market ecosystem.

On her part, the Minister of State for Finance, Ms Doris Anite, underscored the administration’s recognition of the capital market as a critical partner in financing national development.

“If we are to meet our ambitious targets, we must expand access to long-term capital, foster investor confidence, reinforce institutional frameworks, and above all, forge stronger linkages between capital markets and the real economy,” she stated, reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to working with stakeholders to streamline policies, deepen the fixed-income market, and expand access to green and impact finance instruments.

Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Mr Tope Fasua, lauded the capital market’s recent performance, noting that the surge in market capitalization reflects renewed investor confidence and the early impact of bold reforms, calling on stakeholders to maintain momentum through innovation, policy advocacy, and ethical market conduct.

“The journey to a $1 trillion economy is ambitious, but it is achievable. It requires sustained commitment, collaborative effort, and a shared vision from all stakeholders, government, regulators, market operators, and investors,” Mr Fasua said.

The workshop served as a platform for aligning the perspectives of industry leaders, regulators, and policymakers on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s capital market as a cornerstone of economic expansion.

As the country pursues its ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy, the collective resolve of stakeholders to deepen market capacity, foster professionalism, and promote innovation will be critical to ensuring that the capital market plays its rightful role in shaping the nation’s economic future.

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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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